[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 5, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6036-S6037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              REQUEST FOR AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEE TO MEET

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I have a request for the Judiciary 
Committee to meet during today's session of the Senate. I ask unanimous 
consent that it be agreed to.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?

[[Page S6037]]

  The Democratic leader.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, reserving the right to object, the 
Republican majority on the Judiciary Committee is pressing forward with 
a confirmation hearing on a Supreme Court nominee whose record has been 
largely shielded from the Senate and the American public. Over 90 
percent of Judge Kavanaugh's record has not been received by the Senate 
and may never be. What has been delivered to the committee was 
prescreened by a Republican lawyer, with no guidelines as to what we 
were receiving and what we were not. It is just whatever entered his 
whim. Of that small subset of prescreened documents--less than 10 
percent of Judge Kavanaugh's full record--Chairman Grassley is 
prohibiting large segments from being shared with the public, without 
explanation.
  Republicans are trying to jam through, with as little scrutiny as 
possible, a lifetime appointment to the Nation's highest Court, with 
the power to affect the lives of Americans for a generation. That is 
why it is so important for the Senate and the public to review the 
nominee's record--because healthcare, a woman's freedom to make medical 
decisions, civil rights, voting rights, and marriage equality all hang 
in the balance. The Republican majority is deliberately obstructing the 
Senate's constitutional duty to fairly and thoroughly conduct our 
advice and consent powers.
  As a result, we will not consent to business as usual on the Senate 
floor today. This means the Senate will adjourn for the day after my 
two colleagues finish speaking.
  I object.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.
  The majority leader.

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