He said it would show that the United States remains committed to a better union.
Clyburn stated that this was more than politics in an interview with Face the Nation. Clyburn said that this was about the country and our pursuit of a better union. Let's have a discussion, let's discuss her decisions and her philosophy. Let's make sure that there is strong bipartisan support so that both sides can still pursue perfection.
President Biden announced Friday that he had nominated Jackson, a federal appels court judge, to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer at the Supreme Court. Jackson has been a federal judge for almost nine years. She was a judge on both U.S. court of appeals in Washington, and U.S district court. Jackson was also a federal public defense attorney and vice-chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
Clyburn fulfilled his campaign promise to name Jackson the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. The South Carolina congressman urged President Barack Obama to select U.S. District judge J. Michelle Childs to serve as the Supreme Court's Chief Judge. He cited her educational history at public universities but also said that Jackson will bring new perspectives to the country's highest court through her experience representing criminal defendants.
"We all have our individual preferences. All of us have reasonable biases. He said that he believes this was a good decision. It was a choice that brought to the court a history and experiences that no one else will have. When you consider her life and family history, as well as her profession, it is clear that she was a public defense attorney. This gives the court a fresh perspective."
Clyburn stated that Jackson is a Harvard Law School and Harvard University graduate. Eight of the current Supreme Court members have either gone to Yale or Harvard law schools.
"This means we will continue that tradition. And I am one. As you can see, that's more for tradition than anything. "I want to see us explore as many new ground as we can," said the congressman.
Jackson could meet with senators as soon as next week and kick off the confirmation battle within the evenly divided Senate. Jackson is able to meet with senators without the need for Republican support, as Democrats and Republicans control 50 seats, while Vice President Kamala Harris casts tie-breaking votes.
Jackson is expected to be supported by many Senate Democrats. It's not clear whether any Republicans will vote for Jackson's confirmation. The nomination of Jackson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was supported by three GOP senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. However, it is not known if that support will extend to Jackson's bid to the Supreme Court.
