Senate Rejects Robert Bork Nomination 42-58, Largest Margin in SCOTUS History

The Senate rejected Judge Robert Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court by a 42-58 vote on October 23, 1987, the largest defeat margin for any Supreme Court nominee in American history. Senator Edward Kennedy launched an immediate floor attack within hours of the nomination, warning that Bork's America would include back-alley abortions and Jim Crow laws. The defeat established "borking" as a political verb and transformed Supreme Court confirmations from largely ceremonial proceedings into partisan battles.