Trump nominates Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court
US President Donald Trump has nominated federal appeals Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court.
Trump made the announcement on Monday night, saying it was an "honor and privilege" to nominate Kavanaugh
In picking the 53-year-old, Trump aimed to entrench
conservative control of the court for years to come with his second
lifetime appointment to the nation's highest judicial body in his first
18 months as president.
Kavanaugh now faces what appears to be another fierce fight for
confirmation in the Senate, where Trump's fellow Republicans hold a slim
majority. If confirmed, Kavanaugh would replace long-serving
conservative Justice Kennedy, who announced his retirement on June 27 at age 81.
"Throughout legal circles, he's considered a judge's judge, a
true thought leader among his peers," Trump, who named conservative
Justice Neil Gorsuch to the court last year, told an audience in the
White House East Room.
"He's a brilliant jurist with a clear and effective writing style,
universally regarded as one of the finest and sharpest legal minds of
our time. And just like Justice Gorsuch, he excelled as a legal clerk
for Justice Kennedy," Trump added, saying his nominee "deserves a swift
confirmation and robust bipartisan support".
Trump introduces his Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, in the East Room of the White House [Leah Millis/Reuters] |
Kavanaugh has amassed a solidly conservative judicial record since
2006 on the influential US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit, the same court where three current justices, including Chief
Justice John Roberts, previously served.
"My judicial philosophy is straightforward: a judge must be
independent and must interpret the law, not make the law. A judge must
interpret statutes as written. And a judge must interpret the
Constitution as written, informed by history, and tradition and
precedent," Kavanaugh said during the ceremony in which he underscored
his ties to his family and his Roman Catholic faith.
In the lead-up to the nomination, some conservatives had expressed
concerns about Kavanaugh - a longtime judge and former clerk for Kennedy
- questioning his commitment to social issues like abortion and noting
his time serving under President George W Bush as evidence he is a more
establishment choice. But his supporters cited his experience and wide
range of legal opinions.
'Ear-pulling, nose-biting fight' expected
With Democrats determined to vigorously oppose Trump's choice, the
Senate confirmation battle is expected to dominate the months leading up
to November's midterm elections. Senate Republicans hold only a 51-49
majority, including Senator John McCain, who is undergoing cancer
treatment and may not be available for the vote. This leaves them hardly
any margin if Democrats hold the line.
Democratic senators running for
re-election in states Trump carried in 2016 will face pressure to back
his nominee.
Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said he was bracing for a
tough confirmation battle as Democrats focus on abortion. Kennedy, a
member of the Judiciary Committee, which will get the first chance to
question the nominee, predicted a "rough, tough, down in the dirt,
ear-pulling, nose-biting fight".
Democrats have turned their attention to pressuring two Republicans,
Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, to oppose
any nominee who threatens the 1973 Roe v Wade decision, which protects a
woman's right to abortion. The two senators have supported access to
abortion services.
One Democrat up for re-election, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, announced
Monday he would oppose any nominee from Trump's list of 25 possible
candidates, drafted by conservative groups. He called it the "fruit of a
corrupt process straight from the DC swamp".
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said opponents were using
"40-year-old scare tactics" over abortion and other issues but they
"will not stop us from doing the right thing."
The White House said Monday that former Arizona Senator Jon Kyl would
guide Trump's nominee through the gruelling Senate process.
Kavanaugh is expected to meet in coming days with senators at their
offices, going door-to-door in get-to-know-you sessions before the
confirmation hearings.
Source: Al Jazeera
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