WASHINGTON (Washington Insider Magazine) – As President Joe Biden aims to find his ground with his vision blocked and Democrats deeply divided in Congress, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer steps down, setting up a dramatic confirmation war at the outset of a midterm election cycle.
According to a well-placed official familiar with the situation, Breyer, 83, is anticipated to continue on until the conclusion of the judicial term and until a successor is confirmed.
Two sources have told CNN that he notified Biden of his intentions last week and that he will publicly confirm his departure at a White House ceremony with the President as early as Thursday.
Although Biden’s selection will not alter the court’s balance, assuming that Breyer will probably be replaced by another liberal, the new appointee is believed to be much considerably younger and might serve on the bench for decades. Six conservative justices have been chosen by Republican presidents, while three liberal justices have been appointed by Democrats.
On the campaign road, Biden promised that if he were elected, he would appoint an African American woman to the Supreme Court, which would be a historic event. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51, was confirmed to the influential DC-based appellate court last year and is a possible candidate. She worked as a law clerk for Breyer, as well as serving on the US Sentencing Commission and also as an assistant federal public defender.
Breyer’s decision to resign comes at a time when he has been under strong pressure from the left, which has urged him to step down while Biden has a straight road to replace him.
On Wednesday afternoon, Biden declined to comment on the news of his retirement.
In the State Dining Room, Biden told journalists that every justice has the right to decide what he or she will do and disclose it on their own.
Breyer has spent nearly 30 years on the Supreme Court as a steady liberal vote with an unwavering trust in the US form of governance and a realistic view of the law.
