Minds Made Up

July 10, 2018: “Every Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led by top California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, promised to lead the fight against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh Tuesday morning on the steps of the Supreme Court.” (McClatchy, 7/10/2018)

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D-CA): “… I want to mention how extreme Kavanaugh's views are …” (Sen. Feinstein, Press Conference, 7/10/2018)

• “Feinstein: I’m equipped to lead anti-Kavanaugh brigade” (Politico, 7/14/2018)

SEN. PAT LEAHY (D-VT): “Now, I’m going to withhold my consent for this nominee or any other nominee who seeks to reverse 45 years of settled law … who sides with the powerful over hard-working Americans …” (Sen. Leahy, Press Conference, 7/10/2018)

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): “We know Brett Kavanaugh. We knew him when his name came up for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. We know what he would mean to the Supreme Court.” (Sen. Durbin, Press Conference, 7/10/2018)

SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-RI): “There is enormous grounds for suspicion on this nominee.” (Sen. Whitehouse, Press Conference, 7/10/2018)

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): “That’s why we need a judge who’s in the real world, who’s independent of political ideology and makes the decisions for the people.” (Sen. Klobuchar, Press Conference, 7/10/2018)

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): “It didn’t have to be this way. President Trump could have nominated someone last night not off the narrow list of those precleared, preapproved by far right organizations like the Heritage Foundation and Federalist Society.” (Sen. Coons, Press Conference, 7/10/2018)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: “… Judge Kavanaugh, you don’t belong in this building as a justice. Judge Kavanaugh, you should not be serving in this building as a Supreme Court justice …” (Sen. Blumenthal, Press Conference, 7/10/2018)

• BLUMENTHAL, July 9^th: “I will be a ‘no’ vote on this nominee….” (“Sens. Blumenthal, Murphy Say They Will Vote Against Trump’s Supreme Court Pick Judge Brett Kavanaugh,” Hartford Courtant, 7/09/2018)

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO (D-HI): “This is a very troubling nominee.”  (Sen. Hirono, Press Conference, 7/10/2018)

• HIRONO, June 27^th: “No, it doesn’t matter who he is putting forward.” (CNN’s “The Situation Room,” 6/27/2018)

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): “I look forward to standing with all my colleagues and all Americans in what will be the most important fight in our lifetime.” (Sen. Booker, Press Conference, 7/10/2018)

• BOOKER, July 9^th: “The nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is enormously concerning and I’m strongly opposed to it.… I will fight to stop this nomination every step of the way.” (Sen. Booker, Press Release, 7/09/2018)

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): “Because Kavanaugh has made his purpose clear.  He told us that when he was on that list of 25.”  (Sen. Harris, News Conference, 7/10/2018)

• HARRIS, July 9^th: “Judge Brett Kavanaugh represents a direct and fundamental threat to that promise of equality and so I will oppose his nomination to the Supreme Court.” (Sen. Harris, Press Release, 7/09/2018)

• HARRIS, June 27^th: “The President’s list of potential SCOTUS nominees are complete non-starters…. We cannot and will not accept them to serve on the highest court in the land.” (Sen. Harris, @SenKamalaHarris, Twitter, 6/27/2018)