On Saturday, White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement that Biden’s promise to elevate a Black woman to the highest U.S. court “is in line with the best traditions of both parties and our nation.”

Bates noted that Ronald Reagan had pledged during his presidential campaign to send the first woman to the court, saying that it “symbolized” the American ideal that “permits persons of any sex, age, or race, from every section and every walk of life to aspire and achieve in a manner never before even dreamed about in human history.”…

Bates noted that when President Donald Trump lived up to his promise to pick a woman for the Supreme Court by nominating Amy Coney Barrett in 2020, Wicker backed her selection and said he hoped she would be “an inspiration” to his five granddaughters.

“We hope Senator Wicker will give President Biden’s nominee the same consideration he gave to then-Judge Barrett,” Bates said.