Tag: U.S. Supreme Court

Brett Kavanaugh Referred to Contraception as ‘Abortion-Inducing Drugs’ During Confirmation Hearing

The following article by Gina Martinez was posted on the Time website September 6, 2018:

Credit: Saul Loeb, AFP, Getty Images

During the third day of his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Judge Brett Kavanaugh referred to the use of contraception as “abortion-inducing drugs.”

On Thursday, Kavanaugh was asked by Sen. Ted Cruz about his dissent in the Priests for Life v. the U.S. Department of Human and Health Services case. In 2015, while serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Kavanaugh sided with a religious organization that objected to providing contraception for employees with insurance.

Priests for Life contested the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement that all health plans cover birth control, claiming that IUDs and emergency contraception causes abortion instead of acting as birth control. Under the ACA, employers who wished for the government to fund the contraceptives had to fill out a form to their insurers to avoid a monetary fine. In the suit, Priests for Life said filling out the form made them complicit in providing contraception and violated the organization’s religious freedom.

View the complete article here.

Booker Releases Committee Confidential Documents Related to Yesterday’s Testimony

The following was posted on Sen. Cory Booker’s website September 6, 2018:

Prohibition on publicly releasing key documents reflects deeply flawed process

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) today publicly released several documents previously marked Committee confidential from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s time as White House Counsel under President George W. Bush.

“As I’ve been saying from the beginning, this process has been a sham,” Senator Booker said. “The fact that tens of thousands of documents revealing a Supreme Court nominee’s views on key issues were deemed Committee Confidential and not available to the public reflects the absurdity of this process. The public has a right to access documents about a Supreme Court nominee’s views on issues that are profoundly important, such as race and the law. This process has demonstrated an unprecedented level of secrecy and opaqueness that undermines the Senate’s Constitutional duty to advice and consent.”

Last month, Booker joined Senate Democrats in advocating for the full public release of the 141,000 documents related to Judge Kavanaugh’s record that had been marked Committee Confidential. Continue reading “Booker Releases Committee Confidential Documents Related to Yesterday’s Testimony”

Kavanaugh squirms as senator reveals big-money backers of his nomination

The following article by Erick Bohlert was posted on the ShareBlue.com website September 5, 2018:

The right-wing Federalist Society hand-picked Kavanaugh to be Trump’s Supreme Court nominee. Kavanaugh pretended not to know anything about that.

Brett Kavanaugh, Pres. Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Credit: J. Scott Applewhite, AP Photo

Trump’s extremist Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, tried to play dumb at his Wednesday confirmation hearing about the secretive network of wealthy conservative donors who hand-picked him to be on Trump’s Supreme Court shortlist.

It’s been widely reported that Trump promised to choose his Supreme Court nominees from a list approved by the Federalist Society, a right-wing legal activist group with a huge influence on the GOP.

But rather than acknowledge this, Kavanaugh told a disbelieving Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) that Trump was really the one in charge of the nomination process.

View the complete article here.

Want to Know More About: Brett Kavanaugh Hearing

Lester Holt: “Day Three Of The Confirmation Hearing For Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Erupted Into A Battle Like We’ve Never Seen Before. The Public Getting A Look At Previously Secret Emails From Kavanaugh On Hot Including Abortion And Democrats Want To Get More Released And On The Record.” [Nightly News, NBC, 9/6/18; VIDEO]

Pete Williams: “Among The Documents, This One From 2003 About A Draft White House Of Ed Involving Abortion, The Article Said It’s Widely Accepted By Legal Scholars That Roe V Wade Is Settled Law And The Supreme Court Could Overrule It. Kavanaugh Said He Was Making A Narrow Point.” [Nightly News, NBC, 9/6/18; VIDEO]

Pete Williams: “He Also Denied Today He Ever Talked To Anyone At The Law Firm Of A Former Lawyer For President Trump About The Mueller Investigation After Being Pressed Last Night By Senator Kamala Harris.” [Nightly News, NBC, 9/6/18; VIDEO] Continue reading “Want to Know More About: Brett Kavanaugh Hearing”

Auto DraftWHAT’S AT STAKE: Kavanaugh’s Testimony Raises Even More Concerns

Three days into his confirmation hearings, Kavanaugh has still failed to answer important questions on his disturbing views of executive power, he’s given no assurances on his views of women’s rights or pre-existing condition protections, and his testimony has actually raised even more concerns. See for yourself:

Kavanaugh refused to give a clear answer on his views of women’s rights, and leaked emails have raised even more questions:

  • Kavanaugh “refused repeatedly” to say how he would rule on abortion, or whether he would uphold Roe v. Wade.
  • Kavanaugh referred to birth control pills as “abortion-inducing drugs.”
  • Kavanaugh defended his vote to block a teenage immigrant in federal custody from obtaining an abortion without delay.
  • Newly released emails revealed that Kavanaugh challenged the accuracy of deeming Roe v. Wade to be “settled law of the land.”
  • Kavanaugh refused to answer whether his views on Roe v. Wade have changed since his time in the Bush White House.

Kavanaugh refused to promise to uphold the ACA’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions:

  • Kavanaugh “demurred” on questions regarding his views about maintaining pre-existing condition protections.
  • Kavanaugh refused to say whether Trump could choose not to enforce a law to protect people with pre-existing conditions.
  • Kavanaugh refused to promise that he would uphold the ACA’s pre-existing condition protections.

Kavanaugh refused to answer important questions on executive power:

  • Kavanaugh refused to say whether Trump can pardon himself or pardon others in exchange for a promise to not testify against him.
  • Kavanaugh refused to answer whether a sitting president must respond to a subpoena.
  • Kavanaugh refused to say whether he stands by his view that a president can fire at will a prosecutor who is investigating him.
  • Kavanaugh refused to commit to recusing himself from cases involving Trump’s criminal liability, including the Mueller investigation.
  • Kavanaugh refused to answer whether a sitting president can be indicted or be the subject of a criminal investigation.

