Justice Breyer Waffles on Retirement Plans
Stephen Breyer, at 82 the oldest member of the U.S. Supreme Court, said he has not decided whether to retire. President Joe Biden and Democrats worry a delay could deliver a power-shifting win to the Republican party.
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Liberal Justice Stephen Breyer, at 82 the oldest member of the U.S. Supreme Court, said he has not decided whether to retire, weighing the court’s future and his health as major factors in his decision, reports Reuters. Some liberal activists have urged Breyer to retire soon so President Joe Biden can appoint a younger successor who could serve for decades in the lifetime post.
Breyer, who has served as a justice since 1994 and will turn 83 in August, has remained mum about his plans since the court finished its latest nine-month term this month. He said in an April speech it is important for justices not to appear driven by political considerations. Conservatives hold a 6-3 majority on the court after President Biden’s Republican predecessor Donald Trump appointed three members in his four years in office. If President Biden gets the chance to name Breyer’s successor, it would not change the court’s ideological balance. Some Democrats are worried that if Breyer does not retire while the Democrats control the Senate, Republicans could block confirmation of his successor or a future Republican president could name his replacement and shift the court even further to the right.
