US media quoted informed sources as saying that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will retire at the end of the current session, allowing President Joe Biden to appoint a replacement to him in the highest judicial body in the United States, and to fulfill his electoral promise to appoint the first black woman to the court.
Breyer, 83, is one of the three remaining liberal justices on the nine-member Supreme Court, and his decision allows for retirement after more than two decades on the court.
Judge Breyer is the court’s oldest member, and was appointed by former Democratic President Bill Clinton in 1994. For months, liberal activists have urged Breyer to retire to allow President Biden to choose a new judge.
The American news networks “NBC” and “CNN” (CNN) said that Breyer intends to retire at the end of next June.
pocket copy
Always carrying in his pocket a copy of the US Constitution with explanations, Breyer is a fierce opponent of the death penalty, and has voted for the “right to abortion,” gay marriage, environmental protection and access to health care.
The Supreme Court currently includes 6 conservative and 3 liberal justices, and confirmation of its candidates for the position requires approval by the Senate, where the Democratic Party currently has a slim majority.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Biden’s nominee to succeed Breyer would have an “urgent hearing”, and the House would consider the matter and confirm his appointment “as quickly as possible.”
The Supreme Court currently has 6 conservative and 3 liberal justices, and confirmation of its nominees for office requires Senate confirmation.
Democrats hurry up
And the Democrats have their reason to speed up the approval of a successor to Judge Breyer, as the Republicans are seeking to regain control of the Senate in the congressional elections that will be held on November 8, and the Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, has clearly stated that he will block any Biden nominations to the court if his party regains the majority .
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki did not confirm the news of Justice Breyer’s intention to retire, nor did she discuss Biden’s preparations to fill the vacancy, but said the president had “definitely stuck to his previous commitment” to appointing a black female Supreme Court justice.
His appointee wouldn’t alter the court’s ideological balance, but it would enable him to revamp its liberal wing with a younger judge in a lifelong position.
Former US President Donald Trump appointed 3 conservative justices to the Supreme Court, giving the right a majority of 6 seats.