AOC says she is 'inclined to say yes' as to whether Justice Breyer should retire

[Cuthbert Allgood]

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is "inclined to say yes" as to whether Justice Stephen Breyer should retire from the Supreme Court in the coming weeks so President Joe Biden can nominate a liberal jurist to replace him.

"You know, it's something I think about, but I would probably lean towards yes," Ocasio-Cortez told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" Sunday when asked if Breyer should retire at the end of this Supreme Court term. "I would give more thought to it, but I'm inclined to say yes."

Ocasio-Cortez joins at least one other House Democrat who has publicly signaled that they want Breyer to retire so that Biden, with the help of a slim Democratic majority in the Senate, can replace the 82-year-old liberal justice with a younger member.

Breyer has previously declined to talk about his retirement prospects. In a speech earlier this year, he warned against proposals to expand the size of the Supreme Court from its current nine members.

Full article on CNN

[LiberalFighter]

1. Thomas should retire first.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

2. You're not wrong. Not going to happen with Biden in office, but, yes.

[LiberalFighter]

3. Put pressure on him by going after his wife.

[Progressive Jones]

19. Exactly. His was involved in Jan 6th.

There should be no holds barred public shaming of her, and hang it around her husband's neck. The

[joshcryer]

4. Thomas, Bryer and Alito should all retire.

But we know none of them will. The prestige is too much. We are living in a different time. We need younger people in this current reality to judge us. I would even say Sotomayor should retire, but that might get me in trouble. We need young minds. This shit is dire. We are on the precipice. We need thoughtful people who have lived through and experienced the changes this country has had. Ginsburg was so far ahead of her time.

But again, none who should retire will retire, they will die in their beds, in the hospital, clutching on to the last moments of power that they (and their team of lawyers and paralegals) have. It is ridiculous.

[Scrivener7]

5. There is no question that he should retire. Have we learned nothing?

[JohnSJ]

6. It isn't up to Rep Ocasio-Cortez, it is up to him. I don't understand why so many in political

office feel obligated to answer questions like that

[Mad_Machine76]

7. I'm guessing

because she is bigger-than-life political figure. But it seems sort of weird since she's not a Senator. But I agree with her. I hope Breyer doesn't try to wait out the clock until he just feels like retiring. A 6-3 Right-Wing SCOTUS is bad. I would not want to see a 7-2 one. And sadly, if we cannot hold on to the Senate, Republicans are not going to allow a replacement to be confirmed.

[JohnSJ]

8. A political office holder publicly saying that might actually have the opposite effect

I wish some self-identfied progressives realized the SC was at stake in 2016, when they refused to vote for the Democratic nominee in the general election by either not voting or voting third party

[Mad_Machine76]

12. Maybe

I think that we're all a little shell-shocked after what just happened with Ginsberg however and recognize that Breyer is getting older and has been battling health issues and don't want a repeat unless we are able to hold the WH and Senate (which is probably the greater concern ATM). I do get what you're saying about progressives whom refused to vote or voted third party in 2016 because they couldn't stand Hillary but we can't go back and change what happened, unfortunately.

The fact that Trump got THREE SCOTUS picks during his single term is pretty galling too, especially since two of them relied on Senate Republicans changing the rules for us when Obama was POTUS and then changing the rules back when Trump was POTUS and I think that there was some shady s**t with Kennedy. We can't afford to lose another seat to Republican machinations.

[JohnSJ]

14. Of course, but as you said we can't go back and change things. I think it is far more

productive to focus on how we can at least a two seat majority in the Senate in 2022

That's all

[Mariana]

11. Why shouldn't she express her opinion? nt.

[JohnSJ]

17. I didn't say she or any other political figure shouldn't. I just don't think that is going to

move Breyer one way or another, and may make him even more reluctant

[Progressive Jones]

20. She's just stating an opinion, just like us. nt

[JohnSJ]

21. yup. I just think any person in Congress voicing what a SC justice should or should not do, is

not going to influence anything, that's all

If this OP was about any Congress Person, I would voice the same view, and have

[maxsolomon]

9. He's too much of a naive idealist to retire.

He'll wait till the Dems have lost the Senate or the Presidency.

[Mr.Bill]

10. And what makes anyone think

that when Biden makes his first SCOTUS nomination Manchin won't refuse to approve them without "bipartisan" support?

[Mad_Machine76]

13. I hope to hell not

but unfortunately I can't entirely dismiss the possibility, however. :-/

[JohnSJ]

18. On that I don't think there will be a problem. Manchin was pretty much on board for all

of Biden's cabinet picks

I think where we need to focus is winning the majority in the Senate by at least two seats

[ShazamIam]

15. The problem is we can't count on Manchin or Senema to support a replacement.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

22. Do you see it getting better in the next couple years?

[ShazamIam]

25. My fear is that it is already too late to fix us. My heart is hopeful of course and I will work for

voter turn out in 2022, but we have too many conservative. business friendly, tough on crime, hate on labor, Democratic.

Notice how the talk of increasing the minimum wage has stopped.

[iemanja]

16. that decision is Breyer's alone

[Cuthbert Allgood]

23. Of course. "Pressure" can be put on, though.

[iemanja]

24. Then why not pressure Thomas

rather than working so hard to get rid of a liberal?

[Cuthbert Allgood]

26. Are you serious?

You think pressure on a conservative to resign while there is a Dem as President is going to work? We could put pressure on a liberal judge to resign while there is a Dem as president to appoint his replacement.