Reuters reports Republican committee member Jeff Sessions gained the one-week postponement by invoking his right as a member of the panel. Despite the delay in the preliminary vote, Kagan remains on track to be confirmed by the full Senate next month.
Kagan is under consideration to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. She completed four days of questioning by the Judiciary Committee on July 1.
According to Reuters, Republicans continue to question whether Kagan will be motivated more by politics than by law when serving the high court. As a result, her expected confirmation is likely to be along party lines.