my nominee for the united states supreme court is judge ketanji jackson. four weeks ago when a member of the court, a friend of mine, we used to work together in the senate, justice stephen breyer announced his retirement, i said then, choosing someone to serve on the united states supreme court is one of the most serious constitutional responsibilities a president has and i mean it. i promise the process will be rigorous but i would select a nominee worthy of the legacy of decency. someone extremely qualified with a brilliant mind with the utmost integrity which is extremely important. i thought i would bring to this decision my perspective as a lawyer, former constitutional law professor, chairman of the judiciary committee for many, many years, and i am almost reluctant to say it, someone who has presided over more supreme court nominations than almost anyone living today, which makes me 28 years old. i started doing it when i was 32. and who has devoted much of my career to thinking about the constitution and the role of the supreme court. from that per

keeping with the remarks of the republican senate leader, i'd like to start with recognition of the supreme courttice stephen breyer's contribution to america. on july the 12th, 1994, court of appeals judge named stephen breyer appeared before the senate judiciary committee, the first day of his supreme court confirmation hearing. as he began speaking, judge breyer laid out his interpretation of the law and said i believe the law miss work for people. he argued that our nation's vast web of quote, constitutions, statutes, rules and regulations and procedures has a purpose, the purpose is to help the many different individuals who make up america. from so many different backgrounds and circumstances and so many different needs and hopes. live together, productively, harmoniously in freedom. and on the nearly three decades he's lived by those words and laws showed a force for good, a force for unity, and a force for freedom and equality. so for me, i have truly mixed feelings as i stand here today, and look back on the incredible legacy of justice breyer who announced last week he would retire at t

last year, when some of our democratic colleagues renewed their threats to expand the supreme court and pack it with partisans, justice breyer, to his credit spoke up. he echoed the comments of the late ruth bader ginsburg and warned of the dangerous consequences of the democrats court packing threats. and i have great respect for justice breyer and the rule of law and protecting the court of an institution especially when sound principled leadership was needed. once again, i want to thank justice breyer for his service and a well-deserved retirement. mr. president, all eyes are now on the white house as we await news of president biden's nominee to succeed justice breyer. so this is the president's first opportunity to nominate a supreme court justice, he is standing at a very familiar fork in the road. outlining two separate and distinct paths. one of those are virtues leadership and could nominate someone who has credentials have deep respect for the rule of law and constitution. he could nominate someone who agrees that supreme court justices are meant to act as umpires not as playe

supreme court and she was selected. the justice who thought she was worthy of this honor was a young lawyer, none other than justice breyer whose seat i am nominating her to fill. not only did she learn about being a judge from justice breyer himself, she saw the great rigor through which justice breyer approached his work. she learned from his willingness to learn from colleagues who different viewpoints. critical qualities for any supreme court justice. now, years later, she steps up to fill justice breyer's place with a uniquely accomplished and wide-ranging background. she served in public service as a federal public defender and in private law practice as an accomplished lawyer with a prestigious law firm. if confirmed, she will join justice sotomayor as the only other member of the u.s. supreme court who has experience as a trial court judge, a critical qualification in my view, and once again following the footsteps of justice breyer she would become the only member of the court who previously served as a member

we need to add to the supreme court. this woman is going to do it. hear from so many of my friends who say, this means something. i think the president. >> as members of the senate judiciary committee, we just had a great conversation led by chairman durbin, former chairman they he, and former chairman biden. a great conversation with our president about the fact -- factors. one of them that he discussed was someone in the model of justice breyer. someone who will write stirring, compelling, lasting arguments. hopefully in the majority at some point but probably in the dissent in the coming few years. someone who is persuasive. we are all excited about the historic choice president biden is about to make. we look forward to hearing the outcome under the leadership of chairman durbin. we have advanced to the senate and the senate has confirmed a record number, the most diverse group of judges in the first year of any presidency. we look forward to a highly qualified, seasoned, capable nominee. a person of integrity and character and someone we can sta

