The United States Senate voted 53-47 Thursday to confirm the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court, a historic vote that makes Judge Brown the first African American female on the high court.
The vote came with Brown getting votes from all 50 Senate Democrats and three Senate Republicans – Susan Collins from Maine, Lisa Murkowski from Alaska and Mitt Romney from Utah.
The news was met with enthusiasm from Virginia Democrats in Congress.
“Justice is served! I voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson as our next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court because she’s qualified, brilliant, and honest. And for the first time in two centuries, the court will contain the voice of a Black woman,” Sen. Mark Warner said.
“I am so glad to have helped confirm Judge Jackson to the Supreme Court and to now be able to call her Justice Jackson. Justice Jackson’s dedication to liberty and justice for all, her impressive list of achievements, and her excellent legal expertise will be of great value to the Court,” Sen. Tim Kaine said.
“Justice Jackson will also be the first African American woman on the Court, and she will bring a Court that had never had a woman member when I started law school to a Court where four of the nine members are women. Her confirmation is powerful evidence of the capacity we have as a nation to come closer and closer to the ideal of equality articulated as our moral North Star in the opening phrase of the Declaration of Independence and engraved over the Court’s entrance as ‘equal justice under law.’
“Justice Jackson is superbly qualified for this important post, and I believe that her knowledge, skills, and background – especially her work as a trial judge – will be invaluable in deciding cases that have an immense impact on all Virginians and Americans,” Kaine said.
“Throughout the confirmation process, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has demonstrated her legal acumen, breadth of experience, and a true mastery of the law,” Fourth District Congressman Donald McEachin said. “She maneuvered ugly partisan attacks from Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee with poise and grace, and she proved at every step that she has what it takes to serve our nation as a justice. She is one of the brightest legal minds in our nation and is eminently qualified to serve as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Judge Jackson has broken barriers for African American women throughout her expansive career. With today’s confirmation, she has shattered yet another glass ceiling for Black women and girls across the United States. This is a historic moment for our nation. We all stand to gain when the highest court of our land reflects the diversity of our country. She will bring new perspectives and lived experiences to the court, and I am confident she will do everything in her power to defend the U.S. Constitution and continue to demonstrate a commitment to equal justice under the law,” McEachin said.
“It is a significant moment in our nation’s history to have confirmed the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court,” Eighth District Congressman Don Beyer said. “Throughout her nomination process Judge Jackson personified grace, integrity, and the utmost commitment to uphold our Constitution. Her impressive depth of experience and knowledge of the law make her an exceptional addition to our nation’s highest Court. I congratulate Judge Jackson on her confirmation, and look forward to her continued public service and commitment to ensuring justice for all.”
Story by Chris Graham
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