Justice Stephen Breyer to Retire From Supreme Court
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has announced that he will retire from the bench.
NBC News’ Pete Williams reports that Justice Breyer has decided that he will retire at the end of his current term. The news means Joe Biden will have the opportunity to nominate the first justice of his presidency, and it will provide the opportunity for Breyer’s Supreme Court seat to remain in the hands of a left-leaning justice.
The news comes months after speculation among progressives about whether Breyer would step down for the express purpose of letting Biden and Congressional Democrats maintain the ideological balance of the court. Breyer has mostly dismissed the political calculations behind that push, also warning Democrats not to try packing the court.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki followed the announcement of Breyer’s retirement by saying: “It has always been the decision of any Supreme Court Justice if and when they decide to retire, and how they want to announce it, and that remains the case today. We have no additional details or information to share from the White House.”
It has always been the decision of any Supreme Court Justice if and when they decide to retire, and how they want to announce it, and that remains the case today. We have no additional details or information to share from @WhiteHouse
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) January 26, 2022
The story is breaking and we shall update accordingly.
Watch above, via NBC.