let's begin with the supreme court. president biden said yesterday he wants the advice and consent of the senate, including the advice of the republican side of the senate. so far, there has been some bad advice coming from senators like senator kennedy. when you hear lindsey graham saying that there is the potential nominee here. who he fully supports, how important is it to you, to the president, that the nominee actually has republican support? >> first of all, lawrence, thanks for having me. it's great to be here. look, the presidents nominee -- then any president in modern times. and virtually every single one of those judges has had some number of republican votes. so, we are always hoping that our judicial nominees have bipartisan support. the vast majority of them have. but in the end, after he takes all the advice from the senators, legal experts, the vice president, it will be his choice, his nominee and that person will be an outstanding nominee with outstanding legal protections, -- and i hope that person wi

it puts it in danger more than us because the supreme court. his crisis? wouldn't say so because i think crisis is a dramatic word. definitely a moment for reflecting perhaps excitement so many people on the court has a time of political momentum that makes it further than it should go. >> very good. ajay, you will have the last word. >> i will just return to what i've been repeating, which is 6-3. i think a 6-3 court creates a temptation for a majority to go much further than would be prudent, or that a court normally wouldnd and maybe somef the heaviness having that new majority, but a majority that has theory of power, that is stronger than its theory of restraint, you know, it's in danger or playing tennis without a net. if that's how, ssa people start to see it, then that's damaging long-term to the court as an institution. i worry about that, but i am also, you know, i'm hopeful that people are starting to notice and, you know, there's conventional wisdomed that liberals are not motivated by the court but conservatives are. and the fact we are having

my nominee for the united states supreme court is jung ketanji jackson. four weeks ago, when a member of the court, a friend of mine, we used to work together in the senate, just stephen breyer announced his retirement, it is one of the most serious constitutional responsibilities a president has and i mean it. i promised the process will be rigorous and i would select a nominee worthy of the justice breyer's excellence and desenty, someone with the utmost character and integrity which is eeblg wally as important. sand though i would bring this decision to this decision, my perspective as a lawyer, former constitutional law professor, chairman of the judiciary committee for many years and someone who has provided over more supreme court nominations than almost anyone living today which makes me 28 years old. i started doing it when i was 32. and who was devoted much of the career to think about the constitution and the role in the supreme court. with that perspective, i carefully studied the record of candidates. i invited senators both political parties t

what is the pleasure of being on the supreme court? >> it is a great privilege to be on the court.re is no doubt. i would say that it requires you in middle age, to give your best to this. every minute. you say is that a big virtue, yes. the older you get the more you see it as an warmest virtue. -- as an enormus virtue. >> let me ask the question you've already been asked many times. i know your not going to give a different answer but i have to ask. -- you are not going to give a different answer, but i have to ask. what you think about the issues relating to your retirement? >> yes. einstein was right. you do not want to die on the court. so? [laughter] >> einstein is coming back! >> what would you like to do was you are alive and often the court? would you like to take life easy? >> it is hard to take life easy. we will see. >> you have not thought about what you might want to do? >> no. >> president biden has put together a commission that will look at the court and you have already articulated your view that you do not think expanding the size of the court is a wonderful idea

it puts it in danger more than us because the supreme court. his crisis? wouldn't say so because i think crisis is a dramatic word. definitely a moment for reflecting perhaps excitement so many people on the court has a time of political momentum that makes it further than it should go. >> rj, password. >> i'll just return to what i've been repeating which is six -- three. i think a six -- three court creates the majority to go much further than a court normally what and i think the heaviness of having that new majority but a majority of that has power and stronger than its restraint. it's in danger of playing tennis without a net. if that is how people start to see it in its damaging long-term support is as an institution. i worry about that but i also -- i am hopeful people are starting to notice and there is a conventional wisdom liberals are not motivated by the court but conservatives are back that the having these conversations and people are discussing court reforms in a more wholesome way now from of these are promising developments. i would encoura

jackson-akiwumi: the supreme court protects an individual right to keep and bear arms. >> that has been extended? jackson-akiwumi: that's correct. >> what you believe are the limits? jackson-akiwumi: that is a very thing that courts are figuring out right now. >> do you have any personal views on that? jackson-akiwumi: if i had any, they certainly would not be relevant to decision-making that i would engage in if confirmed. i would be bound by the supreme court precedents in heller, and mcdonald, and any other. judge jackson: i agree with what was said. any personal views regarding the fundamental right to bear arms would have no bearing on my decision-making concerning those issues and i would be bound by the precedents concerning the issue. >> thank you. do you agree that the supreme court should have nine justices and justices should not be added? ms. jackson-akiwumi: i'm not familiar with those. i don't think it would be appropriate for me to talk about the supreme court what should or should not happen. that is a question that this body must sort through. that is left to the execut

