Kavanaugh almost sure of surviving the Supreme Court fight
Kavanaugh almost sure of surviving the Supreme Court fight
Brett Kavanaugh appears to be sure of surviving a Supreme Court nomination fight for years after two hesitant senators said they would back him despite weeks of shocking accusations, harsh policies and riotous Capitol Hill protests.
The announcements by Republican Susan Collins of Maine and Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia that they will support the conservative jurist made Saturday's confirmation vote a formality, an anticlimactic end to a battle that attracted the nation for almost a month.
Although the defeat of the democrats was almost certain, the Senate remained in session during the night, although the camera was almost empty. Saturday's roll call seemed destined to be almost a match line, with only one defector on each side crowning a contest fighting against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement and the president Donald TrumpIt is the unwavering support of your candidate.
Kavanaugh's opponents expressed concern that he would push the court further to the right, including possible flaws of sympathy for Trump. But over the past few weeks, the battle was dominated by accusations that he sexually abused women decades ago, accusations that he emphatically denied.
Collins told his fellow senators on Friday that the dramatic testimony of Christine Blasey Ford last week describing Kavanaugh's alleged assault in 1982 was "sincere, painful and convincing." But she said the FBI had not found evidence to corroborate witnesses whose names Ford had provided.
"In the long term, they will not help us if we abandon the presumption of innocence and fairness, however tempting it may be," he said. "We must always remember that it is when the passions become more inflamed when justice is in greater danger."
Those passions were in full view last week in a fight that could energize voters of both parties in the elections for congressional control just five weeks away.
The confrontation attracted noisy protesters, largely against Kavanaugh, to the Capitol, where tensions increased as he repeatedly confronted lawmakers despite an intensified police presence. Another 101 protesters were arrested on Friday, the US Capitol Police said.
Perhaps the most moderate Republican in the chamber, Collins proclaimed his support for Kavanaugh at the end of a speech on the floor that lasted almost 45 minutes. While she was among a handful of Republicans who helped plunge Trump's quest to nullify President Barack Obama's health law last year, this time she was instrumental in achieving Trump's triumph.
Manchin, the only remaining undeclared legislator, used an email statement to announce his support for Kavanaugh moments after Collins finished speaking, becoming the only Democrat to support the candidate. Manchin faces a competitive re-election race next month in a state Trump that took off in 2016 by 42 percentage points.
"My heart is with anyone who has experienced some kind of sexual assault in their life," said Manchin. But he added that, according to the FBI report, "I have found that Judge Kavanaugh is a qualified jurist who will follow the Constitution and determine cases based on the legal findings presented to him."
Protesters sang "Shame" in Manchin later, when he spoke with reporters outside his office.
The Republicans control the Senate by a meager margin of 51-49. The support of Collins and Manchin would give Kavanaugh at least 51 votes, assuming no one else changes their position.
Three Senators from the Republican Party, Jodi Ernst of Iowa, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, sat directly behind Collins as he spoke. Majority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky sat directly in front of Collins and turned his seat to look at her. A few Democrats sat with stone faces nearby.
When it was over, Collins received applause from the approximately two dozen Republican Party senators present.
Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a moderate companion and friend of Collins, became the only Republican who said she opposed Kavanaugh. She said in the Senate Friday night that Kavanaugh is "a good man", but his "appearance of impropriety has become inevitable."
He added that with Supreme Court nominations that last a lifetime, "those who seek these seats must comply with the highest standards in all aspects, at all times, and that is difficult."
In one turn, Murkowski said he will declare his opposition, but will vote "present" as a courtesy to Kavanaugh's supporter, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., Who will attend his daughter's wedding in Montana. Murkowski said he would use a dark procedure that allows one senator to compensate for the absence of another without affecting the outcome. That would allow Kavanaugh to win by the same margin of two votes he had received had the two senators voted.
Sen. Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican who has fought repeatedly against Trump and will retire in January, said he would vote in favor of Kavanaugh's confirmation "unless something changes a lot."
Vice President Mike Pence planned to be available on Saturday in case his tiebreaker vote was needed, which now seems unlikely.
In a procedural vote on Friday that gave the Republicans an initial victory, the senators voted 51-49 to limit the debate and send the nomination to the entire Senate, defeating the Democratic efforts to thwart the nomination with endless delays.
That vote came amid burning resentment from supporters on both sides, inside and outside the floor of the Senate.
"What the leftist groups and their Democratic allies have done with Judge Kavanaugh is nothing short of monstrous," Republican Judicial Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa said before the vote. He accused the Democrats of emboldening the protesters: "They have encouraged the government of the Mafia."
On the other side, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York called the fight "an unfortunate epilogue to the blatant theft of Judge Scalia's seat." That reflected the strong opposition of the Democrats on the refusal of the Republicans in 2016 to even consider Merrick Garland, Obama's candidate to replace the late Antonin Scalia.
When Trump nominated Kavanaugh in July, Democrats jumped to oppose him, saying previous statements and opinions showed he would be a threat to the Roe v. Case. Wade who guaranteed the right to abortion. They said he also appeared ready to govern by Trump if the federal authorities investigating the connections of his 2016 campaign with Russia try to pursue him in court.
However, Kavanaugh's path to confirmation seemed to have no restrictions until Ford accused him of sexually assaulting her in a locked room in a 1982 high school. Two other women later emerged with accusations of sexual misconduct in the 1980s.
The enemies of Kavanaugh chose it as a product of a private school culture, dominated by men, in the exclusive suburb of Bethesda in Maryland, Washington. He and his advocates claimed that his focus on high school and college focused on academics, sports and the church.
The Democrats also challenged Kavanaugh's honesty, temperament and ability to not be supporters after he was enraged at last week's court hearing that the Democrats had launched a "search and destroy mission" against him fueled by his I hate Trump.
Kavanaugh would replace retired judge Anthony Kennedy, who was a turn-based vote on issues such as abortion, campaign financing and same-sex marriage.
---
AP reporters Mary Clare Jalonick, Matthew Daly, Padmananda Rama, Ken Thomas and Catherine Lucey contributed.
.
.
SOURCE LINK ERESVIRAL.COM https://www.beviral.online
Comentarios
Publicar un comentario