A Shift to the Right for the Supreme Court?
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After multiple days of tempestuous confirmation hearings promulgated by a steep political divide, Judge Brett Kavanaugh appears primed for confirmation to the Supreme Court. The 53-year-old judge’s confirmation would indicate a shift to the right for the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh would be replacing Justice Anthony Kennedy, a conservative who often sided with his four democratic colleagues on key issues such as abortion and gay marriage rights. While Kavanaugh did not reveal his views on such topics, he is expected to judge on a far more conservative basis if confirmed. Thus, his confirmation could signify a conservative leaning court for many years to come.
As a result of Kavanaugh’s potential impact on the Supreme Court, the confirmation hearings were more heated than ever before. Democrats asked critical questions, such as the inquiry into whether a president of the United States has the right to pardon himself, which Kavanaugh refused to comment on. Some Democrats argue that Kavanaugh’s record is incomplete as many key documents were unavailable for the hearing. On the other side of the political aisle, the Republicans praised Kavanaugh for his accomplishments while asking the judge softball questions. The disparity in question difficulty was evident.
The high stakes of the hearing inspired many people in the room to stand up and protest. The disruptions were immediately condemned by various Republicans such as Orrin Hatch of Utah, whose speech praising Kavanaugh was disrupted multiple times. While Republicans argued that these protestors should not be allowed to express their opinions and interrupt the proceedings, many Democrats argued it was their right to speak freely. Even President Trump chimed in on the conflict by stating his opinion on Twitter that the protestors should not be allowed to speak, which sparked immediate backlash from Democrats who criticized Trump of denouncing free speech. Once again, the political divide was clear.
Kavanaugh’s confirmation is likely, due to a Republican majority in the Senate. As a result, the Supreme Court will most likely experience a great shift to the right, which could impact future legislation on the various key issues mentioned above. If the array of political questioning during Kavanaugh’s confirmation was any indication, the judge’s confirmation will do little to assuage America’s divided state.
