Today (September 4), Brett Kavanaugh—President Donald Trump’s nominee to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court—appears before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which will determine if the full Senate gets to vote him to the highest court in the nation.
The hearing comes as Democrats rail against the administration for refusing to release documents from the years when Kavanaugh worked in the White House under former President George W. Bush. Many are also concerned about the validity of the nomination. From Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), who sits on the committee:
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The president is an unindicted co-conspirator in federal crimes and he has nominated someone to the Supreme Court who believes a sitting president should never be indicted.
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rnttRetweet if you agree that Kavanaugh’s hearings should be delayed until these investigations are completed.rnt— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 31, 2018
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This hearing has been dangerously rushed. 42,000 documents were released to us just hours ago. Hundreds of thousands are being withheld or blocked. What are they hiding? Why the rush? This is outrageous.
rnt— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 4, 2018
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But civil rights advocates were concerned about Kavanaugh ascending to the court long before the documents were withheld. They cited his belief that the president is above the law and previous rulings that restrict women’s reproductive care access as reasons to keep him off the bench.
Today, the NAACP is mobilizing both inside the Hart Senate Office Building, where the #ShamHearing is being held.
"What we do know of Judge Kavanaugh’s civil rights record is deeply troubling,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “His views on voting rights, affirmative action, equal employment, fair housing and criminal justice could shut the courthouse door on justice for a generation. Senators need to fight this nomination with everything they have. There is simply too much at stake.”
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Washington Bureau Dir. @HilaryOShelton speaks to @EWTNNewsNightly regarding the importance of our stance on Brett Kavanaugh. #NAACP #HALTTHEHEARING #StopKavanaugh pic.twitter.com/uhbwgpty23
rnt— NAACP (@NAACP) September 4, 2018
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Watch day one of the hearing live via the stream above, courtesy of PBS News Hour.