Steve Holland, Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – President Joe Biden has tapped a group of White House advisors who have extensive Senate and Supreme Court confirmation experience to help him prepare to name the first Black female associate justice.

Biden and Kamala Harris will work closely together in the selection process. This will include White House counsel Dana Remus as well senior counsel Paige Herwig and Cedric Richmond as senior advisors.

Biden’s selection will be guided by the team, which must also manage the bruising confirmation process of 50 Republican senatorial seats. The group should also tend to Democratic groups that are involved in Biden’s decision, such as advocates and lawmakers.

Biden expects to choose a nominee from a short list, which may be as low as 10 people. As soon as next week, the White House could begin to reach out and possibly meet with potential Supreme Court nominees.

On Thursday, Biden said he planned to nominate a Black woman to the post, a historic first https://www.reuters.com/world/us/retiring-us-justice-breyer-appear-with-biden-white-house-2022-01-27 that he called “long overdue”.

Actives had asked Justice Stephen Breyer, who is 83 years old, to retire so that Biden can be selected to the Supreme Court without restriction while Democrats control Congress.

Brian Fallon, the executive director for advocacy group Demand Justice, welcomed a fast process. Breyer’s early-in the-year announcement has given us something to be grateful for. It allows the process now to begin and takes out any hurdles (e.g., COVID-19-positive senators) that might delay it.

The November midterm elections may give Republicans control of the Senate, which could make it harder for any Biden nominees to get the simple majority vote needed to secure a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court.

RBG, ALITO

Klain worked with Biden during his time on the U.S. Senate judiciary committee. He has extensive experience in Supreme Court nominations. As a guide and “sherpa” during the confirmation process, Klain assisted former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He died in 2020. Former President Bill Clinton selected Breyer and her.

Remus was a clerk under Associate Justice Samuel Alito and Herwig has overseen a flurry of judicial nominations and confirmations since Biden came into office, resulting in https://statics.teams.cdn.office.net/evergreen-assets/safelinks/1/atp-safelinks.html the most of any president in his first year since Ronald Reagan.

From 1987 to 1995, Biden was the chairman of the Senate judiciary committee.

Anita Dunn, an ex-senior adviser to Biden said that it is difficult to find a better team to help him with the Supreme Court nomination. She said that the president will likely spend much of his time studying opinions and decisions made by judicial candidates.

Names expected to be on Biden’s list include Ketanji Brown Jackson https://www.reuters.com/world/us/former-public-defender-jackson-among-possible-biden-supreme-court-picks-2022-01-26, a federal judge; Leondra Kruger https://www.reuters.com/world/us/potential-biden-supreme-court-pick-leondra-kruger-known-moderate-california-2022-01-26, a justice on the California Supreme Court; and Sherrilyn Ifill https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/historic-first-black-women-judges-who-could-join-us-supreme-court-2022-01-27, a prominent civil rights lawyer who heads the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

REPUBLICANS ON BOARD

One source said that the White House has not chosen yet a “sherpa”, but they haven’t ruled out choosing a Republican to guide a nominee through the Capitol get-to know-you meetings.

The White House is confident Harris can break a tie vote regarding a Supreme Court nominee in a Senate divided evenly between Democrats, Republicans. However, they believe it can convince some Republicans to support Biden’s decision and remove the need to tie the tie-breaker, a source claimed.

Democratic Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer has pledged https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-democrats-plan-move-swiftly-biden-supreme-court-pick-2022-01-26 to make the confirmation process as short as a month. Biden indicated that he planned to nominate his nominee before February ends.

According to a source, the White House doesn’t see the need for Schumer’s 30 day push for confirmation. Breyer, however, will continue on the bench until June.

This extra time may be needed by the White House. Biden’s team must review the qualifications of candidates, complete vetting procedures and appease senators from their home states. They will also need to meet with civil rights organizations and other parties that have an interest in the nomination.

“Managing all of that is a pretty significant effort,” he said Andy Wright, a former member of Biden’s transition team who is now a partner at K&L Gates.