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WASHINGTON-President
Donald Trump
The appointment of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court sparked two political struggles on Tuesday: one on his confirmation in a narrowly divided Senate, the other a broader battle to energize voters in both parties before the elections mid-term of November.
Chief Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) Must meet the challenge of maintaining his party's unity in health care, abortion and other issues on which the Republican senators have split in recent months.
McConnell can not afford any GOP defection if all Democrats oppose Judge Kavanaugh, although a handful of Democratic votes are at stake that could give him a majority. Republicans hold a 51-49 margin in the Senate and with
Senator John McCain
(R., Ariz.) Fighting brain cancer in Arizona, they currently work with only 50 Republicans in Washington. The candidate needs a simple majority to be confirmed, with the vice president
Mike Pence
Democratic Senate Leaders Position Confirmation Fight as a Battle on Health Care and Abortion Rights, Given That Judge Kavanaugh Would Replace Justice
Anthony Kennedy,
who sometimes sided with the liberals on the high court.
"In the judge's selection
Brett Kavanaugh
For the Supreme Court, President Trump has placed the rights and freedoms in matters of procreation and health care protection for millions of Americans on the Judicial Bar, "Leader of the Senate Minority"
Chuck Schumer
(D., N.Y.) said in a statement
The two Senate Republicans considered most likely to oppose Mr. Trump's appointment are Sense. Susan Collins from Maine and
Lisa Murkowski
from Alaska, who both challenged their party last year in opposing a GOP bill to repeal and replace the 2010 Health Care Act. Both also voted against a measure that allowed states to withdraw certain federal funds from the Planned Parenthood family planning organization and other health care providers
. However, Ms. Collins and Ms. Murkowski voted for Justice Kavanaugh in 2006. Speaker
George W. Bush
appointed him to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Senate Democrats killed previous appointments of Kavanaugh in 2003 and 2005.
"Judge Kavanaugh has impressive credentials and extensive experience," Collins said in a statement Monday night. "I will conduct a thorough and thorough review of the presidential candidate at the Supreme Court."
Ms. Murkowski said in a statement that her criteria for high court candidates are "rigorous and demanding" and that she would review Judge Kavanaugh's judicial decisions, other writings and performance in appointment hearings.
Judge Kavanaugh was scheduled to begin meeting with individual senators on Tuesday, beginning with Mr. McConnell. The Judiciary Committee will hold its nomination hearing later this summer. The panel chair,
Senator Chuck Grassley
(R., Iowa), described Judge Kavanaugh as "a superb candidate" on Monday night, but he also said it may take time to review his long history.
"There is a lot of paper trading for 10 years," Grassley said before the announcement of Justice Kavanaugh's appointment.
The most vulnerable Senate Democrats for re-election this year in conservative states gave little guidance Monday night on how they plan to vote on Mr. Trump's candidate. The political calculation of the Democrats of the Red State will become more complicated if any Republican decides to oppose Judge Kavanaugh, leaving his confirmation to rest on the democratic backing.
Trump invited to the White House Monday night the three Democratic senators who voted last year for justice
Neil Gorsuch,
his first candidate for the High Court: Sens.
Heidi Heitkamp
North Dakota,
Joe Donnelly
of Indiana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. The three Democrats did not attend the announcement of the White House
. Judge Kavanaugh could strengthen their support among independent and Baltic voters in their home country this fall. But such a measure could also cost them some Democrats.
The opponent of Heitkamp, Republican
Representative Kevin Cramer,
He stated that he would support Judge Kavanaugh shortly after the announcement of Mr. Trump
. Manchin said his support for Judge Gorsuch did not indicate how he would vote on Judge Kavanaugh. He reported that he was going to weigh the impact that his confirmation would have on the 2010 Affordable Care Act.
The Supreme Court could hear a challenge from the ACA after the Justice Ministry said last month in a lawsuit filed by 20 state attorneys general that it would not defend the main provisions of the law, including the prohibitions [traduction] "The pre-existing conditions worry me," said Manchin Monday night. In West Virginia, "almost half of my population would be affected," if these protections are removed
A confirmation vote is expected at the end of the summer, in the midst of mid-election elections -mandat of November.
The Democrats energized voters opposed to Mr. Trump. The Supreme Court battle offers an opportunity to rally GOP voters who could have stayed home in November.
"There is nothing that stimulates our base more than thinking of the Supreme Court and the Senate and why the Senate really matters to voters. who is in the majority, "said
Senator Roy Blunt
(R., Mo.)
Yet House Republicans in the liberal districts might face tough questions about Judge Kavanaugh.
Republicans are worried about Trump's trade and immigration policy. new conservative figure in the High Court
"There is no more unifying problem for Republicans and conservatives than the Supreme Court," said
Tim Phillips,
President of Americans for Prosperity, a political group backed by a conservative billionaire
Charles Koch.
– Andrew Duehren contributed to this article.
Write to Kristina Peterson at [email protected], Siobhan Hughes at [email protected] and Natalie Andrews at [email protected]
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