Politics

Sen. Schumer apologizes for claiming the Supreme Court was ‘all white men’ until 1981

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has apologized after making a false claim on the Senate floor that the Supreme Court was made up of only white men prior to 1981.

Schumer was making remarks on Thursday defending President Biden’s decision to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court ahead of Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement this year.

In his remarks, Schumer said, “Until 1981, this powerful body, the Supreme Court, was all white men. Imagine. America wasn’t all white men in 1981, or ever.” He continued, “Under President Biden and this Senate majority, we’re taking historic steps to make the courts look more like the country they serve by confirming highly qualified, diverse nominees.”

Schumer’s claim discounted Thurgood Marshall, who served on the Supreme Court from 1967 until 1991. Marshall was also the first Black Supreme Court justice, a fact that makes Schumer’s mistake more glaring in the first week of Black History Month.

Schumer has since apologized for the mistake, saying social media users quickly alerted him to his error. Schumer Tweeted on the same day, “Sorry that I misspoke earlier today. Of course, I remember the dedication and legal excellence that Thurgood Marshall brought to the Supreme Court.”

ARTICLE: LAURA SPIVAK

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE

PHOTO CREDITS: WASHINGTON POST

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Laura Spivak

Laura is a freelance writer out of Maryland and a mom of three. Her background is in political science and international relations, and she has been doing political writing and editing for 17 years. Laura has also written parenting pieces for the Today Show and is currently working on writing a collection of remarkable true stories about normal people. She writes for FBA because unbiased news is vital to unity, and readers deserve the facts free of opinion.

Laura is a freelance writer out of Maryland and a mom of three. Her background is in political science and international relations, and she has been doing political writing and editing for 17 years. Laura has also written parenting pieces for the Today Show and is currently working on writing a collection of remarkable true stories about normal people. She writes for FBA because unbiased news is vital to unity, and readers deserve the facts free of opinion.

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