Judiciary Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed by a 53-47 majority to the Supreme Court on Thursday, making her the first Supreme Court justice President Joe Biden has had approved during his presidency and the first African-American woman on the high court.
Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine, as well as all 50 Democrats, voted in favor of Jackson’s nomination on Thursday.
The vote was presided over by Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to hold that position.
This September, she will officially begin her term as a Supreme Court justice because departing Justice Stephen Breyer will remain on the court until late June or early July of this year.
Currently, Jackson serves as an appeals judge on the D.C. Superior Court Previously served as a federal district judge, public defender and on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Commission for the Imposition of Criminal Penalties.
For the first time, a former public defender will serve on the Supreme Court, making Jackson the first African American female justice.
First African-American woman on Supreme Court: Biden nominated Jackson in February after Breyer announced his retirement, fulfilling President Obama’s campaign vow.
When Justice Stephen Breyer stepped down as a Supreme Court justice, it was Biden’s presidency’s first vacancy, and Democrats had been putting pressure on him to do so.
Jackson’s confirmation will not alter the court’s 6-3 conservative majority, but her age and political leanings assure that Breyer’s seat would likely be held for decades by a left-leaning justice.
The American Bar Association’s standing committee president testified to the Senate that the ABA’s analysis of Jackson’s record led her to ask the Senate to confirm him as a federal judge.
How much will Ketanji Brown Jackson be paid?
The average salary for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in the United States is $286,700. Ketanji Brown who is now the New Supreme Court Judge will earn $286,700 as an average salary.
