President Joe Biden listens as Choose Ketanji Brown Jackson speaks throughout an occasion on the South Garden of the White Home in Washington, Friday, April 8, 2022, celebrating the affirmation of Jackson as the primary Black girl to be named to the Supreme Court docket. Andrew Harnik, Related Press
In introducing the following U.S. Supreme Court docket justice at a White Home occasion Friday, President Joe Biden singled out Utah Sen. Mitt Romney for voting to substantiate Choose Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Romney and Sens. Susan Collins, of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, had been the one Republicans to affix all 50 Senate Democrats in confirming Jackson in a 53-47 vote Thursday. Romney stood up with Democrats to applaud after the vote. Jackson, who will substitute retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, would be the first Black girl to serve on the excessive court docket.
Biden acknowledged the three GOP senators throughout a press convention on the South Garden of the White Home.
“And I hope I don’t get them in bother, I imply this sincerely, however I need to thank three Republicans who voted for Choose Jackson,” the president mentioned as the gang applauded.
“Sen. Collins, who's a lady of integrity. Sen. Murkowski, the identical manner, in Alaska up for reelection. And Mitt Romney, whose dad stood up like he did. His dad stood up and made these choices on civil rights.”
Romney’s father, George Romney, supported the civil rights motion throughout his tenure as governor of Michigan within the Nineteen Sixties. Mitt Romney joined a Black Lives Matter march in Washington, D.C., in the summertime of 2020.
In a speech, Jackson mentioned it has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black girl to be chosen to serve on the Supreme Court docket.
“However we’ve made it,” she mentioned. “We’ve made it, all of us.”
Jackson mentioned she is standing on the shoulders of generations of People who by no means had something near this chance however who obtained up every single day and went to work believing within the promise of America.
“I'm additionally ever buoyed by the management of generations previous who helped to gentle the way in which — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Justice Thurgood Marshall and my private heroine Choose Constance Baker Motley,” she mentioned. Motley was the primary Black girl to function federal choose.
“And for all the speak of this historic nomination and now affirmation, I consider them because the true path breakers. I'm simply the very fortunate first heir of the dream of liberty and justice for all.”
Jackson mentioned the nation has come a good distance towards perfecting the union. “In my household, it took only one era to go from segregation to the Supreme Court docket of america,” she mentioned.
Biden mentioned Romney, Murkowski and Collins deserve “monumental” credit score for setting apart partisanship and making a fastidiously thought of judgment based mostly on the choose’s character, qualifications and independence. He mentioned he admires the diligence and laborious work they demonstrated in the course of the affirmation course of.
The president mentioned he all the time believed a bipartisan vote was doable, however the harassment and assaults on Jackson throughout her affirmation hearings earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee.
In a video that has since gone viral, Romney is seen standing alone applauding Jackson’s affirmation as his Republican colleagues, together with Utah Sen. Mike Lee, stroll out of the Senate chamber after the vote. Romney didn't attend the White Home press convention Friday.
Some Republicans stroll out in the course of the applause. Mitt Romney stays and continues to clap pic.twitter.com/b9z8huQQIY
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 7, 2022
Some conservative Republicans, together with Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, attacked Romney, Collins and Murkowski on social media for supporting Jackson. Greene known as the three senators “pro-pedophile.” Republicans on the Judiciary Committee questioned Jackson’s handing out lesser sentences in youngster pornography circumstances.
Biden mentioned he anticipated the affirmation course of could be “painful” for Jackson however mentioned that the GOP questioning of Jackson in the course of the listening to went past what he anticipated.
“I've to inform you, what Choose Jackson was put via was effectively past that. It was verbal abuse — the anger, the fixed interruptions, probably the most vile and baseless assertions and accusations,” he mentioned.
“Within the face of all of it, Choose Jackson confirmed the unbelievable character and integrity she possesses,” Biden mentioned. “Poise, poise and composure. Endurance and restraint. And sure, perseverance and even pleasure.”