Elena Kagan was confirmed by the U.S. Senate today on a 63 to 37 vote. Iowa's senators, Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin, split with Harkin voting in favor.
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I know I join many Iowans in congratulating Elena Kagan on her confirmation to the Supreme Court, she will be a great asset as she upholds the constitutional promise of equal justice under the law. Her forthrightness with Senators from both parties and her informed and intelligent answers to the toughest legal questions facing our nation is proof that she will be a strong and fair voice. Kagan's professional career and dedication to public service will serve her well as she takes her seat on the bench.
"While I am glad to see bipartisan support for her nomination it is troubling that Senator Grassley chose to stand in opposition, guided by nothing more than blind partisanship. His vote is unsurprising given his recent opposition to everything except extending tax cuts for the rich."
~ Sue Dvorsky, chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party
"Senator Grassley's vote against Elena Kagan is proof that Washington is broken, and any bipartisanship in the Senate is on the verge of extinction. Senator Grassley has chosen to vote against two talented, qualified women nominated to the Supreme Court, by a Democratic president, after decades of support for past nominations. This is an incredibly dangerous and disturbing precedent. Voting on a Supreme Court nominee is a serious responsibility and Iowans deserve much better than childish, partisan games."
~ Roxanne Conlin, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate
"Today, I was proud to cast my vote to confirm Solicitor General Elena Kagan to our nation's highest court. As a student, she excelled at Princeton, Oxford and Harvard Law School. She has stellar legal credentials that have been recognized by liberal and conservative lawyers alike. And, throughout her career, including as a professor of law, as a key advisor to President Clinton, as Dean of Harvard Law School and as Solicitor General, she has demonstrated a great mind and intellect.
"Solicitor General Kagan will be an important and needed voice on the Court to ensure that appropriate respect and deference is given to Congress, and proper effect is given to our most important statutes, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, so all Americans receive the fullest protections of the law. And at the heart of her credentials is a strong sense of justice for those at the bottom of the economic ladder.
"And as the fourth woman to serve on the Supreme Court, her confirmation is a historic one, similar to her accomplishments as the first female Dean of Harvard Law School and first female Solicitor General. I congratulate her on this honor."
~ U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, Democrat
Seven years ago today a 23-year-old woman was crushed by a bulldozer while acting as a human shield for homes and other development in the Gaza Strip. To this day, the events surrounding her death are in dispute. 