The Senate confirmed Elena Kagan as the fourth woman ever to sit on the Supreme Court Thursday afternoon.
Going into today's confirmation, Kagan has the backing of nearly all Democrats, two independents, and a few Republicans in the Senate. She is the fourth woman ever to serve on the Supreme Court and joins Justices Ginsburg and Sotomayor to mark the first time three women have served at the same time.
During her confirmation hearings, some Republican senators criticized Kagan, a former dean of Harvard Law School, for her decision to limit assistance to military recruiters on campus because of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which she has denounced. They also questioned why, as solicitor general, she did not pursue a legal challenge to the policy.
Kagan replaces another liberal justice, John Paul Stevens, who is regarded as a leader of the court's liberal wing.
One of the cases the high court may hear in the coming years is the Proposition 8 case, which is expected to be appealed.
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![[L-R] Froy Gutierrez as “Ryan” and Madelaine Petsch as “Maya” in THE STRANGERS - Chapter 1, a Lionsgate release. Photo Credit: John Armour for Lionsgate.](https://www.pride.com/media-library/l-r-froy-gutierrez-as-ryan-and-madelaine-petsch-as-maya-in-the-strangers-chapter-1-a-lionsgate-release-photo-credit-j.jpg?id=52253229&width=1245&height=700&quality=85&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0)
