The upcoming NATO summit starts July 11, and before he leaves for Brussels, President Trump plans on announcing his pick to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Democrats worry that Trump's nominee will scale back reproductive rights, while Republicans are hoping to fast track the confirmation process, with hearings in mid-August and a full Senate vote ahead of the November midterm elections. The GOP is in control of only 51 of the Senate's seats, and the White House announced late Thursday that Trump spent the evening meeting with three Democratic senators from red states who voted to confirm Justice Neil Gorsuch — Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
They were joined by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). Collins and Murkowski have stated they agree with Roe v. Wade, and Collins on Thursday gave some insight into the type of person she would like to replace Kennedy. "I do not apply ideological litmus tests to nominees, but I want to see integrity, intellect, a respect for precedent, and an adherence to the rule of law," she said. In her view, Kennedy was an "ideal justice."