Speaking from the White House Thursday afternoon, President Joe Biden announced he will appoint a black woman to replace Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
Biden says that Kamala Harris, "an exceptional lawyer," will advise him in the decision on who to nominate to the Supreme Court. pic.twitter.com/feRJhehKNk
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With a 50-50 Senate, Biden can't afford to lose any Democrats and needs at least one Republican to get his nominee confirmed.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is warning Biden not to pick a radical nominee.
“I congratulate Justice Breyer on nearly three decades of thoughtful and consequential service on the Supreme Court, capping forty-plus years of total service on the federal bench," McConnell released in a statement. “Justice Breyer’s commitment to the importance of a nonpartisan, non-politicized judiciary has been especially admirable. Even in the face of undue criticism from the modern political left, Justice Breyer has remained a principled voice against destructive proposals such as partisan court-packing that would shatter public trust in the rule of law."
“Looking ahead — the American people elected a Senate that is evenly split at 50-50. To the degree that President Biden received a mandate, it was to govern from the middle, steward our institutions, and unite America," McConnell continued. “The President must not outsource this important decision to the radical left. The American people deserve a nominee with demonstrated reverence for the written text of our laws and our Constitution.”
Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who the White House will no doubt be watching closely, indicates she won't be a rubber stamp.
"As with all nominees and as I did during the 2020 Supreme Court nomination, I look forward to fulfilling my constitutional duty to provide advice and consent by thoughtfully examining the next nominee based on three criteria: whether the nominee is professionally qualified, believes in the role of an independent judiciary, and can be trusted to faithfully interpret and uphold the rule of law," Sinema released in a statement.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Thursday afternoon the administration advises Republicans against playing "games" with the confirmation process.
Press Sec. Jen Psaki warns Republicans about playing "games" with Biden's Supreme Court pick pic.twitter.com/1VFbOYbDAo
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 27, 2022