Ketanji Brown Jackson Is President Joe Biden's Supreme Court Pick

etonline.com:

Mr. Biden plans to announce Jackson, 51, as his pick on Friday, setting in motion a confirmation battle in the Senate that will play out amid Democrats' efforts to maintain their majorities in Congress in November's midterm elections.With Republicans and Democrats each controlling 50 seats in the Senate and Vice President Kamala Harris casting tie-breaking votes, Jackson will need support from all 50 Democrats — if GOP senators oppose her nomination — in order to be confirmed to the Supreme Court, which she is expected to receive.

It's unclear when confirmation hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin, but Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and committee Chairman Dick Durbin have pledged to take up the nomination expeditiously.

The pace of the confirmation process for Jackson is expected to be similar to that of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, whose nomination to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2020 was approved by the GOP-controlled Senate in less than 30 days.Jackson will be guided through the confirmation process by former Alabama Senator Doug Jones, who is serving as her so-called «Sherpa.» With Jackson's nomination, which comes nearly a month after Breyer announced his retirement, Mr.

Biden has his first opportunity to put his stamp on the Supreme Court. While Jackson's appointment will not alter the ideological composition of the high court, which currently has a 6-3 conservative majority, she is likely to serve for decades if confirmed by the Senate.Breyer revealed in late January he will retire from the Supreme Court once a successor is confirmed, capping months of pressure from liberal judicial groups to step down and allow Mr.