House panel says China subsidizes fentanyl production to fuel crisis in the United States
A congressional committee is accusing China of fueling the fentanyl crisis in the U.S. A report released Tuesday by a House select committee says China is directly subsidizing the manufacturing of materials used by drug traffickers to make fentanyl outside the country.
Democrats postpone a subpoena vote in the Supreme Court ethics probe after a blowup with Republicans
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have abruptly adjourned a meeting without an expected vote on subpoenas for two conservatives who helped arrange luxury travel and other benefits for Supreme Court justices.
Roberts declines Senate request to testify on court ethics
Chief Justice John Roberts has declined a request from the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify at a hearing next week on ethical standards at the court, instead providing the panel with a statement of ethics reaffirmed by the courtโs justices.
Abortion pill order latest contentious ruling by Texas judge
A Texas judge who sparked a legal firestorm with an unprecedented ruling halting approval of the nationโs most common method of abortion is a former attorney for a religious liberty legal group with a long history pushing conservative causes.
Texas judge in abortion pill case is a conservative favorite
A Texas judge hearing a case that could throw into jeopardy access to the nationโs most common method of abortion is a former attorney for a Christian legal group who critics say is being sought out by conservative litigants because they believe heโll be sympathetic to their causes.
Outgoing Sen. Sasse knows Trump criticism shapes his legacy
Nebraska's outgoing U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse left office Sunday to become the University of Florida's new president and said he knows he may be remembered more for his criticisms of former President Donald Trump than for the policies he supported.
Senate to hold hearing on crisis-plagued federal prisons
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says he plans to hold an oversight hearing on the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons after The Associated Press reported that the agency is keeping its embattled ex-director on the payroll as an adviser to his successor.
Texas massacre casts shadow over hearing for ATF pick
Less than a day after a gunman massacred 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas, a Wednesday Senate hearing for President Joe Bidenโs pick to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reflected the deep political divisions over guns.
Agents with Homeland Security team to wear body cameras
Agents with an investigative unit of the Department of Homeland Security will wear body cameras for the first time as part of a six-month pilot program that will focus on the costs and benefits of using the technology in federal law enforcement.
The Latest: Trump blasts Fauci and Birx as 'self-promoters'
The Department of Health reported more than 10,000 new COVID-19 cases Monday, the highest since the pandemic hit the country. Fauci told CNN it seemed like the Trump virus team was โfighting with each other rather than fighting the virus.โAdIn his statement, Trump says โDr. Texas has administered more than 10 million vaccine doses. Jared Polis has announced that residents over age 16 will be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine starting Friday. Ad___NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. โ Johnson & Johnson says itโs agreed to provide up to 400 million doses of its one-dose COVID-19 vaccine to African countries, starting this summer.
Voting rights, hate crimes on Senate's 'big, bold' agenda
Democrats are vowing action on several of their top priorities in April, including strengthening hate crime laws to include Asian Americans and restoring voting rights protections to combat minority voter suppression. It would seek to restore elements of the Voting Rights Act that were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013, a decision that Democrats say left minority voters vulnerable to disenfranchisement. Democrats see it as a forceful response to voting rights restrictions advancing in Republican-controlled statehouses across the country. Republicans are strongly opposed to the voting rights bill, arguing that it would tilt elections toward Democrats and take control of elections away from the states. While strengthening background checks is broadly popular among the American public, Senate Republicans have said they oppose the two House bills.
Senate confirms Merrick Garland to be US attorney general
Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's pick to be attorney general, answers questions from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., as he appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Garland will now inherit a Justice Department embattled by a turbulent era under Trump, who insisted that the attorney general and the department must be loyal to him personally, battering the departmentโs reputation. In the last month of Trump's presidency, Attorney General William Barr resigned after refuting Trump's false claims that widespread electoral fraud had led to his defeat. AdโLetโs hope our incoming attorney general applies that no-nonsense approach to the serious challenges facing the Department of Justice and our nation,โ McConnell said. โSo I very much want to be the kind of attorney general that youโre saying I could become, and Iโll do my best to become that kind of attorney general.โ___Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett delivers 1st opinion
FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2020 file photo, Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Supreme Court justice Amy Coney Barrett has delivered her first opinion. Barrett wrote for the court that certain draft documents do not have to be disclosed under FOIA. The 11-page opinion comes in the first case Barrett heard after joining the court in late October following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool)WASHINGTON โ Justice Amy Coney Barrett delivered her first Supreme Court majority opinion Thursday, ruling against an environmental group that had sought access to government records.
