The Senate has confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, shattering a historic barrier by securing her place as the first Black female justice and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his effort to diversify the court.

Jackson was confirmed 53-47 with three Republican votes.

She will take her seat when Justice Stephen Breyer retires this summer, rejuvenating a diminished liberal wing of the conservative-dominated court.

Jackson will be just the third Black justice, after Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas, and the sixth woman.

At her hearings last month, she told senators she would apply the law “without fear or favor." 

U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) issued the following statement:

“Judge Jackson brings an outstanding record to the Supreme Court, and I’m proud to have voted for her historic confirmation. I appreciated the chance to meet with her, and I believe she will work diligently to uphold the Constitution, protect the rule of law, and safeguard the rights of all Americans.”

Nevada State Democratic Party Chair Judith Whitmer released the following statement:

“We are elated to see Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed as the replacement to Justice Stephen Breyer. Her confirmation makes her not only the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice but also the very first former public defender to hold this office. It is not enough to recognize her confirmation as historic - it is long overdue.”

“Time and time again, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has demonstrated prudence, diligence, and consideration in her rulings. She has been rightfully lauded as one of the single most qualified nominees in the history of our nation and we know that she will continue to deliver the same impartiality and integrity that has defined her incredible career.”

“Our gratitude goes out to Justice Stephen Breyer, who has served our nation as a voice of conscience and reason for nearly three decades. Not once has his commitment to the principle of justice for all ever faltered. His remarkable legacy remains an inspiration to us all.”

DNC SCOTUS statement

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel released the following statement on the confirmation vote:

“Biden’s pick Ketanji Brown Jackson is a radical, activist judge, one who failed to answer simple questions on her record, including leniency for child porn offenders and support of CRT. Jackson has proved to be in lockstep with the far left’s political agenda, even refusing to define what a woman is. The RNC will hold Democrats accountable this November for supporting Biden’s radical pick.”

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