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President Trump's choice for the Supreme Court gave members of Congress a pile of documents to help them start judging the judge.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh responded to a questionnaire from the Judiciary Committee of the Senate assessing his career as a lawyer and lawyer. His service in the executive, education, membership of society and more.
Running 110 pages plus appendices, his response published Saturday is an open look at a long paper trail that lawmakers will consider when they decide to confirm it. The appointment of the high court could move the court to the right for years to come.
But his long record of judicial and executive service is part of the problem for the Senate to confirm.
Democrats demand to see the conservative long trail of the appeals judge even before they start meeting him, let alone vote on a lifetime appointment that could move the court to the right .
Documents go far beyond the 300 decisions of the judge
The Democrats demand access to documents of Kavanaugh's term as secretary of staff at the George W. Bush White House , the 2000 Presidential Election and Special Advocate Kenneth Starr. Bill Clinton probe. The count could stretch to at least 1 million pages. The paper hunt has become a high-stakes political strategy game
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants Kavanaugh confirmed for the start of the October 1 Supreme Court session and to serve midterm. . But the search for documents by the Democrats could complicate this chronology.
million. McConnell spent the closed-door luncheon of the Republican Party's policy of the week, highlighting the upcoming schedule, Senators said. With Republicans having a 51-seat majority, they are under pressure from conservatives to confirm the candidate, who could tilt court decisions for an upcoming generation. He would take the place of Judge Anthony Kennedy who is retiring, often a swing vote
"We have already begun to hear the rumors of our fellow Democrats that they will want to see all the pieces of paper that came across Brett: Kavanaugh's Office, "Republican No. 2, Senator John Cornyn of Texas, told reporters
," said Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, in light of the "disturbing events" of this week, namely, Mr Trump summit in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin – It is all the more important to scrutinize the presidential candidate
"C & Is ultimately the Supreme Court that will have the last word law, "she said. "We – the Senate – and the American public need to know where Judge Kavanaugh is … And that starts with access to Judge Kavanaugh's records since he arrived at the White House and as a" police officer ". political operator. "
In the document, there are years spent at the White House by Kavanaugh, at the White House, as secretary of the Bush staff – a job that touches almost every paper that arrives at the office of the President – as well as his work during the Clinton Inquiry.
Kavanaugh served in the White House prosecutor's office under Bush from 2001. He told legislators at a May 2006 confirmation hearing for his current work that he provided advice on ethics and the separation of powers. judges, and legislation dealing with tort reform and a federal safety net to limit the losses of insurers in the event of a terrorist attack.
Kavanaugh described the position of secretary of staff as "honest broker". For the president, "someone who has tried to ensure that the president receives a series of views on current issues in an impartial manner." Democrats say his role of Policy development was more important than that.
The Judiciary Committee of the Senate is negotiating the amount of information that will be drawn for the confirmation process.The task is arduous, involving a universe of paperwork to be removed from the National Archives, the Bush Library and others, and reviewed by law courts.
The Chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the Senate, Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who said that he would act from his 15th confirmation hearing of the Supreme Court, promised the "most transparent and thorough process"
.] But he also warned against dragging it "I will not allow contributors to be involved in a government-funded fishing expedition, "said Mr. Grassley
citing the volume of documents reviewed in recent Supreme Court confirmations: 173,000 pages of documents for confirmation of Ella Kagan. 2010, and 182,000 pages for Neil Gorsuch's confirmation last year. The republic has no doubt been deliberate, showing what the Senate has deemed appropriate in the past.
Republicans say that lugging the process could backfire against Democrats if they push the votes too close to the mid-term elections. ready to take that risk. They note that the more information there was about one of Trump's candidates at the circuit court, Ryan Bounds, the less he had support. McConnell stunned the senators this week when he removed Bounds from consideration.
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Associated Press author Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report.
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