General: Pentagon hesitated on sending Guard to Capitol riot
Guard troops who had been waiting on buses were then rushed to the Capitol, arriving in 18 minutes, Walker said. Much of the focus at Wednesday's hearing was on communications between the National Guard and the Defense Department. Contee said Sund pleaded with Army officials to deploy National Guard troops as the rioting escalated. AdAccording to the Defense Department, Walker was called at 3 p.m. by Army officials, and was told to prepare Guard troops to deploy. Thousands of National Guard troops are still patrolling the fenced-in Capitol, and multiple committees across Congress are investigating Jan. 6.
The Latest: FBI says probe of Capitol officer death ongoing
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on FBI Director Chris Wray's testimony about the Capitol insurrection (all times local):12:30 p.m. The FBI director is declining to comment on the cause of the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who collapsed after responding to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and died the next day. FBI Director Chris Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday the agency is โnot at a pointโ where it can disclose or confirm the cause of death. ___HEREโS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FBI DIRECTOR CHRIS WRAY'S TESTIMONY ON THE CAPITOL INSURRECTION:FBI Director Chris Wray condemns the January riot at the U.S. Capitol as โdomestic terrorismโ as he defends the bureauโs handling of intelligence indicating the prospect for violence.
FBI director: No evidence of antifa, โfakeโ Trump supporters in US Capitol attack
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Wrayโs message to lawmakers was clear: The attack on the Capitol was domestic terrorism -- and itโs a growing problem. โWe view the events of January 6 as domestic terrorism,โ Wray said. โWe have not seen evidence of that at this stage.โDURBIN: Do you have any evidence that the Capitol attack was organized by 'fake Trump protesters'? โข 270,000+ digital media tips sent from publicโข 300+ arrested pic.twitter.com/dogXo1W7pJ โ NBC News (@NBCNews) March 2, 2021More: FBI chief calls Jan. 6 โdomestic terrorism,โ defends intel
Senate panel votes to advance Garland's nomination to be AG
Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's pick to be attorney general, answers questions from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., as he appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON โ The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Monday to advance the nomination of Merrick Garland, President Joe Bidenโs nominee for attorney general. The committee voted 15 to seven in favor of Garland's nomination at a meeting on Monday afternoon. The committeeโs vote puts him on track for a quick confirmation, potentially within days. AdThe committeeโs top Republican, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, said he also intends to support Garlandโs nomination.
A look at Merrick Garland, the nominee for attorney general
Judge Merrick Garland, nominee to be Attorney General, testifies at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON โ Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's nominee for attorney general, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing on Monday. 1993-1997: Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division. KEY CASE: While at the Justice Department, Garland supervised the investigation into the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. AdKEY QUOTE FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL HEARING: โThe president nominates the attorney general to be the lawyer, not for any individual, but for the people of the United States.โ___This story was first published on Feb. 22, 2021.
Deal or no deal: Virus aid tests Biden 'work together' plea
He hung out in the Senate cloakroom chatting up legislators as vice president. But some of Bidenโs courtship is also directed at members of his own party to make sure a deal gets done. As vice president, Biden was a trusted emissary to Capitol Hill for Obama, who had served just four years in the Senate. Lott said Biden was not someone he recalls as often being in the room when Senate leadership was trying to work out a deal on major bills. โThereโs people who say you canโt work with the other side,โ Biden said a year ago.
The Latest: Nancy Pelosi reelected speaker of the House
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks to the media, Wednesday Dec. 30, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The group of House and Senate Republicans are echoing President Donald Trumpโs baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. Democrat Nancy Pelosi was set to be reelected as House speaker by her party, which retains the majority in the House but with the slimmest margin in 20 years. Hawley specifically defended himself against criticism from GOP Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania as he challenges that stateโs election results. Rep. Nancy Pelosi is set to be reelected as House speaker by fellow Democrats, who retain the House majority but with the slimmest margin in 20 years.