this decision to nominate a black woman to the supreme court will change the face of the court for our future and history in the united states. we understand that responsibility. we share the recommendations but mainly the message was we dress —- trust your judgment to choose the right person. and that we will make sure that selection is chosen officially by the senate as quickly as possible. >> this will be my 21st supreme court nomination. and the first supreme court justice was john paul stevens junior senators and tragically he for on —- patrick leahy and this is the historical. and mia there to lead this this will affect our country inner image and will do so much for young people and older people, white and black. and the reaction in my family, think god. at last. at last. at last. >> . >> i will say we're all excited by a the candidate you have heard about we all had enormous confidence in president biden's judgment. we are very aware of the historic nature of this appointment and very proud of that. we look forward to a prompt and respectful confirmation process and to the exte

because the american people and the institution of the supreme court deserve nothing less.n journal" continues. host: paul kane is not only the senior congressional reporter for the washington host: serves as a columnist for the call on —- pointing viewers to a story with that e-word and what it means for

of all types to the supreme court. whoever the president chooses will be evaluated based on their qualifications, experience and ability to separate politics from the rule of law. that is the job of the senate judiciary committee at which i am proud to serve. i presume we would treat any nominee regardless of ethnicity, race, or gender exactly the same and extending to them a respectful and dignified process. certainly no nominee is going to get points so to speak for their confirmation vote because they are of a particular race, ethnicity, or gender. each nominee will be thoroughly vetted and question, just as prior nominees have been. but unlike some of the mudslinging that we saw during the confirmation of justice kavanaugh, i expected this process to be fair and dignified. we must be careful, thorough, and comprehensive because, madam president, the american people in the institution of the supreme court deserve nothing less. cooksey spent washington journal everyday were taking your calls live on the air, on the n

his decision to appoint a black woman to import just to the supreme court will literally change the face of the court for history in the united states. we understand that responsibility and shared some of our recommendations but mainly the message was we trust your judgment, joe biden, when it comes to choosing the right person and we will work as hard as we can to make sure that selection is chosen officially by the senate as quickly as possible. >> this will be my 21st supreme court nomination and the first one i voted on was john paul stevens. both joe biden and patrick lahey voted for him. through all of those confirmations, this is the historic one. i'm glad chairman durbin is there to lead this. this will affect our country, our image abroad and it will do so much for young people, older people, white and black and i know the reaction has been, my family said thank god, at last. >> i would say that we were all excited by the candidates we have heard about. we all have enormous confidence in president biden's judgment. we are very aware of the historic nature of this appointment and

what are you most proud of having done and what is the pleasure of being on the supreme court? ice breyer: it is a great privilege to be on the court. i mean, there is no doubt. and from a personal point of view, i would say it requires you in middle age -- when you get there -- to give your best to this, every minute. and you say, is that a big virtue? yeah, yeah. the older you get, the more you see it as an enormous virtue. david: einstein famously said, "if you try something over and over again and expect a different result, that is the definition of insanity." if somebody asked you the same question over and over again expecting a different answer, i guess that's the definition of an insane interviewer, but let me ask you the question you have already been asked many times, i know you will not give a different answer but i have to ask you the question, what are you thinking about all of the issues relating to your retirement? justice breyer: yes. [laughter] david: ok. justice breyer: einstein was right. [laughter] david: einstein was right. ok. you have said you don't want t

she was a supreme court clerk to justice stephen breyer, the retiring supreme court justice who seat ketanji brown jackson was nominated to the federal appeals court last year, every single clerk who served on the supreme court at the same time as her, all of the clerks for all of the liberal justices, and all of the clerks for all of the conservative justices, they all unanimously signed an enthusiastic endorsement of her for the judgeships. now that she is nominated for the supreme court, we are joined here tonight on the show by one of those clerks who signed that letter, amanda tyler, a professor at the university of california berkeley school of law, she was a supreme court clerk alongside jackson, they have been friends ever since. it is a real pleasure to have you here. thank you so much for making the time. >> thank you for having me. >> does the public rollout, the public presentation of ketanji brown jackson, match your understanding of her as a friend, and as a colleague? >> absolutely. today has been such a special, and historic day. a day to celebrate. this is a spectacu

