National Faith Leaders Applaud Historic Biden SCOTUS Nominee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 25, 2022
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National Faith Leaders Applaud Historic Biden SCOTUS Nominee
Washington, D.C.– Today, President Joe Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO, Faith in Public Life:
“I commend President Biden for the historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Everyone, no matter our race, faith or zip code, deserves equal justice under the law. Confirming Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice will uphold these principles. Her nomination is a long overdue step toward a court that honors and reflects the dignity of all – including those who have been oppressed rather than protected by the law throughout our nation’s history.
“All too often in recent years, the Court has diluted rather than defended Americans’ equal dignity and equal protections. Americans of all faiths and no faith need a Court that will uphold our imperiled freedom to vote, our access to reproductive care, and our equality under the law. With her experience as a public defender and a judge on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, I have no doubt that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will defend these freedoms for our generation and generations to come.”
Sheila Katz, CEO, National Council of Jewish Women:
“National Council of Jewish Women worked in support of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation in June 2021 to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, widely considered the second highest court in the country, when she became the first Black woman confirmed to an appellate court in a decade.
“Women — and especially women of color — have long been underrepresented on the federal bench, and there has never been a Black woman on the Supreme Court. Our nation’s highest court should reflect the people it serves. Having diverse experiences and perspectives on the bench allows justices to make better informed decisions, in addition to increasing public confidence in their rulings.
“Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is immensely qualified, fair and independent, and has demonstrated a deep commitment to protecting civil rights and ensuring equal access to justice throughout her career. During her tenure as a judge on the United States District Court for the District of DC, Jackson supported workers’ rights, accessibility measures for people with disabilities, and funding for teen pregnancy prevention programs. She previously served as a vice chair and commissioner on the US Sentencing Commission, and as a federal public defender. As a former clerk to the retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, it is especially fitting that Judge Jackson would be named to fill Justice Breyer’s seat, carrying out his legacy of protecting and advancing our most cherished rights and freedoms.”
Jamie L. Manson, President, Catholics for Choice:
“Catholics for Choice welcomes President Biden’s historic nomination of U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve as the 104th associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. Judge Jackson expressed a clear and firm commitment to the principle that true religious liberty involves both freedom of and freedom from religion, and her rulings in favor of unions, environmental protections, and reproductive justice, along with her experience working as a public defender, align with the Catholic social justice values of human dignity, uplifting the poor, and responsible stewardship of the earth.
“As the Senate considers this nominee, we call on senators to evaluate her based on her commitment to three criteria: Will she uphold the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of – and freedom from – religion? Will she safeguard the constitutional rights of equal protection, dignity, and privacy protected by the Fourteenth Amendment? Will she be committed to advancing justice, civil rights, equal rights, and individual liberties for all? Catholics for Choice urges the Senate, especially the 25 members who are Catholic, to move with all deliberate speed in this confirmation process. Our fundamental rights depend on it.”
Fran Eskin-Royer, Executive Director, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd:
“The impact of President Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve as the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court cannot be underestimated for those living on the margins and whose voices often are ignored, if even heard at all. The National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd welcomes with great expectation Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination, who is exquisitely qualified and who will expand the lived experiences of the Court. Through our work and the ministries of our Sisters and social service programs, we recognize the importance of having a Supreme Court that better reflects the diversity of our country, especially one that includes the voice of a Black woman.”
Mary J. Novak, Executive Director, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice and Joan F. Neal, Deputy Executive Director, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice:
“Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic nomination to the United States Supreme Court is critical for this generation and generations to come. The NETWORK community of Spirit-filled justice-seekers celebrates Judge Jackson’s nomination and the perspective she will bring to the highest court because of her years of service on the federal district court of D.C. and D.C. Circuit as well as her formative service as a public defender.
“In our democracy, it is the responsibility of the Supreme Court to safeguard and uphold the God-given dignity of everyone, no matter their race, origin, religion, or immigration status, in every situation, whether at the ballot box, at work, in their home or in the community. We are confident Judge Jackson’s proven record of protecting the rights of everyone can only enrich judicial decision making on the highest court. NETWORK praises Judge Jackson’s nomination and calls on the Senate to move this historic nomination process forward with all deliberate speed.”
The Rev. Nathan Empsall, Executive Director, Faithful America:
“President Biden’s decision to nominate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, an eminently qualified Black woman and former public defender, to our nation’s highest court is a proud moment for our democracy and an occasion worth celebrating. In the fight for justice, it is essential that underrepresented communities are not only given a voice at the table, but placed in a position to rectify the systemic harm that white supremacy has wrought for centuries.
