Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Wednesday released a statement honoring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s tenure, who will reportedly retire later this year.
Breyer’s decision will award President Joe Biden the opportunity to nominate his first Supreme Court appointee.
In the statement, Blackburn thanked the jurist for his service to the country, but warned Biden that she will oppose any nominee that is “beholden to progressive interests.”
The Tennessee senator, who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, will have the opportunity to grill any potential Biden nominee.
“Justice Stephen Breyer has served 27 years on the Supreme Court, and I thank him for his service to our nation,” said Senator Blackburn in an emailed statement. “It is telling that the opportunity for President Biden to nominate a new justice will be right before an election when the President is already facing record-low approval ratings. A majority of the country has lost confidence in his leadership, and he has proven incapable of serving as Commander in Chief. I will not stand by as President Biden attempts to fill our courts with activist judges who are beholden to progressive interests. I look forward to thoroughly vetting the nominee to see if they are a person of high character who will strictly interpret the Constitution and not make law from the bench.”
Depending on the nominee offered by Biden, the confirmation process could be contentious. In the Senate, both Republicans and Democrats have 50 members; however, Vice President Kamala Harris would break any tie.
In the past, moderate Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Krysten Sinema (D-AZ) have been reluctant to embrace some nominees put forth by the president. For example, Manchin sunk the nomination of Neera Tanden to lead the Office of Management and Budget.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Sen. Marsha Blackburn” by Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 3.0. Background Photo “Stephen Breyer” by The World Affairs Council CC BY 2.0.
