President Joe Biden announced his plan to nominate a replacement for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer by the end of February during remarks at the White House on Thursday.
“It is my intention to make my decision public before the end of February,” Biden said at an event with Breyer, who publicly announced his decision a day after the news of his retirement leaked in Washington, DC.
The president asserted he would keep his campaign promise to nominate a black woman to the court.
“The person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience, and integrity, and that person will be the first black woman ever nominated to the Supreme Court,” he said.
“It’s long overdue in my view,” he added.
Biden said he had not made a choice at this point and would consult members of the United States Senate as well as Vice President Kamala Harris about his upcoming decision.
“I’m fortunate to have advising me in the selection process, Vice President Kamala Harris,” he said, pointing to her legal background as a former attorney general of California and a member of the Senate judiciary committee.
Biden thanked Breyer, describing him as a “model public servant at a time of division” in the United States.
Breyer was optimistic about the future of democracy in America, reading from the Constitution and the Gettysburg address and citing George Washington as part of his remarks.
Biden appeared pleased with Breyer’s remarks, inviting him and his wife to stay in the Lincoln bedroom of the White House.
“I invite both of you to come and stay,” he said.