Changes in the Supreme Court.The announcement took many Americans by surprise. On July 1, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26 1930) is an American jurist who served as the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. She was considered a strict constructionist. said that she was retiring from the U.S. Supreme Court. Nominated by President Ronald Reagan, a Republican, in 1981, O'Connor was the first woman ever to serve on the Court. As word of her upcoming retirement spread, Republicans and Democrats resumed a long and mostly bitter battle. At stake is the future of the Court. How will it rule on upcoming cases involving civil rights, privacy, and religious freedom? In late July, President George W. Bush nominated John G. Roberts to replace O'Connor. Roberts, 50, is a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals. The President praised the Indiana native for "his intellect, his sound judgment, and personal decency de·cen·cy n. pl. de·cen·cies 1. The state or quality of being decent; propriety. 2. Conformity to prevailing standards of propriety or modesty. 3. decencies a. ." Democrats in the Senate were more cautious. Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said that he would review Roberts's record as a lawyer and judge to learn his views on "freedom, equality, and fairness." All Supreme Court nominees must be approved by the Senate. Experts have said that Roberts's "paper trail" of decisions shows a sharp legal mind at work. His views are thought to be conservative, but not extremely so. Replacing a Swing Vote The new Justice will take on a key role. O'Connor, considered by many to be a moderate, was often the swing vote. Right now, the Court is closely balanced between liberal and conservative points of view. Many people expect that a Bush nominee will cast his or her vote in a consistently conservative way. "This is probably the most significant Supreme Court resignation and nomination we'll see in our lifetimes," said one Washington lawyer. The President may have more opportunities to replace retiring Justices before his term ends in 2009. Of the nine current Justices, only one is under age 65. Chief Justice William Rehnquist Noun 1. William Rehnquist - United States jurist who served as an associate justice on the United States Supreme Court from 1972 until 1986, when he was appointed chief justice (born in 1924) Rehnquist, William Hubbs Rehnquist has long been battling cancer. Supreme Court nominees must go before the Senate Judiciary Committee The U.S. Senate established the Committee on the Judiciary on December 10, 1816, as one of the original 11 standing committees. It is also one of the most powerful committees in Congress; among its wide range of jurisdictions is investigation of federal judicial nominees and oversight of for questioning. Afterward af·ter·ward also af·ter·wards adv. At a later time; subsequently. Adv. 1. afterward - happening at a time subsequent to a reference time; "he apologized subsequently"; "he's going to the store but he'll be back here , the full Senate votes to confirm (approve) or reject them. (For more on the confirmation process and its history, see your Teacher's Edition.) Words to Know * conservative: not in favor of rapid change. * liberal: favoring reform. * moderate: one whose views are not extreme. * swing vote: one who casts the deciding vote. * In each sentence below, change the boldface See boldface font. word or phrase to one that will make the statement correct. 1. President George W. Bush nominated John G. Roberts to the position of Secretary of State.-- 2. If confirmed, Roberts would take the place of Condoleezza Rice, who is retiring.-- 3. In a July 7 terrorist attack, three bombs exploded in the Underground and one on a bus in the European city of Paris.-- 4. NASA's space shuttle space shuttle, reusable U.S. space vehicle. Developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), it consists of a winged orbiter, two solid-rocket boosters, and an external tank. Enterprise returned safely to Earth in August.-- 5. A new law, to take effect in 2007, will make Greenwich mean time Greenwich mean time or Greenwich meridian time (GMT), the former name for mean solar time at the original site of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, which is located on the prime meridian. a month longer. 1. Supreme Court Justice 2. Sandra Day O'Connor 3. London 4. Discovery 5. daylight saving time daylight saving time (DST), time observed when clocks and other timepieces are set ahead so that the sun will rise and set later in the day as measured by civil time. |
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