Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Serious Questions Remain About Kavanaugh's Character And Integrity
Los Angeles Times: Why I'm Voting 'No' On Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court Nomination
We already knew that Judge Kavanaugh held highly ideological views on the 2nd Amendment, women’s reproductive rights and the executive power of the presidency. Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony shed new light on these positions and on his loyalty to President Trump and his political agenda.Supreme Court justices should not be an extension of the Republican Party. They must also have unquestionable character and integrity, and serious questions remain about Judge Kavanaugh in this regard, as indicated in information I referred to the FBI. For these and other reasons detailed below, I strongly oppose Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. (Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 9/16)
St. Louis Post Dispatch: Sen. Susan Collins Might Not Like Crowdfunding Effort, But Hey, That's Democracy
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, could hold the key to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s future. Hers is one of a small handful of uncommitted Senate votes that could power Kavanaugh to a seat on the high court or deal a devastating blow to conservative efforts to tilt the court’s balance in their favor. As if that’s not pressure enough, a crowdfunding campaign involving more than 40,000 Kavanaugh opponents has formed to warn Collins that a wrong move could put her own future in jeopardy. They threaten to massively fund Collins’ as-yet-unnamed future Democratic opponent if she votes to confirm Kavanaugh. The campaign already has raised more than $1.1 million, an amount almost equal to Collins’ current cash on hand. ...The Supreme Court has consistently upheld campaign donations as legitimate forms of free speech. In fact, Collins herself has defended the practice. (9/16)
Portland Press Herald: Kavanaugh's Duplicity, Troubling Record On Civil Rights Should Disqualify Him From Court
We are Mainers, 11 generations and counting, a father and daughter who have watched our state and our nation make slow progress in keeping its promises of securing liberty and equality for all of us. That’s why we are so alarmed at the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. We are counting on Sen. Susan Collins to do the right thing and vote to reject Kavanaugh for a lifetime seat on our highest court, not only because of his record of hostility to civil rights protections but also because his testimony at his confirmation hearing raises serious questions about his honesty and integrity. (Rachel Talbot Ross and The Hon. Gerald E. Talbot, 9/17)
