Democrats gave a long standing ovation after the vote to confirm Jackson to theSupreme Court .- "This is a watershed moment," Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio said.
The Senate chamber erupted with cheers after Judge
Democratic lawmakers and supporters of Jackson leaped out of their seats for a long, standing ovation once Vice President Kamala Harris, who presided over the
While most GOP members shuffled out of the room after they cast their "no" votes, Romney remained, clapping to mark the momentous occasion. He was soon joined by Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat of West Virginia, who gave him a hug.
The historic moment came following a delay caused by Sen. Rand Paul, who showed up to vote roughly 15 minutes after the other 99 senators had. The packed chamber grew somewhat restless, with members leaving their chairs and speaking to one another as they waited for the Kentucky Republican.
Less than two miles away, President Joe Biden and Jackson rejoiced as they watched the final vote flash across the television in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. The 51-year-old jurist will serve as the 116th justice and first Black woman on the Supreme Court once retiring Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, steps down from the bench this summer.
"Judge Jackson's confirmation was a historic moment for our nation. We've taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. She will be an incredible Justice, and I was honored to share this moment with her," Biden said.
—President Biden (@POTUS) April 7, 2022
Lawmakers were swept up both in the history-making moment as well as what it meant to Americans right now. In a Capitol that has long struggled to represent the nation as a whole, they also reflected on what Jackson's confirmation meant for the next generation of public servants.
"We have all witnessed today that history has been made. This is a watershed moment," Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer exited the chamber with a smile on his face and two thumbs up.
"This has been a long hard road as we tried to get to greater equality, less bigotry in America. And there is often steps backward. But when you have a day like this, it inspires you to keep moving forward," the Democratic leader said in a
Harris' presence at the vote further underscored Thursday's historic nature. Vice presidents usually only preside over the chamber to cast tie-breaking votes, yet here was the United States' first female vice president and first woman of color in her role closing the final tally. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, also in attendance, jumped to his feet after Harris announced the vote and joined in the applause.
"I do believe this is a very important statement about who we are as a nation that we have just made a decision to put this extraordinary jurist on the highest court of our land," Harris told reporters before leaving the Capitol.
Murkowski said she has not received any significant blowback for her latest independent streak.
"No, I think every one of us all, all 50 senators on the Republican side of the aisle, know that we come to these very important votes, we have to come to it in our own way and our own place, our own analysis, our own review, recognizing the states that we come from," Murkowski told reporters after the vote.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which handled Jackson's confirmation process, said Thursday represented a major step for representation in the country. Before the vote, Durbin echoed President Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address and the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in placing the vote on the spectrum of American history.
America, Durbin said, was "one step closer to a more perfect union" thanks to this "glass shattering achievement."
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, a member of the Judiciary Committee who grew emotional during Jackson's confirmation hearings, said he felt "immense pride and so much joy" on Thursday.
"I see in her the affirmation of our ancestors who suffered the indignities of this country yet sacrificed to bend the moral arc of our nation towards justice," Booker said. "They knew that America, though haunted by its past failings, was not bound by them and believed that a day like this would eventually arrive."
As the senators waited for Paul's vote, Harris gathered with Booker and Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, the only two Black Democratic senators, and handed them two pieces of paper, asking them to write a letter to a young Black woman in their life that would mark this day in history.
—Dylan Wells (@dylanewells) April 7, 2022
Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who helped lead Biden's campaign, said she was focused on a note that her father once wrote to her.
"My dad once wrote me this note - 'You become what you see, unless you see what you want to become,' Blunt Rochester tweeted. "Today - because of Ketanji Brown Jackson - millions of Black girls all across America will look to the highest court in our land and will know what they can become."
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus members ringed the Senate floor as they watched the vote unfold. Once it closed, Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri jumped up and down, while Rep. G. K. Butterfield of North Carolina, the caucus' former chairman, waved a handkerchief in the air.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Jackson "is her own person" but at the same time, "a symbol of what Black women were from the centuries that this country was founded."
Former first lady Michelle Obama also chimed in on the historic news.
"Like so many of you, I can't help but feel a sense of pride—a sense of joy—to know that this deserving, accomplished Black woman will be a part of the highest court in the land," Obama wrote on Twitter.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of the most powerful women in American
"With Judge Jackson's historic confirmation, our nation takes an important step toward realizing our most cherished ideals," Pelosi said.