Sam Brownback: “I rise to discuss the nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court. Just over a year ago, the…”

“I rise to discuss the nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court. Just over a year ago, the Senate considered the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court and today we continue the debate on Solicitor General Kagan's. Then, as now, I think it is fully appropriate for us to discuss the judicial philosophy of the nominees being put forward because of the increasing intrusion of the Supreme Court into very contentious issues within the society. If that is the case, then I think judicial philosophy needs to be discussed, and I think that is one that we need to consider in this nominee in Solicitor General Kagan. The debate and discussion of Solicitor General Kagan's nomination followed a different path from the Sotomayor nomination, but it has led me to the same result: I have too many questions about the nominee's judicial philosophy to permit me to support the nomination to a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court of the United States. As I said last year, a nominee's judicial philosophy is a key concern at the heart of the Supreme Court confirmation process.”