White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday that President Biden stands by his commitment to nominate a Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
Mr. Biden is expected to formally announce Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer’s retirement and will have his first opportunity to install a new justice since taking office.
He pledged during the 2020 campaign that he would nominate the first Black woman to serve in the high court if a seat opened during his tenure.
“The president has stated and reiterated his commitment to nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court, and certainly stands by that for today,” Ms. Psaki told reporters. “I’m just not going to be able to say anything about any specifics until of course, Justice Breyer makes an announcement should he decide to make an announcement.”
Progressive groups pressured Justice Breyer to vacate his seat while Democrats control the Senate, giving Mr. Biden a chance to easily put through his nomination.
Justice Breyer’s retirement could pave the way for Mr. Biden to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris to the Supreme Court, though Ms. Psaki pushed back on the idea.
“The president has every intention of running for reelection and running for re-election with Vice President Harris on the ticket as his partner,” she said.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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