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Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee tried and failed to slow down the confirmation process on Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in Thursday morning's meeting. At the outset, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) moved to adjourn, pointing out the total farce this nomination and committee process has been. "There’s no way to seek justice. I am hear under protest. There is fundamental injustice here." Grassley proceeded with the meeting, setting a vote on the nomination for next week.
Sen. Feinstein then moved to subpoena the hundreds of thousands of documents from Kavanaugh's Bush White House service that have been withheld, and was voted down by 11-10, all Republicans voting to keep the nation in the dark. A second motion "to subpoena 100,000 documents denied to the committee through a bogus assertion of 'constitutional privilege'" followed, also defeated 11-10. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) moved to subpoena documents from Kavanaugh's Bush White House service related native Hawaiians and indigenous people, and was defeated 11-10.
Blumenthal came back with another motion to subpoena more records about the stolen emails we already know Kavanaugh lied about. He was defeated, 11-10. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) made a motion to subpoena documents related to torture and warrantless wiretapping, which Kavanaugh also lied to the committee about. Defeated, 11-10. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) had a last subpoena motion, attempting to get more information on Kavanaugh's views of expansive presidential power. It was defeated, 11-10.
Grassley is pushing the vote next week, breaking the rules of the Senate, setting the vote for 1:45 on Thursday, September 20 against objections by Durbin that he is violating Rule 4 of Senate Rules which sets the process for ending debate on nominations and taking votes. Grassley is denying senators the opportunity to debate and discuss the nomination.
Democracy is breathing its last gasps in the Senate, thanks to Mitch McConnell and Chuck Grassley. They're killing it for unindicted co-conspirator Donald Trump and his get-out-of-jail-free Supreme Court nominee—and every Republican senator is enabling that.