Tag Archives: U.S. politics

Ducking queries on Trump, Supreme Court nominee resumes U.S. Senate test

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies during the second day of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 5, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

By Lawrence Hurley

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will face a final barrage of questions on Thursday in a multi-day U.S. Senate confirmation hearing, as Democrats press him on his independence from the man who nominated him, President Donald Trump.

A conservative appeals court judge and former Republican White House aide, Kavanaugh has stressed his independence. But in a more than 12-hour session on Wednesday, he sidestepped questions about the scope of presidential power.

The hearing’s focus on that issue came amid a widening probe into Russian meddling in U.S. politics and turmoil within the White House, clouding the presidency of Trump, who is working to get more conservative judges appointed to the federal courts.

If confirmed to a lifetime appointment, Kavanaugh is seen as likely to tilt the nation’s highest court even further to the right. That prospect worries Democrats and heartens Republicans on volatile issues ranging from abortion to guns to business regulation.

Kavanaugh has been an appeals court judge for 12 years and earlier worked for former Republican President George W. Bush.

After more questions from senators on Thursday, his hearing is set to wrap up on Friday with testimony from outside witnesses. Republicans hope Kavanaugh will be confirmed by the Senate before the start of the next Supreme Court term on Oct 1.

Senate Democrats have vowed a fierce fight to block him. But Trump’s fellow Republicans hold a slim Senate majority and there are no clear signs of defections in their ranks. As a result, it is likely that Kavanaugh will be confirmed.

‘HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION’

On presidential power, Kavanaugh declined on Wednesday to pledge he would step aside from any cases that might come before the court involving Trump’s conduct.

Trump has often criticized the judiciary. Some liberals have expressed concern Kavanaugh could be a rubber stamp for Trump and protect him from lawsuits and investigations.

Asked if he would have any trouble ruling against Trump or the executive branch, Kavanaugh replied: “No one is above the law in our constitutional system.”

He dodged a question about whether a president must respond to a subpoena, an issue that could come into play as Special Counsel Robert Mueller investigates possible collusion between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Moscow.

“I can’t give you an answer on that hypothetical question,” Kavanaugh said.

He also avoided clearly answering a question about whether a president could pardon himself or someone else in exchange for a promise not to testify against him.

On abortion, Kavanaugh signaled respect for the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling legalizing the procedure nationwide. He called it an important legal precedent reaffirmed by the justices over the decades.

Liberals are concerned Kavanaugh could provide a decisive fifth vote on the nine-justice court to overturn the 1973 abortion ruling.

Kavanaugh called the Roe decision “an important precedent of the Supreme Court that has been reaffirmed many times.” He highlighted the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey ruling that reaffirmed Roe, calling it a “precedent on precedent.”

Trump picked Kavanaugh, 53, to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced his retirement in June.

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Peter Cooney)

House Speaker Ryan won’t seek re-election, will retire in January

FILE PHOTO: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 22, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein/File Photo

By Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, the top Republican in Congress, told Republicans in the House of Representatives on Wednesday he will not seek re-election in November, his office said.

Ryan will serve his full term and retire in January, Brendan Buck, spokesperson for the Speaker, said in a statement.

“After nearly twenty years in the House, the speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father,” Buck said.

The departure of 48-year-old Ryan could complicate Republican Party efforts to retain the House in November, when candidates may be dragged down by the unpopularity of President Donald Trump.

The announcement of his departure months before the election will give potential candidates for House Republican leadership positions plenty of time to campaign for support.

The House speaker has scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. (1400 GMT).

Reports of Ryan’s departure have circulated for months. Politico reported in December that Ryan told confidants he would like to retire after the 2018 congressional elections.

Friends said Ryan, a longtime champion of tax reform, was ready to step down after passing a tax reform bill, according to the Axios news site, which first reported on Wednesday that Ryan would soon announce his retirement.

The tax bill was Trump’s first major legislative victory since he took office in January 2017 despite being helped by Republican control of Congress.

Lawmakers had expected Ryan might leave Congress if Republicans lose the House in November. The early announcement could have an impact on Ryan’s ability to raise campaign funds for Republican candidates.

More than three dozen House Republicans have said they are retiring, or running for another office, or resigning. Democrats need to win 23 seats in the November elections to retake a majority in the House, which Republicans have controlled since 2011.

Democrats believe that voter concerns over rising medical costs and Republican plans to cut Medicare and Medicaid will assist them in their fight to retake the House.

Trump said in a post on Twitter: “Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!”

Ryan was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998 from Wisconsin at age 28 and was quickly pegged as a Republican rising star. He became 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s vice presidential running mate, but Romney was beaten by incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama.

In Congress, Ryan earned a reputation as a fiscal policy expert, serving as chairman of the House Budget Committee from 2011 until 2015, but as speaker was a driving force behind a Republican tax overhaul passed by Congress last year that is projected to balloon the federal deficit.

(Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Bernadette Baum)