WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) and the Congressional Black Caucus released the following statement:
“This is a historic day for America. If confirmed, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. The Congressional Black Caucus applauds President Biden for his outstanding leadership and commitment to ensuring our courts look like our country. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be the third Black Supreme Court Justice, the fifth woman, and the first African American nominated to the Supreme Court in more than 30 years. The CBC will be laser-focused on ensuring she receives a full and fair hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. We are also prepared to combat anyone who may use personal attacks or bigoted language to discredit Judge Jackson. Sadly, we know that Black women in positions of power often face the ugliest forms of racist and sexist attacks. Despite this, in the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ‘we shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is a distinguished jurist who has served on the District of Columbia Circuit since June 2021. Previously, she served for more than eight years on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. There, she delivered more than 600 opinions, only 12 of which were reversed. Her stellar Judiciary tenure demonstrates her capability to serve as a fair, impartial jurist with a clear commitment to equal justice and the Constitution.
Beatty continued, “Judge Jackson has spent years representing the most vulnerable members of our society and fighting for the constitutional rights of all. What’s more, she has a record of bipartisan support for her previous confirmations. In fact, she was confirmed three times by the Senate, twice unanimously.”
At Judge Jackson’s 2012 nomination hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said of her that while their “politics may differ…[his] praise for Ketanji’s intellect, for her character, for her integrity, it is unequivocal.” Former United States Attorneys and Department of Justice officials across the country also have endorsed Judge Jackson, “without reservation” due to her “steadfast commitment to independence, impartiality, and integrity.”
“As Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion, and as a Black woman, the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve as a Supreme Court Justice is something I will remember forever. When she is confirmed, young Black women and girls will see what is possible in America. . Judge Jackson’s stellar judiciary resume has prepared her not only to serve but to excel in the role as the first Black woman U.S. Supreme Court Justice. That is our power, fueled by our message,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty.