At 50, she is relatively young for the lifetime post and could help shape the high court’s decisions for decades.
Supreme Court justices wield enormous power over the daily life of Americans. Any one of them can cast the deciding vote on matters of life and death, individual freedoms and government power.
Kagan “is widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost legal minds,” Obama said, introducing the former Harvard Law School dean in the White House East Room.
Kagan, who represents the Obama administration in cases that come before the Supreme Court, said she was “humbled by this nomination.” She called it “the honor of a lifetime.” Obama cited what he called Kagan’s “openness to a broad array of viewpoints” and her “fair mindedness.” In a statement issued before Kagan had completed her remarks, the lawmaker who will preside over her confirmation hearing, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy said the Senate should confirm Kagan by early September.
“Our constituents deserve a civil and thoughtful debate on this nomination, followed by an up-or-down vote,” he said.
The Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell said his party would make sure there was a “thorough process, not a rush to judgment” on the nomination.
Obama began with high praise for the retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, a leader of the court’s liberals, calling him “a giant in the law,” impartial and having respect for legal precedence.
“While we can’t presume to replace Justice Stevens’ wisdom or experience, I have selected a nominee who I believe embodies that same excellence, independence, integrity and passion for the law, and who can ultimately provide that same kind of leadership on the court,” Obama said of his nominee.
While couched as a compliment for a retiring justice, it was a remark that underscored what aides have described as the president’s desire to appoint a replacement who could match Chief Justice John Roberts’ intellectual firepower.
“She’s an acclaimed legal scholar with a rich understanding of constitutional law. She is a former White House aide, with a lifelong commitment to public service and a firm grasp of the nexus and boundaries between our three branches of government,” Obama said. Kagan served in the Clinton White House.
