U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer Announces Retirement by End of Supreme Court Term This Summer

After serving nearly 30 years on the bench, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring and will step down at the end of the current term in June.

According to sources close to Breyer, the justice was not forced out and made his decision on his own terms.

"It has always been the decision of any Supreme Court Justice if and when they decide to retire," said Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, in a tweet.

Former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, appointed Breyer in 1994.

The Senate, which is presently split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, will have to confirm Breyer's replacement, with Democrats technically having the majority because Vice President Harris has the power to break ties, according to FoxNews.

The SC Justice's replacement would be "confirmed by the whole United States Senate with all deliberate speed," said Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority Leader

For the time being, the White House will not comment on Breyer's resignation.

"From @WhiteHouse, we have no additional information to share," Psaki wrote on Twitter.

Breyer's judgment ensures President Joe Biden will have an opportunity to nominate a successor who could serve for decades.

Biden Commits to Nominate Black Woman

On President Biden's campaign trail, he said that if he were to get a vacancy on the Supreme Court, he would replace it with a Black woman, which would be a historic first for the Court.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51, who was appointed to the influential appellate court in Washington, D.C., last year, is one of the potential candidates.

She worked for Breyer as a law clerk, as well as as an assistant federal public defender and as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

Following the announcement that Breyer would be stepping down, Sen. Patty Murray was among the first to push for a Black woman to take his position.

According to Murray, the Court should reflect the diversity of the country, as it is unacceptable that never in the nation's history had a Black woman taken a seat on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Until a replacement is confirmed, Breyer is expected to stay on until the end of the term.

Pressures on Breyer's Retirement

During their control of the White House and Senate, Democrats have been pressuring Justice Breyer, who is the oldest member of the Supreme Court at 83 years old, to retire so they may fill the seat with someone younger.

Progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York congresswoman, publicly called for Justice Breyer to step down.

The group Demand Justice has also been seen traveling around Washington in a vehicle with the words "Breyer Retire" on it.

SC Justice Breyer is "upset" at the leaked news, as he "was not planning to announce his retirement today," according to sources of BBC News.

The court plays a key role in American life and is often the final word on highly contentious laws, disagreements between states and the federal government, and final appeals to stay executions.

After being nominated by the president and approved by the Senate, each of the nine judges, known as justices, serves a lifetime appointment.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

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