GOP senator rebukes 'dangerous ploy' to fight Biden victory
โI will not be participating in a project to overturn the election,โ Sasse wrote. When Congress convenes to certify the Electoral College results, any lawmaker can object to a stateโs votes on any grounds. If they disagree, the original electoral votes are counted. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all has been dismissed or dropped. The group of House Republicans has said it plans to challenge the election results from Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada.
Missouri senator to contest Biden's Electoral College win
He has pushed Republican senators to pursue his unfounded charges even though the Electoral College this month cemented Bidenโs 306-232 victory and multiple legal efforts to challenge the results have failed. When Congress convenes to certify the Electoral College results, any lawmaker can object to a stateโs votes on any grounds. If they disagree, the original electoral votes are counted. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all have been dismissed or dropped. The group of House Republicans have said they plan to challenge the election results from Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada.
Lawmakers say COVID-19 relief bill won't offer $1,200 checks
The $908 billion aid package to be released Monday would be attached to a larger year-end spending bill needed to avert a government shutdown this coming weekend. โThis is not a stimulus bill, itโs a relief bill,โ he said. While favoring the $1,200 checks, Biden said the emerging compromise was "immediately neededโ and that additional assistance could follow later. On Sunday, lawmakers involved in the negotiations said the direct payments would have to wait until after Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20. The direct payments, he said, will be a task for Biden.
After criticism, Feinstein to step down as top Judiciary Dem
WASHINGTON โ California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Monday she will step down from her role as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, giving up the powerful spot after public criticism of her bipartisan outreach and her handling of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearings. Feinstein, 87, said in a statement that she would not seek the position in the next Congress. 2 Democrat, said he will seek to replace Feinstein as the committee's top Democrat. He led daily news conferences during breaks in the hearings with the other Democrats on the panel while Feinstein usually did not appear. โItโs time for Sen. Feinstein to step down from her leadership position on the Senate Judiciary Committee,โ said Brian Fallon, the executive director of Demand Justice, which opposes conservative nominees to the courts.
Sen. Grassley, 87, says he tested positive for coronavirus
(Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the longest-serving Republican senator and third in the line of presidential succession, said he has tested positive for the coronavirus. Grassley, 87, had announced earlier Tuesday that he was quarantining after being exposed to the virus and was waiting for test results. At least three members of the House have tested positive in the last week, and several more are quarantining. Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida was also absent as he is in quarantine after an exposure. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also took their masks off when speaking on the Senate floor Monday.
Twitter, Facebook CEOs vow election action; GOP touts curbs
Republican senators, including Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, revived complaints of censorship and anti-conservative bias against the social media platforms. The actions that Twitter and Facebook took to quell the spread of disinformation angered Trump and his supporters. They have focused their concern on hate speech and incitement on social media platforms that can spawn violence. Twitter and Facebook have both slapped a misinformation label on some content from Trump, most notably his assertions linking voting by mail to fraud. For days after the election as the vote counting went on, copycat โStop the Stealโ groups were easily found on Facebook.
Facebook, Twitter CEOs to be pressed on election handling
The committee summoned the CEOs of Twitter, Facebook and Google to testify during the hearing. (Michael Reynolds/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ The CEOs of Facebook and Twitter are being summoned before Congress to defend their handling of disinformation in the 2020 presidential election, even as lawmakers questioning them are deeply divided over the election's integrity and results. Twitter and Facebook have both slapped a misinformation label on some content from Trump, most notably his assertions linking voting by mail to fraud. Facebook insists that it has learned its lesson from the 2016 election and is no longer a conduit for misinformation, voter suppression and election disruption. The organization had pressed Facebook to take down the โStop the Stealโ group.
