US Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson as first Black women to US Supreme Court
Washington, Apr 8: In a momentous occasion in American history, the United States Senate on Thursday confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to sit in the country's highest court.
The United States Senate took the historic decision by 53-47 votes after three Republican Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney voted in her favour along with 50 members of the ruling Democratic Party.
The 100 member Senate is equally split between Democratic and Republican, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting her votes in the case of a tie. Currently a judge on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, Jackson will replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, 83.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, 53, joined President Joe Biden and other White House senior staff in the Roosevelt Room to watch the results of the Senate vote on her nomination to the Supreme Court.
"Judge Jackson's confirmation was a historic moment for our nation. We've taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. She will be an incredible Justice, and I was honoured to share this moment with her," President Biden said on Saturday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described it as a day of great pride and patriotism for the nation, as Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson makes history as the first Black woman to be confirmed to the Supreme Court.
With Judge Jackson's historic confirmation, our nation takes an important step toward realising our most cherished ideals, Pelosi said.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said she is not only eminently qualified and highly recommended but also makes history as the first Black woman to serve on the country's highest bench.
This is a great day for our country and for our democracy, and I know that our judiciary and people will be strengthened by Judge Jackson's service, as she will bring both a deep and thorough understanding of the law and lived experiences that will bring new perspectives into the Court's chambers, he said.
For over 200 years, the court has heard cases that affect Black women cases like Plessy v. Ferguson, Shelby County v. Holder, Dobbs. v. Jackson Women's Health Organisation without the perspective of a Black woman. That changes now, the Democratic National Committee said.
Judge Jackson has shown girls especially girls of colour how big they can dream and just how profound an impact they can have on our nation. Her story is uniquely American. She represents the best of us and our shared values, it said.
However, the Republicans decried the confirmation. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel released a statement alleging that Biden's pick Jackson is a radical, activist judge, one who failed to answer simple questions on her record, including leniency for child porn offenders and support of CRT.
Jackson has proved to be in lockstep with the far left's political agenda, even refusing to define what a woman is. The RNC will hold Democrats accountable this November for supporting Biden's radical pick, she said.
She attended Harvard as an undergraduate and for law school and served on the US Sentencing Commission, the agency that develops federal sentencing policy, before becoming a federal judge in 2013.
Jackson comes with a wealth of experience in varied capacities as a federal appellate judge, a federal district court judge, a member of the US Sentencing Commission, an attorney in private practice, and a federal public defender.
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India & Israel elevate ties to special strategic partnership, vow to soon conclude free trade deal
Jerusalem (PTI): India and Israel on Thursday elevated their "time-tested" relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to soon firm up a "mutually beneficial" free trade deal even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed the Gaza peace initiative, asserting that humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
Following talks between Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the two sides inked a plethora of agreements to expand cooperation in areas of trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payment.
India and Israel also vowed to expand their already close defence partnership by working towards joint development and joint production of military hardware under the framework of the transfer of technologies.
In his media statement, Modi said India's security interest is linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supports the Gaza Peace Initiative.
"India's stance is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts," he said.
"In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries," he said.
PM Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit. It is his second visit to Israel in nine years.
In his remarks, the prime minister said India and Israel have a united view that there is no place for terrorism in the world and both sides stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering terrorism and its supporters.
"Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time," he said.
"Today, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to the status of a 'Special Strategic Partnership'," he said.
The prime minister also announced the establishment of an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership to impart a new momentum for cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, quantum, and critical minerals. "I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI in Israel," he said.
The prime minister, referring to the threat of terrorism, said India and Israel will continue to confront the menace unitedly.
"India and Israel are completely clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. In any form, in any expression, terrorism cannot be accepted," he said.
"We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so," he added.
India and Israel also discussed the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).
