Senate Judiciary Committee news stories on Newser

Al Franken Dismantles DOMA Backer's Testimony

Matt Cantor — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:37:06 CDT

Stuart Smalley was nowhere in sight yesterday as Al Franken shredded a Defense of Marriage Act supporter. Seems the gentleman from Minnesota took offense with Focus on the Family's Thomas Minnery and his citation of a federal study that found children in opposite-sex married families fared way better than kids...

Senate Panel OKs Kagan

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:44:37 CDT

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted today to approve Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court. The 13-6 vote sends Kagan's nomination to the full Senate, where she's expected to be confirmed as early as next week to succeed John Paul Stevens. Just one Republican, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, joined...

This Woman Is Actually Having Fun

Caroline Miller — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:28:45 CDT

You can fault her, as the New York Times did, for giving away practically nothing of her judicial philosophy or her views on key issues in her Senate confirmation testimony yesterday, but Dalia Lithwick notes in Slate that it was pretty damn hard not to like the Elena Kagan we...

Kagan: 'I Will Listen Hard'

M. Morris — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:05:00 CDT

The first day of Elena Kagan's confirmation hearings has concluded, as expected, without any fireworks. "I will listen hard, to every party before the court and to each of my colleagues. I will work hard," the Supreme Court nominee and current solicitor general said. " And I will do my best...

What Senators Should Ask Elena Kagan

M. Morris — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 14:39:21 CDT

The process Elena Kagan once derided as a "vapid and hollow charade" gets under way tomorrow when the solicitor general appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee as President Obama's second Supreme Court nominee. "Instead of playing cat-and-mouse with the nominee about how she would rule in future cases, senators should...

GOPers Smell Impeachment in Sestak Job Offer

Kevin Spak — Thu, 27 May 2010 07:32:44 CDT

Republicans are calling for the attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Joe Sestak's claims that someone in the Obama administration offered him a high-ranking job to drop out of the Pennsylvania primary race against Arlen Specter. And they've already used the “I” word. “It's very clear that...

Obama Pick for Justice Post Withdraws

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 19:32:33 CDT

President Obama's nominee to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel has withdrawn her bid for confirmation, after several Republicans objected to her criticism of the Bush administration's terrorist interrogation policies. Dawn Johnsen's withdrawal—a setback for the Obama administration—was announced by the White House on a day...

Holder on 9/11 Trial: 'We Need Not Cower'

Kevin Spak — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:22:55 CST

Republicans grilled Eric Holder on Capitol Hill today, criticizing his decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in civilian court. But Holder offered a forceful rebuttal, saying, “We need not cower in the face of this enemy. Our institutions are strong and our people are ready.” He added that “failure is...

GOP Looks Tacky in Vote on Sotomayor

Kevin Spak — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:56:00 CDT

Senate Republicans locked arms against Sonia Sotomayor yesterday … or would have, if they’d bothered to stay for the Judiciary Committee’s vote. Instead, half ducked out, leaving Jeff Sessions to repeat “No by proxy,” over and over, writes Dana Milbank in the Washington Post . It was an ugly display of...