Ketanji Brown Jackson Senate Vote Is Final: Here’s How Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Fans React to Historic Supreme Court Confirmation
(Photo : Photo by Kevin Lamarque-Pool/Getty Images)
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson made history for becoming the first Black woman to be confirmed to the United States Supreme Court after contentious hearings. After the final tally was revealed, massive applause could be heard in the Senate chamber and supporters, including celebrities, flocked to social media to congratulate the judge.

The United States Senate has confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, making history as the first Black woman on the country's highest court, garnering reactions from supporters, including lawmakers and celebrities.

The confirmation also gives United States President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement that he initially promised in an effort to diversify the court. When the 51-year-old judge was confirmed with a 53-47 vote, cheers rang out from the Senate chamber.

 

 

 

Support for Jackson

The supporters included Democrats and three Republicans who opposed their party's opposition to a Biden nominee. Vice President Kamala Harris was the one who presided over the vote. Furthermore, the confirmation was well-received by Jackson's supporters outside of the political scene, such as actor Mark Hamill and singer John Legend.

 

 

After the confirmation, Biden posted on Twitter that the country has taken another step toward making the highest court reflect the diversity within America. Furthermore, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called it a "wonderful day, a joyous day, an inspiring day for the Senate, for the Supreme Court, and for the United States of America."

While leaving the Capitol, Harris said that Jackson's confirmation made her feel "overjoyed" and "deeply moved." The situation will have the judge replace Justice Stephen Breyer when the latter retires this summer, as per the Associated Press.

Read Also: McConnell Expresses Opposition to Biden's SC Nominee, Calling Jackson's Sentencing Record 'Troubling'

The three Republicans that supported Jackson's confirmation to the Supreme Court are Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah. The individuals previously expressed their support of the Biden nominee, saying she was well-qualified for the nation's highest court.

House members filled the back of the Senate chamber who are part of the Congressional Black Caucus and arrived to mark the historic moment. Second gentleman Doug Emhoff observed the vote while in the visitor gallery and looking down at the proceedings. When the final tally came in, huge applause broke and a standing ovation could be seen as Democrats embraced each other.

Historic Moment

According to Fox News, Judge Jackson joined President Biden and several other White House senior staff in the Roosevelt Room to watch the results of her confirmation vote. The U.S. president took a selfie with his nominee after the confirmation and called it a historic moment.

Throughout the confirmation process, Democrats and the White House continuously highlighted the historic nature of Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court. Schumer said that, in the 233-year history of the country's highest court, there has never been a Black woman who held the title of "Justice."

Jackson became visibly emotional at one point during her Senate confirmation hearings, wiping away her tears as Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey praised her. The official, who is one of only three Black senators, talked about the nominee's path to the nomination and the obstacles that she has to overcome.

Jackson shared that her parents grew up in the United States at a time when Black children and White children were not allowed to go to school together. She made the remarks after Booker asked what values her parents had impressed on her. She added that they taught her how to work hard and how to persevere, CNN reported.


Related Article: Ketanji Brown Jackson Moves Closer to SC Confirmation After Gaining Some Republican Support

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