Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer on Sunday reflected on how he hopes to be remembered for his service on the bench, saying he wants people to think he “did his best.”
Breyer paused and then pointed to a quote from former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall when questioned on the topic by “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace.
“I thought I liked very much … what Thurgood Marshall said. They said, ‘Well what do you want on your tombstone?’ And he said, ‘He did his best.’ That’s it,” Breyer said.
Breyer, who has been on the bench since 1994 when he was nominated by then-President Clinton, told Wallace he serves on the Supreme Court for everyone.
“I’m there for everybody. I’m not just there for the Democrats. I’m not just there for the Republicans. And I’m not just there because the president was a Democrat who appointed me. So a very great privilege to be in that job, and part of it is to remember that you’re there for everyone,” Breyer said.
He also said that it is important that Americans “have trust” in the bench, even though some people will not always accept decisions the court hands down.
“They won’t like what you say half the time, or more, but you’re still there for them. And that’s the privilege of the job in a way. You have to give your all and you have to work as hard as you can. So you see, I think it’s important that we have trust,” he added.
Breyer’s comments come as Democratic lawmakers are pushing the 83-year-old justice to retire and allow President Biden to nominate a left-leaning replacement.
Breyer, however, has not announced any plans to step aside. He has publicly said that he does not believe he will remain on the bench until his death.