Democrats Oppose Kavanaugh’s Nomination to Supreme Court

Judge Brett Kavanaugh. PC: Wikimedia

The confirmation hearing for US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh began today, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018, in Washington, DC.

News sources report that the hearing for President Donald Trump’s pick erupted into angry outbursts and partisan skirmishes as Democrats sought unsuccessfully to postpone the proceedings.

Democrats accused Republicans of trying to push Kavanaugh through without a proper review. The Democrats said that the Republicans dumped 42,000 pages of documents about Kavanaugh on committee members the night before the hearing, and that the Trump Administration withheld more than 100,000 pages based on executive privilege.

It was reported that dozens of people in the audience stood and shouted their opposition to the nominee, interrupting the proceedings. They were dragged out of the proceedings by Capitol police.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced today that he will be opposing the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to be a justice on the United States Supreme Court.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that he would oppose Kavanaugh because Republicans are withholding documents.

“I’ve seen enough. As long as the Republicans refuse to release 96% of the Kavanaugh records, this process is illegitimate.” Sen. Schatz said. “Every other Supreme Court nominee has turned over nearly everything, and I am now convinced they are hiding something. I will vote no.”

If approved, Kavanaugh will inherit Justice Anthony Kennedy’s seat on the court. Kennedy, who retired in July, was the deciding vote on 5-4 cases, usually siding with the four conservatives but shifting to the liberals’ side on abortion, affirmative action, gay rights and other social issues.

Kavanaugh has been on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for 12 years and has authored 307 opinions, concurrences and dissents.