He is making room for a new seat on the politically contested Supreme Court. The US television channels NBC and CNN reported on Wednesday, citing Breyer’s environment, that the 83-year-old had decided to retire. This means that US President Joe Biden can fill the post before the congressional elections in November.
Biden wants African American woman to follow
Biden wants to fill the vacancy with a black woman, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed on Wednesday afternoon (local time). Biden stands by his campaign promises, Psaki said. Before his election in November 2020, Biden had announced that he wanted to appoint a black woman as supreme judge for the first time if he were given the opportunity.
Biden’s Democrats currently have a slim majority in the Senate, but this is shaky in the congressional election. The powerful House of Parliament must approve the President’s nomination. CNN reported that a public announcement of the resignation could be expected as early as Thursday – together with Biden.
Important post
With its decisions on particularly controversial issues such as abortion, immigration or same-sex marriages, the US Supreme Court repeatedly sets the course for American society. The nine judges are appointed for life. Their selection is a highly competitive political process. Ex-President Donald Trump and his Senate Republicans were able to place three judges on the Supreme Court during Trump’s tenure, which is why six of the nine judges are currently considered conservative. Breyer is the senior judge on the Supreme Court.
The personnel would not change the current balance of power at the court, but would still be of great political importance. Breyer himself initially gave no official explanation. However, various high-ranking politicians have already reacted to his resignation and thanked him for his services at the US Supreme Court. Biden himself said on the sidelines of an appearance in the White House that he would not comment until Breyer had made a statement.
Breyer was considered a left-wing liberal
Breyer is attributed to the liberal camp. He appreciates the compromise, is considered a moderate mediator, but leans more to the left. He was once nominated by Democratic President Bill Clinton. The replacement of Breyer’s seat under Democratic President Biden will not change the balance of power between conservatives and liberals on the court. But progressive activists had urged Breyer to step down early to ensure the replacement falls during Biden’s tenure and before Democrats potentially lose their Senate majority in the fall congressional election.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Judiciary Committee would “promptly” schedule a hearing as soon as Biden was nominated, and the entire chamber would review and confirm the nomination at the appropriate pace. All Biden’s Democrats need in the Senate is a simple majority, which they can get if they act as one. On other issues, the unity of the Democrats in the Senate was very weak. However, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on Twitter that he expects the Democrats to stand together on this person.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in September 2020 at the age of 87 from complications from cancer. The death of the liberal justice icon a few months before the presidential election that year had sparked fierce political battles. Trump and the Republicans absolutely wanted to fill the vacant seat before the election and went through the process of confirming their successor, the conservative lawyer Amy Coney Barrett, at high speed – against great resistance from the Democrats. Since then, the Conservatives have held the dominant majority of six of the nine seats on the court. That could affect the development of US society for decades to come.
Source: Nachrichten
