Senator Hirono Statement on Justice Breyer

Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Hirono, member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after reports that Justice Stephen Breyer plans to announce his retirement from the Supreme Court:

“Throughout his 27 years of service on the Supreme Court, Justice Stephen Breyer has been a steadfast champion of reproductive rights, voting rights, health care and so many other rights and freedoms we hold dear.

“Despite the Supreme Court’s rightward shift during his time on the bench, Justice Breyer never compromised his values or his dedication to the rule of law. Thanks to his work and sound decisions, we have hugely consequential opinions like Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt and June Medical Services v. Russo, in which Justice Breyer protected a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion. And just last summer, Justice Breyer wrote the majority opinion in a decision that ensured the Affordable Care Act remained in effect, protecting health care for millions of Americans. I join a grateful nation in thanking Justice Breyer for his decades of service to our country.

“I am confident that President Biden will soon nominate a Black woman who both shares Justice Breyer’s fidelity to the rule of law and will add to the diversity of the court. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I will carry out my constitutional duty to advise and consent on the President’s nominee.”

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