#1. Sandra Day O’Connor served from 1981 until her retirement in 2006. She was nominated by Ronald Reagan (R). The Senate confirmed this choice 99–0, with one absentee who apologized to her for not being present. She was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, with 101 men before her.

#2. (Joan) Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG) was confirmed in 1993 and stayed on the court until her death in 2020. Nominated by Bill Clinton (D), the Senate voted to confirm 96–3. She was the first Jewish woman (and second ) to serve.

#3. Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed in 2009 and was nominated by Barack Obama (D). The Senate vote was 69–31. She is the first and remains the only Latina to serve on the court.

#4. Elena Kagan was confirmed in 2010, also nominated by Barack Obama (D). She was confirmed by a vote of 63–37. She was the first person since 1972 who was appointed without first being a judge and is the second Jewish woman to serve.

#5. Amy (Vivian) Coney Barrett was confirmed in 2020 to replace RBG and was nominated at the end of Donald Trump’s (R) term (against RBG’s wishes). The Senate confirmed her with a vote of 52–48. She is the first justice who did not receive a Juris Doctor from Harvard or Yale (received from Notre Dame Law School).

#6. Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed in April 2022, having been nominated by Joe Biden (D). Her confirmation vote was 53–47. She is the first Black woman to be chosen to serve on the court.

Quiz: Who Do You Know

Women on the US Supreme Court

On July 1st, Katanji Jackson Brown will become the 116th justice of the US Supreme Court. Photos of Brown and the women who have served or are serving in that position are shown below.

Can you do the following:

Number them in order of confirmation.
Indicate the year appointed.
Name the president who nominated them.

Quiz: Who Do You Know

The US Cabinet is the official advisory body of the sitting US president. The president chairs the meeting but is not a formal member. The vice president (Kamala Harris) is the only elected cabinet member; the 14 other members are department heads who are chosen by the president and confirmed in the Senate by a majority vote. Of these 14, President Biden has appointed five women, shown and listed below.

Q: Can you match the these five cabinet members with their names and identify their titles? Check your answers below.

Marcia Fudge a. Secretary of Commerce
Jennifer Granholm b. Secretary of the Treasury
Deb Haaland c. Secretary of Housing & Urban Development
Gina Raimondo d. Secretary of the Interior
Janet Yellen e. Secretary of Energy

Kamala Harris

Vice President of

The United States

Gina Raimondo

Secretary of Commerce

Marcia Fudge

Secretary of Housing & Urban Development

Gina Yellen

Secretary of the Treasury

Jennifer Granholm

Secretary of Energy

Deb Haaland

Secretary of the Interior

Women in the US Cabinet

Of these 14, President Biden has appointed five women, shown and listed below. Can you match their photos with their names and identify their titles? Here are the answers.

1. Marcia Fudge is the Secretary of Housing & Urban Development. She became the first Black woman to serve in this position since Patricia Roberts Harris left the office in 1979. HUD administers housing and urban development laws. Founded as a Cabinet department in 1965, it was part of President Johnson’s “Great Society” program.

2. Jennifer Granholm is the Secretary of Energy. The DOE is concerned with matters of federal energy policy and the safe handling of nuclear material. It is responsible for the nuclear weapons program, nuclear reactor production, domestic energy production, and energy conservation.

3. Deb Haaland is the Secretary of the Interior. She is a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe of Native Americans and is the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary or as head of the DOI. The DOI is responsible for the management and conservation of about 75 percent of federal lands and natural resources. It administers programs for Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, along with other tribal matters. This department was created in 1849.

4. Gina Raimondo is the Secretary of Commerce. The DOC is concerned with creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. It gathers economic and demographic data and helps to set industrial standards. Goals are to create jobs, promote economic growth, and encourage sustainable development.

5. Janet Yellen is the Secretary of the Treasury. She is the first woman to fill this position. The USDT is responsible for circulating paper currency, collecting federal taxes through the IRS, managing US debt, supervising banks and thrift institutions, and advising the government on fiscal policy. The department was established in 1789; its first secretary was Alexander Hamilton.