supreme court, replacing justice stephen breyer. if confirmed, she will make history by the coming the first black woman to serve as age supreme court justice. she graduated cum laude from harvard law in 1996, and was editor of the harvard law review. following law school, she held several clerkships, including for justice breyer in 1999. justice brown jackson later worked as an assistant public defender in washington, d.c., before spending several years on the u.s. sentencing commission and partially becoming the vice chair under president obama. she was confirmed to the u.s. district court by a voice vote. she was confirmed last year to the u.s. court of appeals by a senate vote of 53-44. you can learn more about ketanji brown jackson at c-span.org. >> c-span's washington journal. every day we are taking your calls live, on the air, on the news of the day, and we will discuss policy issues that impact you. saturday morning, kimberly robinson discusses judge ketanji brown jackson's nomination to the supreme court. then a representa

my nomination for the supreme court is ketanji brown jackson. a couple weeks ago, a friend of the court, a friend of mine, we used to work together in the senate, justice breyer announced his retirement. i promise the process to be vigorous, but i would select a nominee worthy of his legacy and decency, and the utmost character and integrity, which is equally important. i would bring to this decision my perspective as a lawyer, a former constitutional law professor, and almost reluctant to say, somebody who has presided over more supreme court nominations than almost anybody living today, which makes me 28 years old. i started doing it when i was 32. who has devoted much of my career thinking about the kaoupbs tuition and the role of the supreme court. with that perspective, i carefully studied the candidates and invited senators of both political parties to offer their points of view, and i met with some of them, and i not only give consent but advice and consent, and i sought the advice of democrats and republicans, and i consulted with leading

there was a supreme court justice who refused to talk to or the in the presence of justice brandeis becausee was jewish. it has not always been friendly. you have been on the court 28 years. people don't yell and scream at each other. justice breyer: they are not rude to each other. it is a professional job. you do your best professionally and if you want people to listen to you, the best you can do is think through this problem. listen. to where the other person is coming from. and see what you can contribute to that thought. david: sometimes the dissents are tough on the majority opinion. nobody takes that personally? justice breyer: i used to get that question a lot. more when scully out was on the -- when nino scalia was on the court. i tried to answer because i did not him to. i would say i know you are not aiming the question at me. i get it. but what you don't understand is that some people suffer from a disease. it is called good writer's disease. if a good writer finds a felicitous phrase, he will not give it up. it's like a good comedian, you can't give up that joke. he is a very

here is someone coming from a state supreme court.experience of appearing before the united states supreme court 12 times. you have had that experience. you worked with her in the solicitor general's office. how important, for a supreme court justice, would you rate that experience in the solicitor generals office? >> i think it's really important, lawrence. the first thing is that, as you say, leondra kruger has [inaudible] for three years. i also know ketanji brown jackson. you have to understand how shortly both of these women are. and you have to think, as black women, to accomplish what they accomplished, particularly decades ago when systems were stacked against them, and they did all this, it is extraordinary. they kind of had to be like obama. just better than anyone else to get to where they are. i've watched ketanji jackson for two decades. she clerk for justice breyer after me. she is part of the breyer clerk family. and both of these women would be extraordinary justices, not to take away from the others, but these are the

breyer appeared before the senatear judiciary committee is the first day of his supreme court confirmation hearing and as he began speaking justice stephen g. breyer the maintain and courted, i believek the law must work for the people and he argued that are nations best web of constitutions, statutes and rules regulations and practices and procedures is a single basic focus and the focus is to help the many different individuals make of america from so many different backgrounds and circumstances with so many different needs and hopes and they live together productively, harmoniously and freedom. and is newly three decades justice stephen g. breyer has lived by those words and he would ensure the laws were enforced for the good, and community and force for freedom and equality. so for me, i'm truly mixed feelings as i stand here today i look back on the incredible legacy of justice stephen g. breyer here now announced last week that he would retire at the end of his term. and what her legacy he leaves. born in san francisco, he vaattended stanford and harvard law and in just three years a

