President Joe Biden officially announced the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, and that nomination is receiving some support in Delaware.
Senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper along with Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester all issued statements supporting Jackson’s nomination. If confirmed, Jackson would be the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Today is a truly monumental day in the history of our nation. President Biden has nominated a candidate with credentials as impressive as any in the country in Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Judge Jackson’s education, distinguished legal career, and lived experience give her both a depth of knowledge and soundness of judgment that will serve this country well,” said Blunt Rochester in a statement.
Blunt Rochester added the sense of pride she felt when then candidate Biden announced he would nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court during a debate.
“On a personal note, it is simply thrilling to see such a qualified Black woman finally have the opportunity to sit on the highest court in the land,” Blunt Rochester added.
Carper is impressed with Jackson’s experience.
“Like Justice Breyer, she brings years of experience on the federal bench and a reputation as a consensus builder. Her breadth and diversity of experience, including as a public defender, shows that she will uphold the constitutional rights of the American people,” said Carper in a statement.
Jackson would replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.
Coons believes Jackson’s service as a law clerk to Justice Breyer, Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and a public defender will be an asset to the court.
"I think it will give her the grounding and the experience to both help bring this court together and be an advocate for those too long left out in the consequences of judicial decisions."
Coons says on top of her vast experience, her degrees from Harvard University and Harvard Law School also make her a qualified nominee for the Supreme Court.
Coons hopes that helps in confirmation hearings.
"I am hopeful that we will have a swift, fair, transparent confirmation process in which she will earn several Republican votes, and will ultimately be confirmed with a bipartisan majority."
Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice Collins Seitz applauds President Biden’s nomination, and says it’s an important nomination.
"When you have people of diverse backgrounds become members of the judiciary it's an important perspective and although justice is blind, justice needs to be representative of the community that we serve."
Jackson was one of President Biden’s first judicial nominees and confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2021.
