The U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court on Aug. 5.
President Barack Obama nominated Kagan for the position in May to replace Justice John Paul Stevens, who retired in June at the age of 90.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine gave the Senate a nod of approval following the results of the vote, which was 63-37 in Kagan’s favor.
“I applaud the Senate for its swift confirmation of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, and commend President Obama for selecting such a strong nominee,” Kaine said in a DNC press release. “I have full faith that in her new role as a Supreme Court Justice, she will bring her incredible legal intellect to bear on behalf of all those who seek justice in our legal system.”
Kaine said that throughout Kagan’s career, she has insisted that all parties be given a fair hearing under the law, and she is known for her ability to bring people of diverse beliefs together to that end.
“In so doing, she has earned praise from Democrats and Republicans alike for her brilliance and her fair-minded approach to the law,” Kaine said.
Kagan is Obama’s second appointment to the Supreme Court. The first was Sonia Sotomayor, who was also the Supreme Court’s first Hispanic woman.
Liberals applauded the appointment of another Democrat to the court and praised Kagan’s appointment for continuing the trend towards a more diverse court.
“I would say that the U.S. Supreme Court and the whole U.S. justice system should be honored to have another qualified woman in the Supreme Court,” UH political science senior Aydin Yildirim said. “For the first time in U.S. history, three women are serving at the court, which shows the government’s progressive actions. Allegations regarding her capabilities as a judge are quite unsubstantiated, and her resume speaks for itself.”
Kagan has paved the way for more women in the U.S. Justice Department. She was the first female solicitor general and is the fourth woman to sit on the Supreme Court.
“I offer Elena Kagan my congratulations on her confirmation, and I look forward to what I believe will be her long and productive tenure on the Supreme Court,” Kaine said in the news release.
Kagan was the dean of Harvard Law School from 2003-09 and is known to be one of the nation’s elite constitutional and administrative law minds.