“Sadly, even before the nomination of Judge Jackson — one of the country’s finest legal minds — was announced, the religious right and its favorite Christian nationalist politicians had already begun to attack the eventual nominee, demonstrating they care less about her outstanding pedigree and more about blocking any Black woman. Christian nationalism is neither Christian nor patriotic, and senators must reject these bad faith attacks that undermine our democracy and instead give Judge Jackson the consideration she deserves.”
Rev. Susan Hendershot, President, Interfaith Power and Light:
“We cannot effectively care for our planet and advance environmental justice without Supreme Court Justices who will honor equal justice for all, and protect the rights of all of us, especially those living at the margins. It is long past time for a Black woman to take her place on the nation’s highest court. Interfaith Power and Light celebrates the historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who values the lived experiences of all people in the United States, and is exceptionally qualified for the job. This nomination reflects our nation’s moral journey to becoming a multiracial, multi-faith democracy that represents all of us, not just the wealthy and powerful. Due to discriminatory bias of the current court, our most fundamental freedoms are under threat, including sacred voting rights protections and our environment. We need a Supreme Court that looks more like America and serves ALL in America.”
Rev. Katey Zeh, CEO, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice:
“The nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court is a historic moment. Throughout her career as a public servant and federal judge, she has upheld the values that the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice considers most sacred: justice, fairness, freedom, and dignity. We applaud President Biden’s choice of Judge Brown as the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court, and we call on senators to conduct a respectful and fair confirmation process.”
Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, President, Sojourners:
“Sojourners applauds President Biden’s nomination of U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve as the 104th associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is a highly qualified candidate who would both shatter a glass ceiling and strengthen the court’s commitment to equal justice under the law. “
“While we’ve seen the predictable attacks from some voices on the Right, it’s important to point out that having a Black woman on the Supreme Court will have profound moral and practical significance to the United States. Representation matters, and when people become historic “firsts” to occupy prominent positions in society, it changes what future generations of children see as possible.”
“A Black woman on the Supreme Court will bring important experience to the country’s highest bench, experience that matters because of the myriad ways the U.S. criminal justice system continues to disproportionately punish and criminalize Black people. People’s lived experiences are strongly affected by the communities in which they are raised and by how those communities treat people across lines of difference, and her connection to the people and the issues they face makes her an even stronger candidate.”
Dr. Robert Taber, National Director, Latter-day Saints for Biden-Harris
“We are delighted by President Biden’s nomination of Judge Katanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Judge Jackson brings with her top-flight credentials, including two degrees from Harvard University, time as a public defender, and over eight years of experience on the federal bench, more than four current justices at the time of their nomination combined. At her first judicial confirmation she was introduced by Republican Paul Ryan, who stated, ‘Our politics may differ, but my praise for Kentanji’s intellect, for her character, for her integrity, it is unequivocal.’ The Senate confirmed her with a full voice vote.”
“Prior to her time as a federal judge, Jackson worked on the US Sentencing Commission to make convictions more fair. She has been a vigorous defender of the rule of the law and of the Constitutional principles that undergird our republic, including her statement that ‘presidents are not kings.’”
“This nomination is a historic one, both because Judge Jackson will be the first Black woman, and only the third African American and sixth woman, to serve as a Justice in the Court’s 230-year history, and because of the experience she brings to the bench as a public high school graduate and as a public defender who has worked on fair sentencing at the highest levels.
“The Supreme Court is not without its problems, as it has never grown to match our number of Appeals courts, too many decisions are made through the so-called “shadow docket,” and lifetime tenure has intensified the partisan games surrounding certain appointments. The confirmation of Judge Jackson, however, who trained under Justice Breyer, will bring the Court someone who will make an immediate positive contribution for everyday Americans from all walks of life. We call on the Senate for a speedy confirmation.”
Michael Vazquez, Public Theologian and Faith Organizer:
“The historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court calls for a moment of immense celebration. In a moment in our nation’s history where democracy is in peril and the [religious] right is only doubling down on its efforts to exclude and further marginalize communities of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community, religious minorities and other historically oppressed communities, President Biden’s nomination of Judge Jackson, a staunch defender of civil rights and of our most fundamental democratic principles, to be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, represents a comprehensive commitment not only to campaign promises, but to the common good and the future of our democracy. I applaud the administration and look forward to a speedy and unhindered confirmation process.”
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Faith in Public Life is a national movement of clergy and faith leaders united in the prophetic pursuit of justice, equality and the common good. Together, with a network of over 50,000 leaders, they are leading the fight to advance just policies at the state and federal level that affirm our values and the human dignity of all.