Elena Kagan's confirmation hearing: Day one

June 28, 2010

by Katy Farrell

Washington: Today commenced the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. The 19 Senators that make up the Senate Judiciary Committee each provided a ten minute statement discussing questions for the nominee and their individual philosophy regarding the nation's highest court. These statements rarely digressed from the platform of the Senators' political party, except for the joint condolences expressed by all for the passing of Senator Robert Byrd and the husband of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Next, Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown introduced Kagan. Senator Kerry concentrated on her ability as a bi-partisan consensus builder, sharing endorsements for her nomination from a variety of public officials.

After hours of listening to critiques and praise, Kagan introduced herself. The Solicitor General briefly touched on her philosophy, focusing not just on her viewpoint as a judge, but also her respect for the law and the branches of the federal government. The one promise she made was: "I will listen hard, to every party before the Court and to each of my colleagues. I will work hard. And I will do my best to consider every case impartially, modestly, with commitment to principle, and in accordance with law."

Tomorrow will begin the more familiar proceedings of the confirmation hearing, the question and answer part. There, each Senator is allowed 30 minutes to question Kagan on a range of topics. There is no telling how long the rounds of questioning will last, as the first is followed by a second, and sometimes a third.

Though little has occurred to deter Kagan's chance of confirmation, the importance of vetting candidates for the Supreme Court will guarantee that each Senator contribute to the confirmation process.