The Latest: Aide says Biden will appoint 'COVID coordinator'
Joe Biden has chosen his longtime adviser Ron Klain to reprise his role as his chief of staff, installing an aide with decades of experience across. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):10:45 p.m.Incoming White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain says President-elect Joe Biden will appoint a โCOVID coordinatorโ who will lead the administrationโs pandemic response. ___3:25 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden has spoken with the top two Democrats in Congress โ but not their Republican counterparts yet. ___1 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden has spoken by phone with Pope Francis as he continues to talk with leaders around the world. Democrats already control the House, and Democrat Joe Biden is the president-elect after beating President Donald Trump in their White House contest.
GOP presses ahead after election with Russia probe review
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., questions former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020, on a probe of the FBI's Russia investigation. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool)WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trump may have lost his bid for reelection, but that hasnโt stopped Senate Republicans from pressing forward with their politically charged probe of the FBIโs Russia investigation. โThis is a last ditch, desperate undertaking to deal with President Trumpโs grievances about that election,โ Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said of the hearing. Most of the criticism of the Russia investigation has centered on flaws in applications to surveil former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. Even so, a Justice Department inspector general report from last year concluded that the Russia investigation was opened for a valid and legitimate purpose.
Senate Latest: Kelly win gives Arizona 2 Democratic senators
The former astronaut defeated Republican Sen. Martha McSally, who was appointed to the seat after McCainโs death in 2018. Dainesโ first election in 2014 broke a Democratic lock on the Senate seat that had lasted more than 100 years. The six-term congressman from northern New Mexico defeated Republican Mark Ronchetti, a former television meteorologist, and Libertarian Bob Walsh. Reed cruised to victory over Waters, an investment consultant who mounted earlier unsuccessful campaigns for state Senate and U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. Warner defeated Republican challenger Daniel Gade in a low-key race in which the incumbent had a massive cash advantage.
ClickOnDetroit Morning Briefing -- Oct. 22, 2020
Grant Hermes and the Trust Index team will be fact checking the debate live tonight on ClickOnDetroit. Trending ๐Experts look to Wisconsinโs COVID-19 numbers as a warningUntil the beginning of September, Wisconsinโs 7-day average stayed below 1,000 a day. New COVID-19 cases and deaths have increased in the last month in Michigan. According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 3.2 million have recovered in the U.S., with more than 8.2 million cases reported across the country. More: County health officials monitor data as climbing COVID-19 cases draw concern in MichiganHereโs a look at more of the data:
Live stream: GOP-led Senate Judiciary Committee advances Barrett despite Dems' boycott
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to advance Amy Coney Barrettโs Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate as Republicans powered past Democrats' boycott of the session. Read update: GOP-led Senate panel advances Barrett despite Dems' boycottWatch live coverage:Despite a Democratic boycott, Republicans are powering ahead to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court by Election Day with the Senate Judiciary Committee set to recommend President Donald Trumpโs nominee to the full Senate. Never before has the Senate confirmed a Supreme Court pick so close to a presidential election. Thursdayโs Judiciary Committee vote is expected to launch a rare weekend Senate session to push Barrettโs nomination forward, as millions of Americans are casting early ballots. โJudge Barrett deserves a vote and she will receive a vote,โ said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the committee chairman, in a statement.
GOP-led Senate panel advances Barrett as Democrats boycott
Never has the Senate confirmed a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. As the Judiciary panel met, protesters, some shouting โStop the confirmation!โ demonstrated outside the Capitol across the street from the Supreme Court. The protesters drowned out Democratic senators who had called a news conference to decry what they called a โshamโ confirmation process. With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, Trumpโs pick for the court is almost certain to be confirmed. โWe did it.โBarrett, an appellate court judge from Indiana, appeared for three days before the Judiciary panel last week, batting back Democrats' questions.
Democrats to boycott Barrett vote, Senate GOP pushes ahead
Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, arrives for closed meetings with senators, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer announced the planned boycott in a speech late Wednesday on the Senate floor. No Supreme Court nominee has ever been confirmed so close to a presidential election. โJudge Barrett deserves a vote and she will receive a vote,โ said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the committee chairman, in a statement. No Senate Democrats are expected to support Barrett's confirmation.
