Trump nominates Brett Kavanaugh as SCOTUS justice
US President Donald Trump has nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy at the US Supreme Court.
Kavanaugh, who has served as a judge at the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for 12 years, has authored more than 300 opinions, including 11 that have been affirmed by the Supreme Court.
If confirmed as a justice, Kavanaugh will replace Kennedy, who announced in June that he would step down after three decades at the court and obtain senior status.
Before becoming a judge, Kavanaugh served in the George W Bush administration, holding roles including senior associate counsel and assistant to the President and staff secretary.
“Judge Kavanaugh has impeccable credentials, unsurpassed qualifications, and a proven commitment to equal justice under the law,” said Trump in his remarks regarding the nomination.
He added: “There is no one in America more qualified for this position, and no one more deserving.”
Kavanaugh will begin meeting members of the Senate today, July 10. According to the judge, the meetings play an “essential role” in the nomination process.
“I will tell each senator that I revere the Constitution. I believe that an independent judiciary is the crown jewel of our constitutional republic,” he said.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat) has warned that he will oppose Kavanaugh’s nomination and hopes a bipartisan majority will do the same.
“In selecting Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, Trump has put reproductive rights and freedoms and healthcare protections for millions of Americans on the judicial chopping block. His own writings make clear that he would rule against reproductive rights and freedoms, and that he would welcome challenges to the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act,” said Schumer.
This is Trump’s second nomination to the US’s highest court in his 18 months in office.
In April last year, Judge Neil Gorsuch was confirmed as a Supreme Court justice after the Republicans invoked a “nuclear” option in a bid to ensure his confirmation. Trump nominated Gorsuch in February 2017 to replace Justice Antonin Scalia after he died.
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