Progressives Become Increasingly Vocal Demanding Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer Retire

Democrats are debating whether or not to publically call on Stephen Breyer, the oldest living justice on the Supreme Court, to retire.

Appointed by Bill Clinton, Breyer has been on the Supreme Court for more than two decades, and some liberal groups want him out, pushing a “Breyer Retire” campaign. However, President Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers are not pressuring Breyer to retire, citing the fact that the Democratic party controls the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, said that although there is no news of his retirement, Breyer is “familiar with the potential risks of a Republican president appointing his successor.”

“He is well familiar with the way judicial appointments work, and I believe strongly he has in mind the best interests of the country and will make the right decision,” Blumenthal told Politico. “There are political realities that I hope judges will perceive.”

When talking about Breyer’s future in the Supreme Court, Brian Fallon, the executive director of liberal judicial group Demand Justice, said, “people need to stop being sheepish about this.”

The aggressive moves by activists surrounding Breyer comes after conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett replaced liberal lion Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, and Rachel O’Leary Carmona, executive director of Women’s March, said that Breyer needs to retire from his position before the 2022 midterm elections.

Albright believes that replacing Breyer with a younger judge would open up an opportunity to improve the Supreme Court’s overall balance.