By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, CC by SA, H2rty

April 7, 2022 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Senate voted 53-47 today confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, the first Black woman named to the nation’s highest court. Jackson, a descendant of slaves, received the support of all 50 Democrats as well as Republicans Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine.

Kamala Harris, former California Senator and the first Black woman to serve as Vice President, presided over the historic vote. Harris told reporters afterword that she felt “overjoyed, deeply moved,” adding, “I do believe it 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.

View video of standing ovation when Judge Jackson was confirmed in Senate: https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2022/04/07/ketanji-brown-jackson-con...

California’s current Senators, both Democrats who voted in favor, also praised the action. Senator Alex Padilla posted on Twitter, “Today marks an inspiring, and long awaited, milestone for the United States of America.”

Senator Dianne Feinstein called today “a great day for our country” and noted that the nomination also gives the Supreme Court near-gender parity for the first time in 233 years, with four women on the bench. She added, “The Supreme Court should look like the country it serves, and with this confirmation, we move closer to that ideal.”