Senate Committee postpones vote on Kavanaugh's appointment next week



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The Senate Judiciary Committee has postponed its vote on Supreme Court candidate Brett M. Kavanaugh until next week, while the fierce struggle for its confirmation has intensified and that a handful of Moderate senators continued to deliberate privately to support him.

The decision was expected – Senators regularly postpone the work of the committee for a week, which is allowed under the rules of the panel. The Judiciary Committee voted 11 to 10 on Thursday to hold the vote at 13:45. on September 20, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), should set Senate votes on Kavanaugh's confirmation for the last week of September.

The vote took place as Democrats complained of the confirmation process and called for more documents from President Trump's candidate.

"The judgment was very partisan and failed," said Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

Democratic Senators and those who strive to overcome Kavanaugh's confirmation believe he misled the Judicial Committee over a decade ago over his involvement in controversial programs and Bush-era court confirmations.

Kavanaugh's participation in the confirmation of Judge William Pryor at the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit was an example of what happened during the hearings and recently released cases. Although Kavanaugh declared in 2004 that he was "not involved in the processing of his candidacy," his emails from the White House advisor's office show that he has received invitations for meetings and conferences. phone to discuss Pryor's confirmation strategies.

Asked last week, Kavanaugh said he may have attended meetings and heard preparation sessions, but he was not the main White House official assigned to Pryor.

Senate Democrats also said that Kavanaugh was not sincere before the committee when he said he was unaware that he had received documents obtained by Republican staff on a server they shared with Democrats in clashes with Bush.

Democrats say last week's e-mails reinforce their argument that Kavanaugh should at least have known that the information was taken without the Democrats' permission. However, the emails themselves do not detail how the information was obtained.

It is unclear to what extent the accusations that Kavanaugh deceived Congress will remain in the handful of senators in the center, who are strongly urged by opponents and supporters of Kavanaugh's confirmation. "We are looking at this, to see if this is credible," said Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) On Wednesday night. "I think in all fairness and decency, you want to give him a chance to explain."

Manchin is one of three moderate Democrat senators undergoing furious pressure from both sides of Kavanaugh's inauguration. The others are Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) and Joe Donnelly (Ind.). The most likely to influence the vote of moderate Democrats on Kavanaugh is the possible fate of the Affordable Care Act, particularly as a lawsuit involving its protections against pre-existing conditions continues in the courts.

At his confirmation hearing last week, Kavanaugh would not commit to the health law provision that protects consumer coverage with pre-existing conditions. It was one of the hot topics he had declined to comment on because he had stated that he did not want to compromise his judicial independence in a case that could be brought before him in court. .

Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), an influential Senate Republican who is still undecided, said she plans to follow up with Kavanaugh later this week to resolve some outstanding issues. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who with Collins supports abortion rights, has not yet announced her vote.

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