Sen. Richard J. Durbin on Sunday said that how Judge Brett Kavanaugh would handle questions on the Supreme Court involving the White House and special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe trumps other major questions tied to abortion and health care.
“I think they’re all of importance, but the issue of the moment, clearly, is this situation with the Mueller investigation,” Mr. Durbin, Illinois Democrat, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
He said senators did ask questions tied to Obamacare and the Roe v. Wade decision during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearings last week for Judge Kavanaugh, President Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court pick.
“We tried to go after the fundamental issue, and the one I think that is the most important at this moment in history, and that is what this man, Brett Kavanaugh, would do on the Supreme Court if he’s confronted with a question involving the White House — the Mueller investigation,” Mr. Durbin said.
He said Judge Kavanugh has been “explicit” in saying the president should not be subject to investigation or prosecution during his time in office.
Judge Kavanaugh said during last week’s confirmation hearings that nobody is above the law.
Mr. Durbin said the judge managed to stiff-arm much of the questioning during the hearings.
“There were practiced evasions and mind-numbing repetition of answers — he knew how to get two or three days of questioning,” Mr. Durbin said.
Republicans hold a slim majority in the U.S. Senate and are hoping to get Judge Kavanaugh confirmed before the Supreme Court’s new session starts on Oct. 1.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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