in 1994 he was appointed a supreme court justice by president clinton. he has written many books and articles about administrative law, economic regulation, and constitutional law. his latest book is entitled the authority of the court and the peril of politics. we are so glad to have him today. justice breyer, is an honor. the floor is yours. thank you all. host: thank you, it is a great pleasure to be back at the auditorium where we have had our past supreme court fellows events, and it is a special delight to have justice breyer join us for conversation today. justice breyer as a distinguished record on the court, and he has also compiled an impressive list of books he has authored. his most recent book is called the authority of the court and the peril of politics, and we will be talking about that book a bit later. all of these books are available at the supreme court historical society online or at the gift shop. before we talk about the books i would like to go back to the issue of the justice's day job. as you heard justice breyer first came to th

i am excited about the president's pick for the supreme court. with her exceptional qualifications, a record of evenhandedness, judge ketanji brown jackson will be a justice who will uphold the constitution, protect the rights of all americans, including the voiceless and the vulnerable. she is a true public servant and a model jurist. judge jackson has demonstrate a commitment repeatedly to america's foundational principles of freedom, equality, and rule of law. as a clerk for justice stephen breyer and an assistant federal public defender, a federal district court judge, and most recently as a judge on the u.s. court of appeals for the d.c. circuit judge, judge jackson has shown brilliance, thoughtfulness, a willingness to collaborate, and a dedication to applying the law impartially. this is sort nomination of judge jackson is an important step towards ensuring the supreme court reflects the nation as a whole. as the first black woman supreme court justice in the courts -- in the court's 232-year history, she is going to inspire generations of

supreme court.d she would be the first black woman to serve on the nation's highest court. we will delve into that later in the program. first, the war in ukraine. the battle over the capital city of kyiv appears to be underway with russian missile and air strikes on the city, reports of fighting on the outskirts. the ukrainian president zelensky told the people of kyiv to prepare for the stormin of the city by russian forces. this as fighting continues in the central, southern and eastern regions of the untry and this evening, president biden requested that congress fund $6.4 billion in humanitarian aid and defense aid for ukraine. nick schifrin begins our coverage. nick: it has been 81 years since the world witnessed this, kyiv, under attack for the first time since it was sacked by nazi germany. hit noty a russian missile but the remains of a russian plane shot down by ukrainian defenses. as sirens blair above, exhausted families fill metro station's that double as bomb shelters. they fled homes

had before joining the supreme court, and she will become the only member of the current supreme courts who has ever defended anyone, any people in court as a lawyer. president biden's first call after making his historic decision, was to our first guest tonight, the person who's now responsible for delivering judge jackson -- through the confirmation process senate majority leader structure where we. >> if i'm fortunate enough to be confirmed as a next associate justice of the supreme court of the united states, i can only hope that my life and career, my love of this country and the constitution, and my commitment to upholding the rule of law, and the sacred principles and upon which this great nation was founded, will inspire future generations of americans. thank you again mister president for this extraordinary honor. >> joining us now, the senate majority leader, chuck schumer. thank you very much for joining us tonight, mister leader. the supreme court nomination is now up to you. what happens next? >> well, we are going to have fair but expeditious process here. everyone will se

now we will achieve that hopefully at the supreme court level as well. more americans look at the courts and see people who look like them and come from the same backgrounds that share similar experiences, the better off our justice system and democracy will be. this week senate democrats are working to confirm even more of president biden's highly qualified nominee's and in the theme of continuing our success from the 2021 and 22022, democrats are focused on passing legislation that directly helps american families. today our economy is in the midst of a historic turnaround with record wage and economic growth and people talk about 5.7%. to me, one of the most important things in the economy it's wage growth is real. for decades economists and average folks deprived the fact that wage growth was black. in fact some of the statistics i've seen show that for about 75% of all americans, there was no real growth between 2000. but now wages are going up and the second prong of that getting the wages of his getting costs down. and we democrats are focusing on

supreme court.d, she would be the first black woman to serve on the nation's highest court. we'll delve into that news, later in the program. but first, to the war in ukraine. the battle for the capital city of kyiv appears to be underway, with russian missile and air strikes on the city, and reports of pitched fighting on its outskirts. ukrainian president zelensky spoke tonight, and told the people of kyiv to prepare for the "storming" of the city by russian forces. this, as fighting continues in the central, southern, and eastern reaches of ukraine. and this eveni, president biden requested that congress authorize a $6.4illion emergency measure for humanitarian and defense aid for ukraine. again tonight, nick schifrin begins our cerage. >> schifrin: it has been 81 years since the world witnessed this-- kyiv, a city of 2.8 million, under large-scale attack for the first time since it was sacked by nazi germany. this apartment complex hit, not by a russian missile, but by the remains of a russian p

