Justice Stephen Breyer will reportedly retire from the United States Supreme Court at the end of the term, offering President Joe Biden his first chance to shape the makeup of what is currently a deeply divided, pointedly conservative bench while Democrats still hold a congressional majority.
Breyer, the center-left leaning justice who famously intoned, “I don’t like making decisions about myself,” is expected to officially announce his decision on Thursday, according to multiple outlets. The news follows intense speculation about — and pressure for — the 83-year-old’s retirement. After nearly a quarter-century on the bench, Breyer had become the senior-most member of the court, noting to The New York Times this past summer that “I don’t want somebody appointed who will just reverse everything I’ve done for the last 25 years.”
