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 News from Around the Americas | September 2005 
US Senate Confirms John Roberts as Chief Justice
 Reuters
| | At his Senate confirmation hearing, Roberts faced dubious Democrats and vowed to rule without a political agenda and in strict adherence to the U.S. Constitution. |
Washington - Conservative federal judge John Roberts, President George W. Bush's first nominee to the Supreme Court, won U.S. Senate confirmation on Thursday as the 17th chief justice of the United States.
Roberts was confirmed in a 78-22 vote.
Once sworn in, likely later in the day, the 50-year-old Roberts will be the youngest chief justice in two centuries and positioned to lead the court in the lifetime post for decades - helping shape the American way of life on matters from civil rights and women's rights to workers' rights.
A federal appeals court judge the past two years, Roberts is widely regarded as one of the nation's top lawyers and served in the Reagan administration and first Bush administration.
He replaces William Rehnquist, who died on September 3 after being the high court's conservative anchor for 33 years.
Bush is expected soon to offer a second Supreme Court nominee, one likely to face a much tougher confirmation fight since the court's ideological balance will be at stake.
The next nominee would replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a moderate conservative who has been the swing vote on the often bitterly divided, nine-member court.
At his Senate confirmation hearing, Roberts faced dubious Democrats and vowed to rule without a political agenda and in strict adherence to the U.S. Constitution. |
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