Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (gov)
Before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) expressed confidence that Kagan would be confirmed and jokingly said she might be confirmed after a signle round of questioning.
To back up his claim, Schumer pointed to the more than 170 thousand documents on Kagan’s background available for review by the committee, which he said painted a pragmatic and moderate picture.
He also criticized the current Supreme Court for it’s recent decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.
“Judicial activism now has a new guise,” he said.
Schumer said the he feared the “palpable” swing of the court toward the right over the past decade and found the decision reached in Citizens United to undermine the voice of average Americans and the notion of political freedom.
“[The court] has lost sight of the practical consequences of some of its decisions,” he added.
However, Schumer said he believed Kagan would bring much needed “moderation and pragmatism” to the court. He also cited her ability to work with those who do not share her views, exemplified by her work as the first dean of Harvard Law School to bring together a divided faculty.
“Her actions are not the actions of an ideologue,” he said.
