Kagan Confirmation Hearings to Start Monday
Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination will begin with opening statements Monday followed the next day with the first round of questioning.
Though many expect Kagan's confirmation, some conservatives say a GOP filibuster is possible considering her lack of experience as a judge and her alleged liberal leanings.
Presently, the 50-year-old former Harvard Law School dean is the first high court nominee without experience as a judge since 1972.
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And, as Sen. Jeff Sessions, the committee's top Republican, noted Sunday, Kagan has "been aggressive on issue after issue from the liberal side of the political issues."
"Contrary to the 'blank slate' the White House media machine has tried to sell the American people, an objective review of Elena Kagan's record reveals a surprisingly clear picture of who she is," added Mario Diaz, Concerned Women for America (CWA)'s policy director for legal issues, this past week. "Kagan's record is that of a liberal political soldier, not an impartial jurist."
But Diaz made sure to point out that Kagan's "radically liberal ideology" is not the big problem.
It's her belief that judges can "steer the law in order to promote certain ethical values and achieve certain social ends," he said, that makes her a "real danger."
"This issue is beyond politics," Diaz insisted. "CWA would oppose a judge willing to circumvent the law to achieve the results we want. Judges must follow the law and the Constitution as written."
Though Kagan's lack of judicial experience means more focus on her political views, Senate Republicans are expected to first seek out whether Kagan can be an impartial judge.
"I think the first thing we need to decide is, is she committed to the rule of law even if she may not like the law? Will she as a judge subordinate herself to the Constitution and keep her political views at bay?" Sessions said during his appearance Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation."
Still, Senate Republicans are expected to grill the Obama high court nominee on issues ranging from gun control to campaign finance reform.
Kagan is also expected to face questions about the constitutionality of the sweeping healthcare overhaul and perhaps be asked about the financial regulation bill that could be signed into law in just days.
Conservative interest groups want the GOP to mount an aggressive campaign against Kagan.
Kagan's hearing is expected to last three or four days, with questioning set to begin Tuesday. A final Senate vote could take place before the end of July.
If confirmed, Kagan would be the third woman on the court as well as the youngest justice.
