Senate Judiciary Democrats walk out of Kavanaugh meeting to protest the 'tyranny of the majority'
Democrats marched out of a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting in protest Friday, calling the entire process "unfair."
Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) stood up and left the room after Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Christine Blasey Ford did not meet the required "burden of proof" during her testimony Thursday and that Republicans planned to move forward as planned.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
When voting on a motion to schedule the confirmation vote for 1:30 p.m. ET, Hirono burst out: "I strongly object. This is just totally ridiculous. What a railroad job. My answer is no, no, no!" Harris, along with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) remained silent, while Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) called it a "violation" of the committee's customs.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), upon hearing the news that potential GOP swing vote Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) would support Kavanaugh, reportedly choked up and said, "Oh f--k." Speaking outside the hearing room, Harris condemned Republicans as unjustly pushing through, exploiting the "tyranny of the majority" to confirm Kavanaugh through "raw power." Watch the moment below, via The Daily Beast. Summer Meza
-
‘Care fractures after birth’instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Shots fired in the US-EU war over digital censorshipIN THE SPOTLIGHT The Trump administration risks opening a dangerous new front in the battle of real-world consequences for online action
-
What will the US economy look like in 2026?Today’s Big Question Wall Street is bullish, but uncertain
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
