Dems engage in last-ditch effort to block Kavanaugh
Sep 16, 2018 09:51:21 #
Dems engage in last-ditch effort to block Kavanaugh
http://thehill.com/author/jordain-carney
Democrats making a last-ditch effort to block Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court are arguing he misled members of the Senate Judiciary Committee with incomplete or unsatisfactory answers to questions.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) made the pitch publicly to undecided Republicans, arguing that during his confirmation hearing, Kavanaugh “evaded” questions, gave “totally unsatisfactory” answers or, in some cases, “offered misleading testimony” and “shaded the t***h” about his work in the George W. Bush White House.
“I urge my colleagues on the other side to scrutinize Judge Kavanaugh’s comments to the Judiciary Committee … and decide for yourself whether he was completely forthcoming,” Schumer said during a Senate floor speech Wednesday.
“Because if a nominee provides false or misleading testimony to a committee that should weigh heavily, very heavily on the minds of every senator when it comes time to v**e, to confirm or reject the nominee,” Schumer said.
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The White House has dismissed the comments from Democrats as an attempt to “smear” Kavanaugh.
But Democrats argue that Kavanaugh’s testimony, as well as “confidential” documents released after the hearing, show that he wasn’t t***hful about his work in the Bush White House, where he served as an associate counsel and staff secretary.
“Time and again, on issue after issue, Judge Kavanaugh has misled the Senate, under oath, when a job promotion was on the line. That is disqualifying,” Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), a former committee chairman, said when he announced his opposition to Kavanaugh.
If confirmed, Kavanaugh, 53, is expected to tilt the court to the right for decades.
Leahy said that he had “never been more concerned” about a Supreme Court nominee’s “willingness and unwillingness to be t***hful under oath.” He made the remarks as part of the Senate Democratic weekly address released on Friday.
The allegations from Democrats are just part of a swirl of 11th-hour drama that has roiled the final weeks of Kavanaugh’s nomination.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), one of a handful of undecided centrists in both parties, has seen her staff field “vulgar” calls over the nomination. Her office, on Thursday, received a cardboard cutout in the shape of male g*****lia with words “f-ck you and the donor class you rode in on” written on it.
Kavanaugh’s nomination, meanwhile, is entrapped in the midst of a sexual misconduct allegation over reports of a letter detailing an alleged incident between Trump’s nominee and an unidentified woman, when they were both in high school.
Kavanaugh said Friday that he “categorically and unequivocally” denied the allegation, which liberal outside groups opposed to the nominee’s say should block his confirmation.
Democrats, who have otherwise been eager to lambast Kavanaugh, have been silent on the letter, instead focusing on the policy and political implications of confirming Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee.
Kavanaugh’s nomination is scheduled to come to the Senate floor by the end of the month.
Democrats can’t block Kavanaugh’s nomination on their own. Democrats would need to win over Collins and one other GOP senator, and keep their own caucus united to prevent his confirmation.
Democrats have focused their allegations, in large part, on Kavanaugh’s work on controversial Bush-era judicial nominations....
http://thehill.com/author/jordain-carney
Democrats making a last-ditch effort to block Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court are arguing he misled members of the Senate Judiciary Committee with incomplete or unsatisfactory answers to questions.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) made the pitch publicly to undecided Republicans, arguing that during his confirmation hearing, Kavanaugh “evaded” questions, gave “totally unsatisfactory” answers or, in some cases, “offered misleading testimony” and “shaded the t***h” about his work in the George W. Bush White House.
“I urge my colleagues on the other side to scrutinize Judge Kavanaugh’s comments to the Judiciary Committee … and decide for yourself whether he was completely forthcoming,” Schumer said during a Senate floor speech Wednesday.
“Because if a nominee provides false or misleading testimony to a committee that should weigh heavily, very heavily on the minds of every senator when it comes time to v**e, to confirm or reject the nominee,” Schumer said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The White House has dismissed the comments from Democrats as an attempt to “smear” Kavanaugh.
But Democrats argue that Kavanaugh’s testimony, as well as “confidential” documents released after the hearing, show that he wasn’t t***hful about his work in the Bush White House, where he served as an associate counsel and staff secretary.
“Time and again, on issue after issue, Judge Kavanaugh has misled the Senate, under oath, when a job promotion was on the line. That is disqualifying,” Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), a former committee chairman, said when he announced his opposition to Kavanaugh.
If confirmed, Kavanaugh, 53, is expected to tilt the court to the right for decades.
Leahy said that he had “never been more concerned” about a Supreme Court nominee’s “willingness and unwillingness to be t***hful under oath.” He made the remarks as part of the Senate Democratic weekly address released on Friday.
The allegations from Democrats are just part of a swirl of 11th-hour drama that has roiled the final weeks of Kavanaugh’s nomination.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), one of a handful of undecided centrists in both parties, has seen her staff field “vulgar” calls over the nomination. Her office, on Thursday, received a cardboard cutout in the shape of male g*****lia with words “f-ck you and the donor class you rode in on” written on it.
Kavanaugh’s nomination, meanwhile, is entrapped in the midst of a sexual misconduct allegation over reports of a letter detailing an alleged incident between Trump’s nominee and an unidentified woman, when they were both in high school.
Kavanaugh said Friday that he “categorically and unequivocally” denied the allegation, which liberal outside groups opposed to the nominee’s say should block his confirmation.
Democrats, who have otherwise been eager to lambast Kavanaugh, have been silent on the letter, instead focusing on the policy and political implications of confirming Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee.
Kavanaugh’s nomination is scheduled to come to the Senate floor by the end of the month.
Democrats can’t block Kavanaugh’s nomination on their own. Democrats would need to win over Collins and one other GOP senator, and keep their own caucus united to prevent his confirmation.
Democrats have focused their allegations, in large part, on Kavanaugh’s work on controversial Bush-era judicial nominations....
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