Quigley Statement on Biden’s Supreme Court Nominee

Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement on President Biden's nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the Supreme Court:

"During his 2020 presidential campaign, President Biden made a promise to the American people that he would nominate the first black woman to the highest court in the land. Today, he made good on that promise. The nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson marks a pivotal moment in our history. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is an outstanding candidate, and I am confident that she will make an exceptional justice.

"Judge Jackson brings with her not only extensive experience on the federal bench, where she serves now, but also as a public defender earlier in her career. If confirmed, she will be the first public defender on the Supreme Court, contributing a unique perspective and understanding of the judicial system that will undoubtedly strengthen the court. I hope the Senate will move quickly to give Judge Jackson a fair confirmation hearing."

Judge Jackson has been confirmed by the Senate on a bipartisan basis three times – most recently in June 2021 for her current seat on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Prior to this, she was a judge for the U.S. District Court of D.C., as well as Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She served as a clerk to Justice Breyer, who described Jackson as "great, brilliant, decent, with a mix of common sense and thoughtfulness." A Harvard Law graduate, Jackson was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Miami, Florida.