Senate to work through weekend to push Barrett onto court
WASHINGTON โ Wasting no time, the Senate is on track to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court by next Monday, charging toward a rare weekend session as Republicans push past procedural steps to install President Donald Trump's pick before Election Day. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he will begin the process as soon as the Senate Judiciary Committee wraps up its work Thursday. McConnell said Monday that Barrett demonstrated over several days of public hearings the โsheer intellectual horsepower that the American people deserve to have on the Supreme Court." They are searching for two more GOP senators to break ranks and halt confirmation, but that seems unlikely. The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to meet Thursday to vote on recommending Barrett's nomination to the full Senate.
GOP, Dems hope Supreme Court fight bolsters Senate prospects
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett departs with her husband, Jesse, after the third day of her confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ For Republicans, the nomination fight over Amy Coney Barrett is a chance to seal conservative control of the Supreme Court for decades. Either way, both sides are using the Supreme Court battle in fundraising appeals and other ways that underscore its political potency. Four GOP senators in competitive campaigns are on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which wrapped up hearings Thursday on Barrett's nomination. That contrasts with the 2018 confirmation fight over Trump Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of a decades-old sexual assault that he denied.
With a hug, Feinstein draws liberal critics at court hearing
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., shakes hands with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., at the close of the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. โThis has been one of the best set of hearings that Iโve participated in,โ Feinstein said at the Senate Judiciary Committee. โItโs time for Sen. Feinstein to step down from her leadership position on the Senate Judiciary Committee,โ said Brian Fallon, the executive director of Demand Justice, which opposes conservative nominees to the courts. Trump has been able to install more than 200 judges on the federal bench and is now poised to seat his third justice on the Supreme Court. โJudiciary Committee Democrats had one goal this week: to show whatโs at stake under a 6-3 conservative Supreme Court โ and we did that,โ Feinstein said.
Harris highlights stakes of election in Barrett hearings
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)SACRAMENTO, Calif. โ Unable to block President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Sen. Kamala Harris used three days of confirmation hearings this week to remind voters of the stakes of the Nov. 3 election and how Democratic nominee Joe Biden would govern differently if he were in the White House. Known for her tough questioning of Trump's nominees, Harris took a lower key approach and avoided sparring matches with Republicans. Her messaging was muted in part because she appeared via video conference from her office, not the Senate hearing room, due to coronavirus concerns. โDemocrats are wise not to play into their hand.โRepublicans took note of the disciplined approach by Harris and the Democrats. GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, who was next in line for questioning after Harris on Wednesday, asked Barrett a series of questions meant to rebut Harris.
Biden campaign flips COVID-19 threat into new Trump contrast
Bidens presidential campaign says Harris will suspend in-person events until Oct. 19, after two people associated with the campaign tested positive for coronavirus. According to Bidenโs campaign manager, Jen OโMalley Dillon, the campaign learned late Wednesday that two people associated with the operation had tested positive for the coronavirus. And as Trump returns to aggressive campaign travel before massive, often unmasked crowds, the Biden campaign reinforced its commitment to following public health guidelines. As Bidenโs campaign conducted contact tracing and made public disclosures, Trump traveled to North Carolina โ where Harris was supposed to be on Thursday โ for another rally. The White House has not notified reporters, Secret Service agents or Trump campaign staffers who may have been exposed during the outbreak.
GOP pushes Barrett toward court as Democrats decry 'sham'
Relying on a slim Senate majority, Trump's Republicans are poised to lock a 6-3 conservative court majority for years to come. A former Notre Dame Law School professor, Barrett would be the only one of her Supreme Court colleagues not groomed in the Ivy League. But Barrett is the most open opponent of abortion nominated to the Supreme Court in decades. Others testifying Thursday included Laura Wolk, the first blind woman to be a law clerk for the Supreme Court, who told senators that Barrettโs encouragement and support were life-changing. โHer brilliance is matched only by her compassion,โ said Wolk, who also spent a year as a law clerk for Barrett.
