US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer He celebrated his 83rd birthday on August 15th, becoming the sixth judge who has been appointed since the 1950s to reach that age during active service.
Breyer was appointed as a high court judge by the former president Bill Clinton In the mid-1990s, earlier this month marked 27 years of work on the bench.Although Breyer was 7 years younger than the oldest judge in the courtroom-this record was held by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., who was 90 years old when he retired -But since the president, progressives have often called for Breyer to retire Joe Biden Takes office in January.
Talk to CNN Last month, Breyer said he has not made any decisions on when to retire, adding that these decisions will be based on his health and the court itself.
As progressives pushed Breyer to retire, the courts were dominated by judges appointed by conservatives. With the Democratic Party now in the White House, some progressives are eager for Breyer to give up his seat before the 2022 midterm elections.If he did, it would open the door for Biden to appoint a young justice — Biden had previously said that she might become the first black woman in court — and Democratic Party Majority in the U.S. Senate.
Six of the current Supreme Court justices are appointed by the Republican president.After the former justice Ruth Bud GinsbergAfter his death last fall, Breyer became the last insistent of the Clinton era. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan were both appointed during the presidency. Barack ObamaTime in the office.
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Breyer was separated from Deputy Justice Clarence Thomas (Clarence Thomas) by ten years, who is 73 years old and is the second-oldest justice in the court.
Ginsburg died in September 2020 at the age of 87 Democratic Party. Ginsberg is often hailed as the idol of liberals, his death paved the way for the former president Donald Trump The appointment of a third new judge during his tenure allowed the court to restore its current lineup. Trump’s choice, Amy Connie Barrett, Is the youngest member of the court, only 49 years old.
This spring, before the court’s summer recess, Breyer’s pressure began to increase. In the past, some judges had chosen to announce their retirement at this time. Anthony Kennedy, appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, was the most recent judge to do so, and he retired at the age of 82 in the summer of 2018.
As New York Times As discussed in an article on the retirement of the Supreme Court last month, the three surviving retired judges were appointed by the Republican president and all retired before they reached Breyer’s current age.Judges appointed by the Democratic Party and Republicans Died on the bench and their retirement ages vary greatly. John Paul Stevens is an example of a justice appointed by former Republican President Gerrard FordBefore he retired at the age of 90, he became the second oldest judge in the history of the court.
But because Ginsburg’s death is still a recent thing in the memory of American progressives, their worries about the court lineup inspired many people to try to push Breyer to announce the news.
In April, the progressive non-profit organization Demand Justice launched a campaign to encourage Breyer’s retirement, including an online petition and a billboard truck. The organization said it would drive around the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. In the movement’s press release, Demand Justice mentioned that the Deputy Judge David Souter, who retired shortly before his 70th birthday in 2009, and the 90-year-old John Paul Stevens in 2010. ) Previously issued a retirement announcement.
Brian Fallon, executive director of Demand Justice, said that Breyer “firmly hopes” that retirement announcements can be anticipated.
Fallon said: “The only responsible option for Justice Breyer is to announce his retirement immediately so that President Biden can quickly nominate the first black female Supreme Court judge in history.”
In the months since, the non-profit organization has been encouraging Breyer to hang up his judge’s robe. In June, it led a group of more than a dozen organizations, including Black people’s fate is also fate In March with Women, they called on Breyer to leave the bench on the grounds that they feared that if the future Republican president appoints Breyer’s successor instead of Biden, then a “more right-wing Supreme Court” might appear.
In addition to pressure from progressive groups and some legal scholars, Breyer’s position in the court has also become the focus of some lawmakers. Congress. In mid-April, New York representative Mondaire Jones told Cheddar News He believed that Breyer was time to retire.
“There is no doubt that Judge Breyer, whom I respect very much, should retire at the end of this semester,” Jones said. Then he seemed to mention Trump’s replacement of Ginsberg’s seat last fall: “I mean, my goodness—didn’t we learn our lesson?”
Two months later, the House of Representatives Alexander Ocasio-Cortez In an interview, she was asked if she agreed with Jones’s opinion CNNof Union StateAlthough Ocasio-Cortez said she needed to think about this issue further, she said she “tends to say yes.”
“This is something I would consider, but I might be inclined to be,” she said.
California Rep. Ted Liu told CNN in mid-June that he admitted that Breyer’s retirement would be “a very personal decision” and he agreed with Jones and Ocasio-Cortez.
“I do believe that he should retire before the midterm exam,” Lieu said. “I think this is the best for our country.”
Senator of Minnesota Amy Klobuchar It also recently pointed out that the upcoming midterm elections are Breyer’s potential deadline. “If he wants to retire, if you are worried about the courts, you should retire as soon as possible, because what happens in the U.S. Senate is important,” Klobuchar said last month.
Contrary to congressional Democrats’ speculation, the White House has not publicly urged Breyer to speed up his retirement plan. At a press conference with reporters in April, Psaki said that Biden believed Breyer made this decision.
“He believes this is the decision that Justice Breyer will make when he decides not to serve as a Supreme Court judge,” Psaki told reporters.
Weekly newspaper The Supreme Court was contacted for comments, but no response was received in time.
