POLITICS 07/12/2018 02:51 pm ET They're not going to shut down the Senate. They might scare the crap out of you though. By Amanda Terkel, Igor Bobic, and Jennifer Bendery WASHINGTON ― Democrats are still sore from letting President Barack Obama’s final Supreme Court pick slip through their fingers. But this time ― this time! ― they’re vowing to fight like hell to try to stop President Donald Trump’s conservative nominee from getting confirmed. Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh, currently a judge on the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. His confirmation would swing the court further to the right and hand Republicans a much more reliable 5-4 majority. Progressive groups are energized and working directly with Senate Democrats to try to sink his confirmation. This week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) organized daily calls between about a dozen groups and top … [Read more...] about Inside Democrats’ Plan To Fight Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee
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Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh woos Senate
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh visited top U.S. Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, seeking to build support among lawmakers in what promises to be a contentious confirmation battle with Democrats. Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer vowed an all-out battle against Kavanaugh, but senators in his party cannot block Kavanaugh’s confirmation if no Republicans break ranks. Trump’s fellow Republicans hold a 51-49 Senate majority, leaving them little margin for error. Advocacy groups for and against Kavanaugh planned to spend millions of dollars in advertising to try to sway lawmakers. The morning after being nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat on the nine-member conservative-majority court, Kavanaugh began making the rounds in the Senate, first visiting Republican leader Mitch McConnell and then Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, whose panel will hold confirmation hearings. Vice President Mike … [Read more...] about Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh woos Senate
Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh woos U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh visited top U.S. Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, seeking to build support among lawmakers in what promises to be a contentious confirmation battle with Democrats. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh is seen in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 9, 2018. REUTERS/Jim Bourg Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer vowed an all-out battle against Kavanaugh, but senators in his party cannot block Kavanaugh’s confirmation if no Republicans break ranks. Trump’s fellow Republicans hold a 51-49 Senate majority, leaving them little margin for error. The morning after being nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat on the nine-member conservative-majority court, Kavanaugh began making the rounds in the Senate, first visiting Republican leader Mitch McConnell and then Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, whose panel will hold confirmation … [Read more...] about Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh woos U.S. Senate
Senator Collins will not back anti-abortion Supreme Court nominee
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A key moderate Republican U.S. senator said on Sunday that she will not support a nominee to fill a soon-to-be-vacated seat on the Supreme Court who would overturn a landmark legal ruling that supports a woman’s right to abortion. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) walks outside the Senate chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. February 7, 2018. REUTERS/Eric Thayer/File Photo The comments by Susan Collins, a frequent Senate swing vote, narrowed the path to confirmation facing any nominee Republican President Donald Trump selects to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is retiring from the high court. “I would not support a nominee who demonstrated hostility to Roe v. Wade,” Susan Collins told CNN’s “State of the Union” program, referring to the 1973 landmark abortion decision. Abortion was expected to be a key topic for senators when they question Trump’s nominee in confirmation hearings. The … [Read more...] about Senator Collins will not back anti-abortion Supreme Court nominee
Democrats need GOP defections to stop Trump’s Supreme Court nominee
Democrats promised to throw every obstacle in the way of President Donald Trump's pick to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court, but Senate procedures and election-year politics don't give them much of a chance. Republicans last year eliminated the 60-vote barrier to setting a vote for Supreme Court nominees, leaving Democrats without the tool of a filibuster. Their best hope would be to hold Senate Democrats united in opposition and peel off at least two Republicans to vote against Trump's nominee. With several Democratic senators facing re-election in November in states won overwhelmingly by Trump and GOP lawmakers showing little appetite for crossing a president with a tight grip on GOP voters, that hope is dim — and may rest squarely on the two female Senate Republicans, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. Less than an hour after Kennedy announced his retirement on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the chamber would move swiftly once Trump … [Read more...] about Democrats need GOP defections to stop Trump’s Supreme Court nominee