Kavanaugh Dodges Question on Pre-Existing Condition Provision

The following article by John T. Bennett was posted on the Roll Call website September 5, 2018:

Protections were a key part of the 2010 health care law

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh faced senators again on Wednesday as his nomination hearing continued. Credit: Sarah Silbiger, CQ Roll Call

Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee, on Wednesday declined to say whether he would vote to overturn a statute requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions.

The Barack Obama-era 2010 health care law includes protections for people with pre-existing conditions, but the Trump Justice Department has said it would not defend the provision. Democrats have signaled they view any effort to save it as a solid midterm campaign message.

Senate Judiciary Committee member Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said during a private meeting, the sitting federal appellate court judge would not guarantee that he would vote to uphold the pre-existing protections. The high court nominee did the same during his confirmation hearing before the panel.

Want to Know More About: Brett Kavanaugh Part 3

Sunlan Surfaty: “President Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Citing Precedent And Refusing Repeatedly To Answer Questions That Could Be Crucial To Special Counsel Bob Mueller’s Investigation.” SURFATY: “Senate Democrats already frustrated with his lack of straight answers. President Trump’s supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh citing precedent and refusing repeatedly to answer questions that could be crucial to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.” [New Day, CNN, 9/6/18; VIDEO]

Mika Brzezinski: “We’ll Play Some Of The Key Exchanges From The Brett Kavanaugh Hearing Including His Suggestion That He Hasn’t Put Into Much Thought If Whether A President Can Pardon Himself.” MIKA BRZEZINSKI: “Plus, we’ll play some of the key exchanges from the Brett Kavanaugh hearing including he has not put into much thought if whether a president can pardon himself. Check out this exchange when she pressed the supreme court nominee on whether he had discussed Mueller’s investigation at the law firm once represented trump in the law firm.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 9/6/18; VIDEO]

Hallie Jackson: “And On Some Key Issues, Particularly Those Related To Presidential Power And Matters That Might Come Up With The Special Counsel. It’s What Kavanaugh Didn’t Say That’s Making Headlines.” HALLIE JACKSON: “Today senators will get their second chance here with Brett Kavanaugh who has been fielding maybe unsurprisingly supportive questions from Republicans and combative ones from Democrats. And on some key issues, particularly those related to presidential power and matters that might come up with the special counsel. It’s what Kavanaugh didn’t say that’s making headlines. After nearly 20 hours facing fire from Democrats, more of it today for supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.” [Today, NBC, 9/6/18; VIDEO] Continue reading “Want to Know More About: Brett Kavanaugh Part 3”

DAY 2: Kavanaugh Refuses To Give Direct Answers To Important Questions

Throughout Kavanaugh’s hearing today, Senate Democrats pressed him on many important questions that will have an impact on Americans’ futures. Kavanaugh refused to give direct answers. Here are just a few examples:

Senators called Kavanaugh out directly for not answering their questions:

Senator Durbin: “Judge Kavanaugh, that’s not the question.”

Kavanaugh refused to give a clear answer on his views on women’s constitutional rights:

Kavanaugh refused to answer Senator Feinstein’s yes or no question on whether his views on Roe v. Wade have changed since his time in the Bush White House.

Kavanaugh refused to commit to not overturning Roe v. Wade when asked by Senator Blumenthal. Continue reading “DAY 2: Kavanaugh Refuses To Give Direct Answers To Important Questions”

Kavanaugh Questions If Roe Is ‘Settled Law Of The Land’

What are Republicans hiding? Here’s a clue…

“As a White House lawyer in the Bush administration, Judge Brett Kavanaugh challenged the accuracy of deeming the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision to be ‘settled law of the land,’ according to a secret email obtained by The New York Times.”

New York Times: Leaked Documents From Kavanaugh’s Time in White House Discuss Abortion and Affirmative Action

By Charlie Savage

As a White House lawyer in the Bush administration, Judge Brett Kavanaugh challenged the accuracy of deeming the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision to be “settled law of the land,” according to a secret email obtained by The New York Times.

The email, written in March 2003, is one of thousands of documents that a lawyer for President George W. Bush turned over to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the Supreme Court nominee but deemed “committee confidential,” meaning it could not be made public or discussed by Democrats in questioning him in hearings this week. It was among several an unknown person provided to The New York Times late Wednesday.

Judge Kavanaugh was considering a draft opinion piece that supporters of one of Mr. Bush’s conservative appeals court nominees hoped they could persuade anti-abortion women to submit under their names. It stated that “it is widely accepted by legal scholars across the board that Roe v. Wade and its progeny are the settled law of the land.” Continue reading “Kavanaugh Questions If Roe Is ‘Settled Law Of The Land’”

Brett Kavanaugh refused to shake the hand of a gun violence victim’s father

The following article by Brianna Provenzano was posted on the Mic.com website September 4, 2018:

As Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s Senate confirmation hearing prepared to recess for lunch on Tuesday afternoon, Fred Guttenberg approached the embattled judge, hand outstretched, and introduced himself as the father of one of the teenaged victims of the February mass shooting in Parkland, Florida. Kavanaugh declined to shake.

In video footage captured during Tuesday’s Senate proceedings, Guttenberg can be heard introducing himself to Kavanaugh. “My daughter was murdered in Parkland…” he says as the Supreme Court nominee swiftly turns on his heel. Continue reading “Brett Kavanaugh refused to shake the hand of a gun violence victim’s father”