President Joe Biden is having Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer over to the White House on Wednesday to talk about how to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Supreme Court, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
Biden has promised to nominate the first Black woman to the high court to fill the spot being vacated by Justice Stephen Breyer, who is retiring at the end of this term. The president, who has promised to make a decision by the end of the month, has amassed a list of potential candidates that includes women with a range of professional expertise, from federal defenders to longtime judges and academics.
Schumer, D-N.Y. has promised the Senate will have a fair process that moves quickly to fill the vacancy. His meeting with Biden was confirmed by a person who was not authorized to speak publicly about private events and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. On Tuesday, Biden played host to Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and ranking Republican Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. The president also spoke by phone with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
