Durbin: Judge Jackson Will Be a Supreme Court Justice in the Mold of Justice Breyer
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today spoke about the historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.
“Every Supreme Court nomination is critically important. This one has special historic significance. In the United States’ history, our Supreme Court has had 115 Justices, 108 of those Justices have had one thing in common—they were all white men. Five of those who served on the court as Justice were women. Only three have been people of color out of 115,” Durbin said. “With Judge Jackson’s nomination, we’ve already seen history in the making. If confirmed, she’ll be the first Black woman ever to serve on the United States Supreme Court. With this nomination, Judge Jackson and we have the opportunity to bend the arc of history toward justice.”
During his speech, Durbin also highlighted how Judge Jackson will build upon the honorable legacy of Justice Breyer and reinforced that the Judiciary Committee process will be careful, fair, and professional.
“In his time on the Court, Justice Breyer has been defined by his rigorous intellect, his thoughtful, pragmatic approach to judicial decision making, his collegiality and consensus building, and his devotion to the core principles on which America is founded—freedom, liberty, and equality. By all of these measures and more, Judge Jackson is a natural successor to the Justice she once clerked for,” Durbin said. “She’s a jurist who understands the importance of pragmatism and real world experience. She will draw on her broad range of experience on the United States Sentencing Commission, as a federal public defender, as a litigator in civil lawsuits, and private practice. Judge Jackson has also demonstrated the premium she places on collegiality and consensus building, especially with those who may not share her views.”
Durbin continued, “In the coming weeks, the Senate Judiciary Committee will undertake another comprehensive review of her record, her qualifications, and her approach to judicial decision making. As Chair of the Committee, I’m determined to see that this review is careful, fair, and professional.”
Durbin concluded, “My dearest hope is that at the end of the day, she will receive bipartisan support for this nomination. It would be a great day for the Senate as well as for the Supreme Court if that happened.”
Video of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s floor speech is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s floor speech is available here for TV Stations.
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