SENATOR COLLINS MEETS WITH SUPREME COURT NOMINEE ELENA KAGAN
U.S. Senator Susan Collins met privately with U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan for nearly an hour. The President has nominated Ms. Kagan to succeed retiring Justice John Paul Stevens on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Following their meeting, Senator Collins released this statement:
"Confirming a Supreme Court nominee is one of the Senate's most important constitutional responsibilities. That is why I appreciated this opportunity to explore Ms. Kagan's legal experience, her judicial approach, and her ability to apply the law and Constitution fairly.
"During our meeting, Ms. Kagan and I discussed a wide variety of issues, ranging from Miranda rights for foreign terrorists, to the role of the Executive, to her judicial philosophy. Given that there have been questions about her judicial philosophy, I was pleased to hear her say that she views the Court as having a limited role and that she views Congress as having the ultimate role in lawmaking. I also questioned Ms. Kagan regarding an article she wrote in the 1995 edition of the University of Chicago Law Review, in which she criticized Supreme Court confirmation hearings. She advocated a higher standard in the article, which I believe she lived up to during our meeting, and I am hopeful she will be as forthcoming in the upcoming confirmation hearings.
"Ms. Kagan is clearly extremely intelligent, has thought deeply about the issues, and was straight-forward in her responses to my questions. I do not believe that her lack of judicial experience in any way disqualifies her. There have been many justices throughout our nation's history who served very ably despite a lack of prior judicial experience, including former Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
"I look forward to a timely, fair and open confirmation process during which I will continue to evaluate Ms. Kagan's integrity, temperament, and professional qualifications. I will reserve final judgment until the Judiciary Committee completes its hearings."
Following their meeting, Senator Collins released this statement:
"Confirming a Supreme Court nominee is one of the Senate's most important constitutional responsibilities. That is why I appreciated this opportunity to explore Ms. Kagan's legal experience, her judicial approach, and her ability to apply the law and Constitution fairly.
"During our meeting, Ms. Kagan and I discussed a wide variety of issues, ranging from Miranda rights for foreign terrorists, to the role of the Executive, to her judicial philosophy. Given that there have been questions about her judicial philosophy, I was pleased to hear her say that she views the Court as having a limited role and that she views Congress as having the ultimate role in lawmaking. I also questioned Ms. Kagan regarding an article she wrote in the 1995 edition of the University of Chicago Law Review, in which she criticized Supreme Court confirmation hearings. She advocated a higher standard in the article, which I believe she lived up to during our meeting, and I am hopeful she will be as forthcoming in the upcoming confirmation hearings.
"Ms. Kagan is clearly extremely intelligent, has thought deeply about the issues, and was straight-forward in her responses to my questions. I do not believe that her lack of judicial experience in any way disqualifies her. There have been many justices throughout our nation's history who served very ably despite a lack of prior judicial experience, including former Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
"I look forward to a timely, fair and open confirmation process during which I will continue to evaluate Ms. Kagan's integrity, temperament, and professional qualifications. I will reserve final judgment until the Judiciary Committee completes its hearings."
