Biden could announce historic Black woman Supreme Court nominee as early as President’s Day
EXCLUSIVE: As Vice President Kamala Harris returned from her trip to Germany, White House officials held calls with allies discussing the anticipated announcement.
President Joe Biden could announce his historic Black woman nominee for the Supreme Court of the United States as early as President’s Day on Monday, theGrio has learned.
The announcement comes as Vice President Kamala Harris arrived back in Washington, D.C. Sunday after an overseas trip to Munich, Germany, and working to ease tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
TheGrio previously reported that the thinking of the White House was that such a historic announcement could not be made without President Biden’s number two, who is also the nation’s first Black woman vice president.
High-ranking White House officials participated in a series of calls Sunday night rallying allies in anticipation of the announcement, warning them that once the pick is named, “we know the attacks are going to be about affirmative action, and race and gender.”
The sources said President Biden’s historic announcement could come as early as Monday or by the end of the month as they aimed to get ally groups prepared for unprecedented attacks on the nominee once the decision is made public.
“This is not a pick just to make history [but] because Black women have been at the forefront of building this country since the beginning,” said a White House source on one of the calls Sunday. “To not have that voice on the Supreme Court is an error and an omission of great gravity and we are determined to fix it.”
The White House source on the call countered the anticipated fight against whoever the SCOTUS nominee will be, saying “you cannot get to this level without being twice as good as their counterparts.”
In this case, the nominee’s potential high court counterparts happen to be majority white, with one Black man and one Latina woman.
While the White House will not release an official list of nominees, three have reportedly emerged as top contenders for the job: Federal Judge J. Michelle Childs of South Carolina, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who currently serves as a federal district court judge for the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and Judge Leondra Krugar who sits on the California Supreme Court.
A White House source said, “everyone whose name has been lifted in the press is qualified to be on the court.”
Attorney, advocate, television personality Star Jones, who was recently appointed by President Biden as the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, was on one of the calls that affirmed an announcement could come as early as Monday.
“President’s Day is tomorrow…and is seen as a day to recognize the lives and achievements of all of America’s chief executives. I can think of no more an important lasting legacy on President’s Day…than President Joe Biden nominating the first Black woman to sit on the SCOTUS,” Jones told theGrio.
The Biden White House wants all the nominees to leave this process unscathed and with their reputations intact as there have been early attacks on their records and qualifications ahead of the nomination. As another fact, President Biden has also nominated nine Black women to federal circuit courts since taking office.
“SistaSCOTUS is reflecting on this joyous moment for our country as we prepare to support President Biden’s nominee. We are encouraged that there is a wealth of Black Women from which he can choose, all of whom are immensely qualified,” April Reign, co-founder of SistaSCOTUS.org told theGrio.
“Our new Justice will enrich the judicial process as she calls upon her legal acumen, impressive background, and lived experience in communication and deliberation with her fellow Justices.”
The White House counsel’s office is playing a large part in the selection process. Those who sit on the nomination selection committee are Vice President Harris and Senior Advisor Cedric Richmond.
“Nominating a Black woman with the necessary compassion, sense of justice, and brilliant legal mind will bolster the integrity of the Supreme Court by bringing about a balance that ensures the court is more representative of all Americans,” added Star Jones.
“As a proud Black woman lawyer myself, I am confident that the person President Biden selects will have a record that reflects an unwavering commitment to our Constitution, justice, integrity, and democracy that service on our highest court demands.”
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