Takeaways: Barrett tells senators 'no one is above the law'
Republicans played down the threat to the health law posed by the court case. โThis hearing has been more about Obamacare than it has you,'' said the committee chairman, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Barrett. Republicans object to the health law because โit was written and passed on a partisan line,'' Graham said. "And if we act, (voters) donโt have to worry about you doing away with preexisting conditions in some future case down the road,'' he told Barrett. ___NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAWOn another issue where Trump's views and tweets are well-known, Barrett declined to say whether a president can pardon himself.
The Latest: Barrett's confirmation hearing ends for the day
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett listens during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett (all times local):6:05 p.m.Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing has gaveled to a close for the day, wrapping up three days of testimony. ___HEREโS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BARRETT HEARINGS:Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was back on Capitol Hill for the third day of her confirmation hearings. The confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett paused for about 40 minutes because of audio difficulties. ___9 a.m.Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is back before the Senate Judiciary Committee to face more questions from senators at her confirmation hearing.
Barrett keeps Democrats, Trump at bay in Senate hearing
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON โ Over and over, Amy Coney Barrett said sheโd be her own judge if confirmed to the Supreme Court. Barrett's confirmation to the Supreme Court to take the seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg seems inevitable, as even some Senate Democrats acknowledged in Senate hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday. She called the Voting Rights Act a โtriumph in the civil rights movement,โ without discussing the specifics of the earlier challenge to it. The health care debate has been central to the weekโs hearings, as Americans struggle during the pandemic, leading to a sharp exchange among senators at one point.
Tied to Trump fate, Ernst walks tightrope in dead heat Iowa
Trump finds himself locked in a close race in Iowa with Democrat Joe Biden, and Ernst is as well against Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield. Walking the tightrope between pleasing the Trump base versus attracting other voters is challenging," said John Stineman, a Iowa Republican strategist unaffiliated with the Ernst or Trump campaigns. โYou have the road of the radical left,โ she said while introducing Vice President Mike Pence at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in August. Trump carried Iowa by 9.4 percentage points in 2016 and Ernst surprised four-term Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley by nearly as much in 2014. The National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee has spent $11.3 million supporting Ernst, according to Kantar.
Takeaways: Barrett is reticent as Dems focus on health care
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett listens during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Barrett also said she could not answer whether Trump has the power to delay the general election, an idea the president floated earlier this year. Democrats say they have no interest in revisiting that issue during this confirmation process. This time, Democrats have focused on the effects on โreal peopleโ if the Affordable Care Act is overturned by the high court. AN โEXCRUCIATINGโ PROCESSBarrett said she accepted Trumpโs nomination because she is โcommitted to the rule of lawโ and the role of the Supreme Court.
The Latest: Day 2 of Barrett confirmation hearings wraps
(Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett (all times local):8:20 p.m. The second day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is finished after nearly 12 hours. __HEREโS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BARRETT HEARINGS:Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has spent a long day batting back Democratsโ tough questioning as her Senate confirmation hearings continue. ___HEREโS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHATโS HAPPENING IN THE SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION HEARINGS:Barrett is facing senatorsโ questions during a second day of confirmation hearings. President Donald Trumpโs nominee to the Supreme Court made the comments at her Senate confirmation hearings on Tuesday, three weeks before Election Day.
Health care law on line at court, but is it likely to fall?
Yes, the Trump administration is asking the high court to throw out the Obama-era healthcare law, and if she is confirmed quickly Barrett could be on the Supreme Court when the court hears the case. Democrats also repeatedly brought up words Barrett wrote in 2017, when she was a law professor, criticizing Chief Justice John Roberts' 2012 opinion saving the Affordable Care Act. Barrett wrote that Roberts had "pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute." But the court could simply โseverโ the mandate from the law and leave the rest of the law alone. One other key observer of the case suggested the Affordable Care Act would likely stand.
Barrett bats away tough Democratic confirmation probing
Committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., talk as Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Allowing Trump to fill the seat with Barrett โposes a threat to safe and legal abortion in our country," Harris said. And that table is the Supreme Court." Democrats warn that she would be a vote to undo the law and strip health coverage from millions of Americans. "I'm not hostile to the ACA,โ Barrett told the senators.