On Thursday, the Senate voted 53-47 to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.
Jackson, 51, will now officially become the Supreme Court’s 116th justice and the first Black woman ever to sit on its bench.
“In the 233-year history of the Supreme Court, never, never has a Black woman held the title of justice,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a speech before the vote took place. “Ketanji Brown Jackson will be the first and I believe the first of more to come.”
Three Republican senators, Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins, joined all 48 Democrats and two independents in favor of Jackson joining the nation’s highest court.
“I think it makes a very important statement about who we aspire to be,” Vice President Kamala Harris said of the news. “On our highest court in the land, we want to make sure that there’s going to be full representation of the finest and brightest and best. And that’s what happened today.”
“Judge Jackson’s confirmation was a historic moment for our nation,” President Joe Biden tweeted. “We’ve taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. She will be an incredible Justice, and I was honored to share this moment with her.”
Jackson won’t be sworn in until this summer when Justice Stephen Breyer retires.
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