Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 2-18-22

Political
Alabama’s First Black Federal Judge Tells Biden: Don’t Appoint Ketanji Brown Jackson To Supreme Court
Biden Warns Energy Prices
Alabama’s first Black fed- eral judge, U.W. Clemon, sent a letter to President Joe Biden this month advis- ing him against appointing Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U. S. Supreme Court.
In the letter, Clemon cited her ruling in a 2016 class-ac- tion case against Lockheed Martin on behalf of 5,500 Black workers. She declined to approve a settlement that had been reached that would have paid out $22 million to the plaintiffs, Clemon said. It also would have imple- mented reforms in Lock- heed’s evaluation system for pay and promotions, he said.
“As you consider the can- didates for your legacy ap- pointment to the highest court of the land, it is entirely appropriate for you to take into account not simply what each aspirant has done for
Ketanji Brown Jackson, nominated to be a U. S. Circuit Judge for the District of Co- lumbia Circuit, testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on pending judicial nominations, Wednesday, April 28, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington.
her own career, but equally so, what has she done for the cause of justice and equal- ity?” Clemon wrote. “Based
on her conduct in Ross v. Lockheed ... I strongly believe that Circuit Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson should not be appointed by you as the first Black female justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.”
Clemon served as counsel at the firm Mehri & Skalet, which represented the plain- tiffs in the Ross v. Lockheed case. Jackson is a circuit judge on the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Co- lumbia, and from 2013-2021, she was a district judge on the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
AL.com reached out to Clemon, a retired chief judge of the U. S. District Court for the Northern Dis- trict of Alabama, who con- firmed he sent the letter. “I have not heard back from the White House,” Clemon said.
President Biden on Tues- day warned that there will be consequences for Americans at home if Russia decides to in- vade Ukraine, notably through prices at the gas pump.
“I will not pretend this will be painless, there could be im- pact on our energy prices. So, we are taking active steps to el- evate the pressure on our own energy markets to offset rais- ing prices,” Biden said in re- marks at the White House.
The president said those steps include coordinating with major energy consumers and producers and working with Congress on additional measures in order to address the impact of gas prices.
The president warned Russ- ian President Vladimir Putin against invading Ukraine in his remarks, saying it would be a “self-inflicted wound” for Russia. He urged
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN
Russia to choose the diplo- matic route as the Biden ad- ministration tries to deter the Kremlin from launching an at- tack, which U. S. officials have warned could happen at any day.
“To be clear, if Russia de- cides to invade, that would also have consequences here at home. But, the American peo- ple understand that defending democracy and liberty is never without cost,” Biden said.
Could Be Impacted If Russia
Invades Ukraine
Millions Of Americans To Get $1,657 Social Security Payments
U. S. Could Spend $22 Million
Monthly On Testing
Those born between the 11th and 20th of the month will get the benefit.
Retirees get SS payments worth up to $1,657 on aver- age this year as the amount increased in line with the 5.9 percent cost-of-living adjust- ment rise.
The benefits increased by $92 from $1,565 and seniors can start claiming the cash between the ages of 62 and
70.
Those between the ages of
66-67 could get up to $3,345 per month.
But some seniors could get the maximum SS amount of $4,194 if they meet certain criteria.
Retirees must wait until 70 before claiming the benefit and they must’ve worked in Social Security approved jobs for at least 35 years.
A White House official warned that the federal gov- ernment could end up having to spend up to $22 million a month on testing employees for COVID-19 if the ban on President Biden's vaccine mandate isn't lifted.
Jason Miller, deputy di- rector for the White House Of- fice of Management and Budget, gave the assessment in a declaration cited by the De- partment of Justice (DOJ) on Monday, Reuters reported.
"While most federal civilian employees are fully vaccinated, hundreds of thousands of them are not vaccinated," Miller said in declaration made late last month. Accord-
Unvaccinated Federal Workers
ing to Miller, the federal gov- ernment hires about 20,000 new employees every month and is unable to require them to get vaccinated
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