“One-Party Rule” at Rushing’s Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 17, 2018 – Republican leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee went ahead today with a confirmation hearing for Fourth Circuit nominee Allison Rushing, which no Democrats and few Republicans attended because the Senate is currently away on an extended recess. AFJ President Nan Aron released the following statement:
“What we saw today at Allison Rushing’s confirmation hearing looked for all the world like one-party rule has been adopted in the United States Senate. Today’s hearing was so absurd it would be a national joke if the consequences weren’t so serious for our country. It was attended by only two members of the Judiciary Committee, both Republicans, even though no other Senate committee is holding hearings during this recess period and every Democratic member of the committee signed a letter urging the postponement of today’s panel. Holding a hearing in the middle of recess means no real vetting for this nominee even though she is up for a lifetime seat on one of our nation’s highest courts. This is not the way the advise-and-consent role of the Senate was ever intended to work, and is just one more part of the Trump Administration scheme to pack the courts by any means possible.”