- Title: 'Sound and fury' dominate day one of Kavanaugh hearing
- Date: 4th September 2018
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 4, 2018) (UNRESTRICTED POOL) WIDE SIDE SHOT OF BRETT KAVANAUGH, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S U.S. SUPREME COURT PICK AS CONFIRMATION HEARING BEGINS KAVANAUGH SMILING AS PEOPLE TAKE HIS PHOTOGRAPH (SOUNDBITE) (English) REPUBLICAN SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN CHUCK GRASSLEY OF IOWA, SAYING: "Good morning. I welcome everyone to this confirmation hearing on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh." (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS OF CALIFORNIA SAYING: "(GRASSLEY OFF CAMERA SAYS YOU ARE OUT OF ORDER) We can not possible move forward Mr. Chairman. We have not been given an opportunity to have a meaningful hearing on this nominee." GRASSLEY TAPPING GAVEL (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) DEMOCRATIC SENATOR COREY BOOKER OF NEW JERSEY SAYING: "I call for us to at least have a debate or a vote on these issues, not for us to rush through this process. (PEOPLE APPLAUD)" PROTESTER IN WHEEL CHAIR BEING WHEELED OUT OF HEARING PROTESTER MAKING STATEMENT AS SHE IS ESCORTED OUT OF HEARING (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) REPUBLICAN SENATOR ORRIN HATCH OF UTAH, SAYING: "Mr. Chairman, I think we ought to have this loud mouth removed. We shouldn't have to put up with this kind of stuff. I hope she is not a law student. " PROTESTER BEING ESCORTED OUT OF HEARING (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) REPUBLICAN SENATOR ORRIN HATCH OF UTAH, SAYING: "Mr. Chairman, I don't know that the Committee should have to put up with this kind of insolence that is going on in this room today. And frankly these people are so out of line they shouldn't be allowed in the doggone room." DEMOCRATIC SENATOR OF VERMONT PATRICK LEAHY LISTENING AS WOMAN CALLING FOR ABORTION RIGHTS SCREAMS IN HEARING WOMAN CALLING FOR ABORTION RIGHTS BEING ESCORTED OUT OF HEARING (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC SENATOR OF VERMONT PATRICK LEAHY SAYING: "Mr. Chairman, I do not intend at any point to continue what I have to say with such interruptions. I don't care whose side they are on." KAVANAUGH LISTENING WIDE SIDE SHOT OF HEARING AS SCREAMING IS HEARD (SOUNDBITE) (English) REPUBLICAN SENATOR TED CRUZ OF TEXAS, SAYING: "At the end of what Shakespeare would describe as a lot of Sound and Fury signifying nothing, I am confident that Judge Kavanaugh will become Justice Kavanaugh and will be confirmed to the United States Court. Thank you Mr. Chairman." KAVANAUGH LEAVING FOR BREAK IN HEARING AS HE DECLINES TO SHAKE HANDS WITH FRED GUTTENBERG, WHOSE DAUGHTER WAS KILLED IN SCHOOL SHOOTING IN PARKLAND, FLORIDA
- Embargoed: 18th September 2018 21:04
- Keywords: Donald Trump Brett Kavanaugh U.S. Supreme Court Senate confirmation hearings document dump abortion Roe v. Wade
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Lawmaking,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0018W7QLVR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Senate confirmation hearing for Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's U.S. Supreme Court pick, opened in chaos on Tuesday (September 4), as Democrats protested about Republicans blocking access to documents stemming from the nominee's White House work more than a decade ago.
With Democratic senators interrupting the Judiciary Committee's Republican chairman Chuck Grassley at the outset of the hearing and dozens of shouting protesters removed one by one by security personnel, the session quickly descended into a ruckus.
News photographers clicked pictures of a smiling Kavanaugh - the conservative federal appeals court judge picked by Trump for a lifetime job on the top U.S. judicial body - as he entered the hearing room along with family members. But moments after Grassley opened the session, Democrats decried the withholding of the documents and asked to have the proceedings adjourned.
Protesters took turns yelling as senators spoke.
"We cannot possibly move forward. We have not had an opportunity to have a meaningful hearing," Democratic Senator Kamala Harris said. Democratic Senator Cory Booker appealed to Grassley's "sense of decency and integrity" and said the withholding of the documents by Republicans and the White House left lawmakers unable to properly vet Kavanaugh.
If confirmed, Kavanaugh is expected to move the court - which already had a conservative majority - further to the right. Senate Democratic leaders have vowed a fierce fight to try to block his confirmation. Democrats signaled they would press Kavanaugh on abortion and gun rights, among other issues, when they get to question him on Wednesday. - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None