Hoyer Statement on the Historic Nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today on President Biden's historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court:

"Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is eminently qualified and an outstanding choice to serve on our nation's highest court, and I offer my strong support for her historic nomination. A former law clerk to Justice Breyer, not only has she had a distinguished career on the federal bench, Judge Jackson also has extensive criminal justice experience as an assistant public defender in Washington, DC, and as former Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. This experience will serve the Supreme Court well, helping it focus on the real-world impacts of its rulings. As a jurist, she has received high accolades, with a strong record of rulings being upheld and a demonstrated commitment to ensuring that justice benefits those who most need its protection.

"Not only would Judge Jackson be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court; she is the first Black nominee to the Court in more than three decades and would only be the third Black justice and fifth woman to serve on the nation's highest bench. If confirmed, she will make history and continue to make the Supreme Court more reflective of the people it serves. I am also proud that she calls Maryland home and has strong ties to the greater Washington metro area.

"Judge Jackson was confirmed unanimously by the Senate when chosen to serve as Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. When President Obama nominated Judge Jackson to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2013, the Senate confirmed her by voice vote, a sign of strong bipartisan support. Last March, President Biden nominated her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, replacing Attorney General Merrick Garland, and she was confirmed by the Senate in less than three months. She has now been confirmed by the Senate three times on a bipartisan basis, and I urge the Senate to move expeditiously in considering her nomination to the Supreme Court and confirming Judge Jackson with bipartisan support again before the Court begins its next term in October."