Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination

Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination
Official portrait of Clarence Thomas as chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
NomineeClarence Thomas
Nominated byGeorge H.W. Bush (president of the United States)
SucceedingThurgood Marshall (associate justice)
Date nominatedJuly 1, 1991
Date confirmedOctober 15, 1991
OutcomeApproved by the U.S. Senate
Vote of the Senate Judiciary Committee on motion to report favorably
Votes in favor7
Votes against7
ResultMotion failed
Vote of the Senate Judiciary Committee on a motion to report without recommendation
Votes in favor13
Votes against1
ResultNomination sent to the full Senate without recommendation
Senate confirmation vote
Votes in favor52
Votes against48
ResultConfirmed

On July 1, 1991, President George H. W. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas for the Supreme Court of the United States to replace Thurgood Marshall, who had announced his retirement.[1] At the time of his nomination, Thomas was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; President Bush had appointed him to that position in March 1990.

The nomination proceedings were contentious from the start, especially over the issue of abortion. Many women's groups and civil rights groups opposed Thomas based on his conservative political views, just as they had opposed Bush's Supreme Court nominee from the previous year, David Souter.[2]

Toward the end of the confirmation process, sexual harassment allegations against Thomas by Anita Hill, a law professor who had previously worked under Thomas at the United States Department of Education and then at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, were leaked to the media from a confidential FBI report. The allegations led to further investigations and a media frenzy about sexual harassment. Televised hearings were re-opened and held by the Senate Judiciary Committee before the nomination was moved to the full, Democratic-controlled Senate for a vote.[3]

On October 15, 1991, Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States by a narrow Senate majority of 52 to 48. He took the oath of office on October 23, 1991.

  1. ^ Dowd, Maureen (July 2, 1991). "The Supreme Court; Conservative Black Judge, Clarence Thomas, Is Named to Marshall's Court Seat". The New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  2. ^ Tinsley E. Yarbrough (2005). David Hackett Souter: Traditional Republican on the Rehnquist Court. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-515933-2. Retrieved June 27, 2008. david souter home run.
  3. ^ Jan Crawford Greenburg (September 30, 2007). "Clarence Thomas: A Silent Justice Speaks Out: Part VII: 'Traitorous' Adversaries: Anita Hill and the Senate Democrats". ABC News. Retrieved October 18, 2008.