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Fact Check: Did George W. Bush Nominate a Black Woman to the Supreme Court in 2003?
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The Dispatch Fact Check

Fact Check: Did George W. Bush Nominate a Black Woman to the Supreme Court in 2003?

No. He did nominate Janice Rogers Brown for a seat on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Alec Dent
Mar 30
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Sen. Bill Frist meets with judicial nominees Janice Rogers Brown and Priscilla Owens on May 17, 2005. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.)

Viral social media posts claim that Republicans were the first to nominate a black woman to the Supreme Court in 2003 but then-Sen. Joe Biden filibustered her nomination. 

Twitter avatar for @RedWingGripsJohn D • @RedWingGrips
SPOILER ALERT: Republicans nominated the first black woman to the Supreme Court 19 years ago but Joe Biden filibustered her nomination.

March 23rd 2022

10,892 Retweets32,667 Likes

There were no Supreme Court nominations put forth by President George W. Bush in 2003. Bush didn’t have an opportunity to nominate any justices until 2005 when Justice Sandra Day O’Connor announced her retirement and then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist passed away. 

Bush nominated three individuals for the Supreme Court, none of whom are black women: Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito, and Harriet Miers. Miers served as White House counsel, and asked Bush to withdraw her nomination to the Supreme Court after bipartisan concern over her lack of experience as a judge.

Biden did filibuster the confirmation of a black woman to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Judge Janice Rogers Brown. Brown was nominated to the position in 2003, and her appointment was filibustered by a group of senators that included Biden. Brown was eventually confirmed in 2005. When she was said to be on the shortlist for the Supreme Court, Biden said he would oppose her nomination and she would likely be filibustered. 

If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com.

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Bill Dyer (aka Beldar)
Mar 30

And don't get me started on Miguel Estrada, whom I believe would be Justice Estrada today but for Harry Reid & Co.'s cynical hypocrisy.

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Jay Janney
Mar 30·edited Mar 30

If only Harry Reid had invoked the nuclear option 15 years sooner!

I'm sure scrappin' Joe felt it was a thankless job, almost like puttin' her in chains....He did it for her sake, I'm sure.

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