Both sides of the aisle in Missouri weigh in Biden’s SCOTUS nominee

WASHINGTON D.C. (KY3) - President Biden has selected his nominee for the vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court when Justice Stephen Breyer retires at the end of this session. President Biden has selected Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, a current judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington D.C.

According to the White House, Jackson graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, then attended Harvard Law School, where she graduated cum laude and was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

President Biden pledged to appoint a black woman to the Supreme Court, which has drawn praise and criticism from both sides of the aisle.

Republican U.S. Senator from Missouri Josh Hawley said he is scheduled to sit down with Jackson next week for a face-to-face conversation and will assess his thoughts on her nomination after that.

“I am looking for a Justice at the Supreme Court who is going to be for the Constitution and who’s going to be tough on crime,” said Hawley. " I think it is vital that we have somebody who understands that the Constitution is not there for judges to impose their will. The constitution is the will of the people and that the judge should follow number one. Number two, we need somebody who understands the rule of law, and in this type of crime, this crime wave is sweeping our country, and unfortunately, it’s having a big impact on our state. I want to see a judge and a Justice on the Supreme Court who says I’m going to be tough on crime, I’m going to enforce the law against criminals. And I’m not going to flinch from doing my duty.”

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Missouri Democrats, Randy Dunn, called Jackson’s nomination another promise kept by President Biden.

“She is pre-eminently qualified, and anyone who says otherwise is lying,” said Dunn. “Secondly, I think making sure that there is not only more racial diversity on the court that is more representative of the country, having four women on the court will be the most that the court has ever seen and having someone that has the experience of being a public defender, I think is something that will bring a new lens to the court that has been sorely missing.”

Confirmation hearings from Jackson will start on March 21. Democrats hope to reach a full Senate vote by April 8.

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