It was recently reported that South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham indicated that he would support Joe Biden’s plan to nominate a black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The White House has confirmed that U.S. District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs is on Biden’s shortlist of names to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, according to USA Today.
“Judge J. Michelle Childs has served on the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina since 2010. House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., an ally to the Biden administration, supports Childs,” the outlet added.
“Childs, whom Biden nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit this month, is the first candidate the White House has publicly confirmed. Her consideration for the Supreme Court was reported by The Washington Post days before she was scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing,” the report continued.
“Biden is considering more than a dozen candidates for the seat, according to a source familiar with the process who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitives involved with the nomination process,” USA Today added.
“Some of the names under consideration have circulated for months, including Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of the D.C. Circuit and California Supreme Court Associate Justice Leondra Kruger. The White House is also considering Sherrilyn Ifill, who is stepping down as president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls, the source said,” the report stated.
The U.S. Senate is currently split 50-50, but Vice President Kamala Harris can cast the tie-breaking vote for Democrats to confirm Biden’s eventual nominee to the Supreme Court.
But Graham made it clear over the weekend that Biden’s pick may get some support from Republicans.
During an appearance on the CBS program “Face the Nation,” Graham made it clear he strongly supports Childs, who is being pushed by South Carolina Democrat Jim Clyburn, who is the House Majority Whip.
“Here’s what I’ll tell him and the nation. I — I can’t think of a better person for President Biden to consider for the Supreme Court than Michelle Childs,” Graham said.