select and nominate a qualified black woman to serve on the court. >> some ethical questions about supreme court justice clarence thomas. his wife has a number of political affiliations with groups that file on make his briefs, have business before the court. it's his choice whether or not to recuse himself. does the president believe there is an ethical issue? ms. psaki: i have not had a discussion with the president. >> the center for american progress put out a memo focusing on priorities for the build back better bill, the white house -- ms. psaki: i am not going to make a prediction. the president propose an extension of the child tax credit because it helped cut child poverty by 40% last year, something he would like to be extended. there is a question as to what colleagues will support. they support some big fundamental goals. childcare, health care. that is important. i can't predict for you hear what they will support. ms. psaki: last week, the surgeon general, when asked about joe rogan, he said tech companies have an important role to play in stopping misinformation because they are t

supreme court.he president making good on a campaign promise. >> i believe it's time that we have a court that reflects the full talents and greatness of our nation. >> the harvard-educated lawyer and former public defender could change the face of the court. >> i can only hope that my life and career will inspire future generations. >>> plus, on the brink. ukraine's capital under threat of siege. their president saying that the next few hours will decide the country's fate. videos posted online showing the devastation of russia's war. now a humanitarian crisis in the making. >> you've been in that line for 24 hours? >> yeah. >> how long can ukraine's defenses hold? ♪ >>> good evening. thank you for joining us. in the supreme court's 233-year history, while there's certainly been differences of opinion, in many other ways diversity has been in short supply. now president biden's supreme court nominee could change the face of the court forever. here's abc's senior washington reporter devin dwyer. >>

in 1994, he was appointed as supreme court justice by president clinton. he has written many many books and articles about administered of law economic regulation,. his latest book is titled the authority of the court and the parallel apart -- peril of politics. we are so glad to have them with us today. justice breyer, it is an honor. thank you all. >> thank you. it is a great pleasure to be back. it is a special delight to have him join us for our conversation today. justice breyer has a distinguished record on the court, but on top of that he has also compiled an impressive list of books that he has authored. a stack of them available right here. his most recent book is called the authority of the court and apparel of politics. we will be talking about that book a little bit later. all of these books are available at the supreme court historical -- online or at the gift shop. before we talk about the books, i would like to talk and go back about the justice day job. as you heard, justice breyer first came to the supreme court in 1964 is a law clerk for j

supreme court is judge ketanji jackson.amiche: president biden nominates the first black woman to the supreme court, next. ♪ >> this is "washington week." ♪ corporate funding is provided by -- consumer cellular. additional funding is provided by -- te estate of arnold items -- the estate of arnold items, the u.n. foundation, committ to bridging cultural differences in our communities, sandra and carl d., rose herschel and andy shreve's, robert and susan rosenbaum, the corporation for public broadcasting and contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> once again, from washington, moderator yamiche alcindor. yamiche: good evening and welcome to washington -- welcome to "washington week." tonight, we have two lead stories, russia's invasion of ukraine and the historic nomination of the first black woman to the supreme court. first, we begin a broad. this week, the world is seeing the largest military attack in europe since world war ii. russia is attacking several of ukraine's major cities by land, s

she understands the supreme court and i'm sure he would be pleased to have her on the court but alsonate knows her and she got the votes of some key members, and on top of all of that, it's worth mo noting that from the beginning of the administration, president biden said he wanted to change the face of the court if he got a supreme court nominee and look for somebody who would contribute through public service. she checked that box as well. she has served as an assistant public defender, she was a commissioner on the sentencing commission and she has this compelling life story and that's something that appeals to president biden, and finally, last but not least, this supreme court, next term, is hearing huge cases. affirmative action, voting rights, big religious liberty case, needed somebody who could hit the ground running, try to go toe to toe with this 6-3 conservative majority right now and those were all the considerations he would have taken into consideration. >> manu raju, talk about the significance of this moment. clearly you have a liberal justice replacing a liberal ju