 |
| Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer photo credit: Brookings Institution / Flickr |
UPDATE: Justice Breyer has since confirmed the reports, saying that he will retire at the end of this term if a successor is nominated and confirmed. His current term will end in June or July.
President Biden said that he plans to announce a nominee by the end of February. Biden pledged during his campaign that he would nominate a black woman if given the opportunity to appoint a justice.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated Breyer for his retirement, but he also made the following statement about the upcoming nomination process:
“Looking ahead — the American people elected a Senate that is evenly split at 50-50. To the degree that President Biden received a mandate, it was to govern from the middle, steward our institutions, and unite America.
“The President must not outsource this important decision to the radical left. The American people deserve a nominee with demonstrated reverence for the written text of our laws and our Constitution.”
---Original article below---
According to a report by NBC News, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer plans to retire from the court.
Breyer, who was appointed to the court in 1994 by President Bill Clinton, is one of the court's pro-abortion members. He is also the court's oldest member at the age of 83. Breyer has been on the court for 27 years.
If Breyer retires, President Joe Biden would have his first opportunity to appoint a justice the Supreme Court. That person would almost certainly take a similar stance on abortion.
After President Trump appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, many on the left have called for Breyer's retirement. Having him step down during Biden's presidency would prevent another event like that from shifting the balance of the Supreme Court.
