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Robert Bork Supreme Court nomination

Robert Bork Supreme Court nomination
President Ronald Reagan announces from the White House Press Room Bork's nomination on July 1, 1987
NomineeRobert Bork
Nominated byRonald Reagan (President of the United States)
SucceedingLewis F. Powell Jr. (Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)
Date nominatedJuly 1, 1987
Date rejectedOctober 23, 1987
OutcomeRejected by the U.S. Senate
Senate Judiciary Committee motion to report favorably
Votes in favor5
Votes against9
ResultRejected
Senate Judiciary Committee motion to report unfavorably
Votes in favor9
Votes against5
ResultApproved
Senate confirmation vote
Votes in favor42
Votes against58
ResultRejected

On July 1, 1987, President Ronald Reagan nominated Judge Robert Bork for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, to succeed Lewis F. Powell Jr., who had earlier announced his retirement. At the time of his nomination, Bork was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, a position to which he had been appointed by President Reagan in 1982.

Bork's nomination precipitated contentious debate. Opposition to his nomination centered on his perceived willingness to roll back the civil rights rulings of the Warren and Burger courts, and his role in the Saturday Night Massacre during the Watergate scandal. On October 23, 1987, the United States Senate rejected Robert Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court by a roll-call vote of 42–58. This is the most recent Supreme Court nomination to be rejected by vote of the Senate.[1]

Reagan subsequently announced his intention to nominate Douglas H. Ginsburg to succeed Powell, but Ginsburg withdrew from consideration following revelations of his earlier marijuana use. Instead, Reagan nominated Anthony Kennedy, who was viewed as a mainstream conservative Republican. Kennedy was unanimously confirmed in February 1988.[2]

  1. ^ Fink, Jenni (September 26, 2020). "How Many Nominees Has the Senate Rejected From Serving on the Supreme Court?". Newsweek. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  2. ^ "On This Day: Senate rejects Robert Bork for the Supreme Court". Constitution Daily. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The National Constitution Center. October 23, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2019.