The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has appeared this Thursday to announce the withdrawal of Judge Stephen Breyer, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton in 1994, and who will leave a vacant seat on the Supreme Court that could be occupied for the first time. by a black woman.
“I am here today to express the nation’s gratitude to Judge Stephen Breyer for his remarkable career of public service and his clear commitment to making the laws of our country work for its people,” Biden said in his speech alongside the Democratic judge. .
The US president has said that he intends to announce his candidate at the end of February and has indicated that the position, which must be approved by a simple majority, could be occupied by a black woman for the first time in history.
“I have not made any decisions except one: the person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications. That person will be the first black woman nominated to the Supreme Court of the United States,” he has said.
The White House spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, responded to questions this Thursday at a press conference in relation to these statements and pointed out that “in more than 230 years” a black woman “has never served” in the Supreme Court.
Psaki has stressed that it is “ridiculous” that it can be thought that there are no women qualified for the position “who have distinguished themselves by reaching the top of the legal profession with the strongest credentials imaginable.”
Likewise, she has confirmed that Biden would already be reviewing profiles of possible candidates and that his intention is to carry out the nomination at the end of February, since “it is a priority” to choose “the right person.”
However, social leaders warn that this movement, which they consider positive, does not exempt the president from addressing “voting rights and police reform.” In this sense, the civil rights activist, Al Sharpton, has stressed that “this box must be checked” as well, according to the US network CNN.
In a letter addressed to Biden, Breyer, 83, formally notified his withdrawal this Thursday and wrote that he intended to complete the term until a new successor is confirmed, according to ABC News.
As reported by various US media, one of the promises Biden made in his election campaign was to nominate the first black woman in the Supreme Court. The opportunity that the president now has to nominate a Democrat, however, will not change the conservative advantage in the body, according to NBC News.
© 2022 Europe Press.
