Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 18 July 2018
Senate GOP, Dems fight over Kavanaugh confirmation documents

By ALAN FRAM do it.
Associated Press The aide spoke on condition
WASHINGTON (AP) — A of anonymity to describe
Senate battle was brewing private discussions.
Tuesday over Democrats' As White House staff
requests for documents secretary, Kavanaugh saw
from Supreme Court nomi- virtually all of the tens of
nee Brett Kavanaugh's thousands of documents
career, with his time in that reached Bush's
President George W. Bush's desk. Processing those
White House emerging as a documents could take a
potential focal point of that long time.
fight. President Donald Trump
No. 2 Senate Republican nominated Kavanaugh
leader John Cornyn told to the Supreme Court
reporters about "rumblings" vacancy on July 9.
that Democrats want Kavanaugh worked under
"every scrap of paper" from independent counsel
Kavanaugh's career. Kenneth Starr during the
"We're not going to sit idly by investigation of then-
and allow our Democratic President Bill Clinton in the
colleagues to draw this out late 1990s. He was also
by making unreasonable Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, center, joined by, from left, Sen. John Barrasso, involved in the Bush 2000
document demands which R-Wyo., Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., tell reporters they are aiming to presidential campaign's
would delay this hearing confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in time for the opening of the high court's term effort to end that year's
until well past the election," in October, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 17, 2018. disputed Florida recount.q
the Texan told reporters. Associated Press
GOP leaders have talked
about hoping to confirm a member of the Senate
Kavanaugh by the Oct. 1 Judiciary Committee,
start of the next Supreme said Democrats were not
Court term. Most Democrats making unreasonable
are expected to oppose requests for documents.
the nomination of the "We should have access
53-year-old conservative. to all of his writings. And I
Cornyn said his "suggestion" think that's not an unusual
was that Democrats request," he said in a brief
should concentrate on interview. He said papers
Kavanaugh's dozen years from Kavanaugh's time as
as judge on the powerful Bush's staff secretary were
U.S. Court of Appeals for "an essential element to
the D.C. Circuit, a post he this."
assumed in 2006. He said A senior Democratic
Democrats have issued "no Senate aide said
requests" for records from Democrats want as many
his three-year stint as staff relevant documents as
secretary in Bush's White possible, especially from
House, when Cornyn said his time as Bush's staff
Kavanaugh was "basically secretary. The aide says
managing the paper flow Democratic senators
for the administration." haven't agreed to meet
But Democrats seem to with Kavanaugh because
have a particular interest in they want to understand
that period of Kavanaugh's what documents the White
life. House and Republicans will
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., produce and how they'll