Chief Justice Roberts Sworn In at the White House

This afternoon after receiving confirmation by the Senate, 78-22, John Glover Roberts Jr. was sworn in as the 17th chief justice of the United States at the White House Thursday. As the AP reported, John G. Roberts Jr., a conservative protà ©gà © of the late William H. Rehnquist, succeeded him Thursday and became the nation’s youngest chief justice in two centuries, winning support from more than three-fourths of the Senate after promising he would be no ideologue.
President Bush made the following comments during the swearing in of Chief Justice Roberts:

“The Senate has confirmed a man with an astute mind and kind heart,” President Bush said before John Paul Stevens, the acting chief justice, administered the oath of office.

The following is the transcript of the President’s Remarks at Swearing-In Ceremony of Chief Justice Roberts.

With these qualities, the incoming Chief Justice will carry on in the tradition of his mentor and friend, the late William H. Rehnquist. I know that Chief Justice Rehnquist had hoped to welcome his former law clerk as a colleague. Although that was not meant to be, we are thinking of William Rehnquist today. The nation honors his memory, and we remain grateful for his example of integrity and service.

In welcoming an exceptional new leader as Chief Justice, we also honor the Supreme Court itself, and we mark a day of renewal for one of the noblest institutions in our land. Judge Roberts, thank you for agreeing to serve our country and for accepting this new call to duty.

And now I ask Senior Associate Justice of the Court, Justice John Paul Stevens, to please step forward and administer the oath.

SCOTUS blog reports that Chief Justice Roberts will be on the job tomorrow.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., will take another oath of office on Monday, but that is a mere formality: he is now a fully functioning Chief Justice with all the authority of the office, after taking two oaths at the White House Thursday afternoon. He will go to work at the Court for the first time on Friday.

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