Former Alabama Sen. Doug Jones to help guide Biden's SCOTUS nominee through the Senate

Former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) has been tapped to help guide President Joe Biden's first Supreme Court nominee through the confirmation process, according to a source familiar with the matter.

“We intend to have that team in place before the president makes that [Supreme Court] selection,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during her press briefing. “And it won't just be one person.”

Jones served in the Senate from 2018 to 2021 and is now a political commentator for CNN.

Earlier on Tuesday, Biden met with Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and ranking Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa to discuss the vacancy created by Justice Stephen Breyer, who announced last week that he would retire at the end of this Supreme Court term.

"I’m looking for a candidate with character, with qualities of a judge in terms of being courteous to the folks before them and treating people with respect, as well as a judicial philosophy that is more one that suggests that are unenumerated rights to the Constitution," Biden said during a pool spray.

Biden has said he will nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, and a short list of candidates has emerged.

The New York Times first reported the news of Jones' role, which will include helping prepare the eventual candidate for meetings with senators and confirmation hearings.

Laura Barrón-López contributed to this report.