Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court 53-47

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, cementing her place as the first black woman to be an associate justice on the court. Her confirmation is a victory for President Joe Biden, who had made a campaign promise to nominate a black woman to diversify the court.

Jackson, 51, was elevated from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit after serving for nine years on the federal bench. She had previous experience as a district judge for the D.C. District Court, had served as vice chair of the United States Sentencing Commission for four years, and was also a federal public defender early in her career.

The Senate confirmed Jackson to the Supreme Court in a vote of 53-47, with three Republican senators voting with every Democrat in the majority. Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) supported Jackson’s confirmation, each saying that while they may not agree with every opinion she makes, they were confident she was well-qualified for the court.

“This is a wonderful day, a joyous day, an inspiring day — for the Senate, for the Supreme Court and for the United States of America,” an exuberant Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said after the vote, according to the Associated Press.- READ MORE