{O/C} {Overseas} It was an iconic day in America as the Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's historic nomination to the Supreme Court.
{Take SOT}
{Soundbite} KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. Vice President: On this vote, the yays are 53, the nays are 47, and this nomination is confirmed.
An eruption of cheers and applause when 51-year-old Ketanji Brown Jackson was officially confirmed to replace departing Justice Stephen Breyer, who's set to retire this summer.
Both President Joe Biden and Judge Jackson watched the vote live at the White House, and were ebullient upon learning of the favourable vote.
This marks the end of the Democrats' precarious battle to send Jackson to the Supreme Court as many Republicans were adamant Jackson coddled criminals.
Rebellious Republicans met their match as three Republican senators -- Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney -- voted in favour.
Once sworn in, Jackson will be the second youngest member of the court.
Not only was the Vice President overjoyed, the White House was also quick to laud the confirmation, saying Biden had made good on his campaign promise.
{Soundbite} JEN PSAKI, White House Press Secretary: Obviously, this is a tremendously historic day in the White House and in the country, and this is a fulfilment of a promise the President made to the country.
Jackson has vowed to sit out the court's consideration of Harvard's contentious race-based admissions programme given she's a member of its board of overseers.
But she might be allowed to weigh in on the University of North Carolina's admissions process if the court decides to split it off from the former.
Republicans lavished their attention during the confirmation hearings on the sentences Jackson handed down in child pornography cases as they argued she was being too lenient.
As Jackson defended herself, the Democrats were galvanised to fight fire with fire.
Today's favourable vote will certainly and greatly transform America's political landscape as it marks an epochal moment in America's quest to diversify the Supreme court.
Comments