Chaos marks start of Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing

Politics Sep 4, 2018 12:36 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Quarreling and confusion disrupted the start of the Senate’s confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Tuesday. Democrats tried to block the proceedings over documents withheld by the White House, while protesters interrupted the session in a persistent display of opposition.

In his opening remarks released ahead of delivery, Kavanaugh sought to tamp down the controversy over his nomination, which would likely shift the closely divided court to the right. He promised to be a “team player” if confirmed, declaring that he would be a “pro-law judge” who would not decide cases based on his personal views.

WATCH LIVE: Day 1 of Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearings

But Democrats raised objections from the moment Chairman Chuck Grassley gaveled the committee to order. They want to review 100,000 documents about Kavanaugh’s record being withheld by the White House as well as some 42,000 documents released to the committee on a confidential basis on the eve of the hearing, along with others not sought by Republicans on the committee. For more than an hour senators sparred while protesters repeatedly shouted at them.

“We have not been given an opportunity to have a meaningful hearing on this nominee,” said Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., made several motions to adjourn, saying if the confirmation continued, “this process will be tainted and stained forever.”

Democrats appeal to Sen. Chuck Grassley to delay Brett Kavanaugh’s hearing

Grassley denied multiple requests to postpone, defending the document production as the most open in history. He said the chaotic scene was something he’d “never gone through” in 15 past confirmation hearings.

More than two dozen protesters, shouting one by one, disrupted the hearing at several points and were removed by police. “This is a mockery and a travesty of justice,” shouted one woman. “Cancel Brett Kavanaugh!” Others shouted against the president or to protect abortion access. “Senators, we need to stop this,” called out one.

A protester is removed during the start of U.S. Supreme Court nominee judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. REUTERS/Chris Wattie

Struggling to speak over protesters, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said: “These people are so out of line they shouldn’t be in the doggone room.” As patience thinned and tempers flared, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, denounced what he called the “mob rule.”

As for the documents, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., quipped that senators would have had to read 7,000 pages an hour overnight just to review those dropped Monday evening.

Feinstein said she does not wish to “rush to judgement” when the committee has not had time to review Kavanaugh’s history on several issues, including torture and the Enron scandal, among others.

The panel’s top Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, sought to provide context for the frustration coming from her side of the aisle.

“These are very unique circumstances. Not only is the country deeply divided politically, we also find ourselves with a president who faces his own serious problems,” she said referring to the investigations of top administration officials. “So it’s this backdrop that this nominee comes into.”

With majority Republicans appearing united, it’s doubtful the hearings will affect the eventual confirmation of President Donald Trump’s nominee. But they will likely become a rallying cry for both parties just two months before the midterm elections. The White House sent out a summary of how many times Democratic senators tried to halt the session with motions and questions, while Republican campaign officials denounced Democrats as “grandstanding” and “pandering” to the “resistance base” of voters.

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