Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson spoke on Monday during the first day of her confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying she was “humbled and honored” for their consideration for her to succeed retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.
“It is extremely humbling to be considered for Justice Breyer’s seat, and I know that I could never fill his shoes. But if confirmed, I would hope to carry on his spirit,” Jackson told the committee.
The 51-year-old judge sits on the nation’s second-most-powerful court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and will face questions from the committee’s 11 Republicans and 11 Democrats on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“I’m also very thankful for the confidence that President Biden has placed in me and for the kindness that he and the first lady and the vice president and the second gentlemen have extended to me and my family,” Jackson added.
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Before Jackson spoke, she was introduced by retired federal Judge Thomas Griffith, an appointee of George W. Bush who commended her “careful approach for deep understanding” of the law, noting he first met Jackson in 2013 after the Senate confirmed her nomination to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Jackson also spoke about her upbringing in Miami, Florida, giving recognition to her father, Johnny Brown, who “bears responsibility for my interest in the law.”
“My parents also instilled in me, and in my younger brother Ketajh, the importance of public service. After graduating from Howard University, Ketajh started out as a police officer, following two of our uncles,” Jackson added, noting that her brother became an infantry officer for the Army following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Monday marked the fourth time Jackson has sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee following a robust three weeks she spent meeting with committee members and other lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol in preparation for her hearings. Following rounds of questioning on Tuesday and Wednesday, senators will be able to ask questions of the American Bar Association and other outside witnesses on Thursday.
“Now, in preparing for these hearings, you may have read some of my more than 570 written decisions. And you may have also noticed that my opinions tend to be on the long side,” Jackson said, explaining, “That is because I also believe in transparency, that people should know precisely what I think and the basis for my decision.”
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Jackson added that she stands “on the shoulders of so many who have come before me,” referencing Judge Constance Baker Motley, who was the first African American woman to be appointed to a federal bench in 1966. She also pointed out that she “shares” the same birthday as Motley, Sept. 14.
If confirmed, Jackson would become the first black woman justice on the high court and the first person with experience as a public defender to sit among the nine-member court.
