The vibes were high at a White House event celebrating Ketanji Brown Jackson's historic confirmation. “It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court ... But we’ve made it,” Jackson said.
Flanked by two historic firsts, President Joe Biden on Friday underscored the significance of fulfilling his campaign promise to confirm the first Black woman to the Supreme Court of the United States.
The White House celebration comes after the Senate voted on Thursday to confirm Jackson in a 53-47 vote to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court. Biden praised Jackson for her restraint as she faced tough, and at times confrontational, questioning from Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee — interrogation that the president said amounted to “verbal abuse.” And Biden thanked Republican Sens.
Jackson spent most of her speech thanking everyone from Biden and Harris to lawmakers, mentors and friends. Jackson praised her confirmation sherpa, former Alabama Sen. Doug Jones, as “an absolute godsend” for his guidance throughout the process. Biden used the event to highlight other historic firsts in administration, from the Black women in his Cabinet to the vice president, the first woman and first Black person to hold that office and who the president said was the “first really smart decision he made in this administration.” He touted the record-breaking number of Black women judges he’s nominated to federal courts, and that he’s spent a lot of time thinking about today and what it would mean for the nation.
“Our children are telling me that they see now more than ever that here in America anything is possible,” Jackson said. “They also tell me that I’m a role model, which I take both as an opportunity and as a huge responsibility.” “I told [my goddaughter] that I felt such a deep sense of pride and joy, and about what this moment means for our nation and for her future,” Harris said, then turning back to Jackson. “And I will tell you, her braids are just a little longer than yours. But as I wrote to her, I told her what I knew this would mean for her life and all that she has in terms of potential.”
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