Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has spoken out in defense of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) after key Senate Republicans voiced their opposition to temporarily replacing her on the Judiciary Committee. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) argued that Republicans would not be willing to help Democrats advance controversial or unqualified nominees, while Gillibrand argued that Feinstein should be allowed to decide when she leaves office. The situation has left Democrats in a difficult position, as several of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees are currently being held up in the committee.
Posts tagged as “the Judiciary Committee”
The House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan, will hold a field hearing in Manhattan on Monday to discuss crime in the city. The hearing is seen as a way for House Republicans to curry favor with former President Donald Trump, and to discredit Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's criminal case against him. It will include victims of violent crime and is expected to draw a lot of attention, as it is sure to be a contentious event.
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has requested to be temporarily replaced on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee while she recovers from shingles. She expressed her understanding that her absence could delay the important work of the committee, and asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to allow another Democratic senator to serve until she is able to resume her duties. Feinstein has served on the committee since 1993 and is the most senior Democrat on the committee.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has announced plans to hold a hearing in the coming days to address the need to restore public confidence in the Supreme Court's ethical standards, following ProPublica's reporting that Justice Clarence Thomas accepted luxury travel from a billionaire without disclosing it. The 11 Democratic members of the Committee have urged Chief Justice John Roberts to open an investigation into Thomas' conduct, believing that the public has a right to know about the trips and that the Supreme Court should be held to the highest ethical standards. The hearing will be an important step in restoring public confidence in the Supreme Court.