Sen. Sessions Signals GOP Resistance To Obama's Supreme Court Nominee

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Public Health;  Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 07 May 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the newly appointed ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Tuesday that President Obama's nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter would not receive "rubber-stamp" approval, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Sessions said that any nominee should receive a fair hearing but that he or she also should expect to face "probing questions" (Evans, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/6). Sessions said that he would not support a nominee "who allows ... personal views to justify making the law say what it is" he or she "wants to say." He also criticized Obama's indication that he intends to select a nominee with "empathy." Sessions said, "It's dangerous because I don't know what empathy means" (Stanton, Roll Call, 5/6). Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that although Obama is "free to nominate whomever he likes," selecting justices "based on his or her perceived sympathy for certain groups or individuals undermines the faith Americans have in our judicial system." According to the AP/Inquirer, the Republicans' choice of Sessions, a staunch conservative, for the ranking member position "signal[s] that they won't shy away from a protracted fight despite risks of being cast as obstructionist." However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that he does not expect a GOP-led filibuster, noting that Democrats have nearly enough seats to block one (AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/6).

White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs said that Obama is not expected to announce his nominee this week, although the president would like to have a replacement for Souter confirmed in time for the Supreme Court session that begins in October, the AP/Kansas City Star reports (AP/Kansas City Star, 5/5). Obama has appointed a small group of senior advisers to manage the selection process for the nomination in an attempt to avoid leaks that occurred during Obama's transition, the Washington Post reports. Members of the group include White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, White House counsel Gregory Craig and deputy counsel Cassandra Butts. According to Gibbs, Obama is looking for a nominee who "understands how being a judge affects Americans' everyday lives." Obama also has expressed that he would like a nominee who would bring a more diverse resume to the court, which is comprised entirely of former appellate judges. The Post reports that although Obama has sought out recommendations from senators of both political parties, it is highly unlikely that he would select someone who is not already on his list, which he began in December (Wilson/Barnes, Washington Post, 5/6).

Justice Ginsburg Says More Women Needed on Supreme Court

In related news, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recently said that the court needs another female justice, USA Today reports. Ginsburg, who currently is the only woman serving on the court, said, "Women belong in all places where decisions are being made." She added that having only one woman on the court sends a discouraging message about the role of women in society and noted that many international courts have higher percentages of women justices compared with the Supreme Court. Ginsburg said there are "perceptions" that female justices possess "because we are women," which can be a "subtle influence" (Biskupic, USA Today, 5/6).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

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