The Senate just confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, in a landmark vote that clears the way for her to become the first black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court.
Only a simple majority was required for the final confirmation.
The count was 53 to 47, with Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined the Democrats to vote for Jackson. Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the historic vote.
Harris, the first black woman to serve as vice president, presided over the Senate during the historic vote in her capacity as Senate President.
After the hammer was knocked down, Democratic senators could be seen clapping and giving a standing ovation.
Jackson’s confirmation does not alter the court’s ideological balance.
But the confirmation marks an important historic milestone for the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary. It also represents a victory for Democrats, which they can label as bipartisan, and a way for the president to deliver on a campaign promise at a time when the US faces a number of challenges at home and abroad, including soaring inflation. and the crisis in Ukraine.