Senator Dick Durbin Responds To Critics Of President Biden's Promise To Put First Black Woman On The Supreme Court

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Illinois senator Dick Durbin is pushing back against critics of President Joe Biden's vow to put the first black woman on the supreme court.

Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement last week -- opening the door for President Biden's first pick.

Senator Durbin heads up the committee that will hold the hearing for the nominee.

"Let's face the reality here. We had 115 Supreme Court Justices in the history of the United States. 108 have been white men. I really think there is room for us to consider not only women, but women of color to fill these vacancies.," he said.

Senator Durbin says the new nominee could be confirmed by early April.