Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Tuesday 7 February 2017
Supreme Court pick meets with Dems as GOP applies pressure

MARY JALONICK ad.
Associated Press As Republicans try to pres-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- sure Democrats to vote
publicans and conserva- for Trump’s Supreme Court
tive groups stepped up nominee, they also face
their campaign to secure questions about Trump’s
confirmation of President tweets over the weekend
Donald Trump’s Supreme criticizing a federal ap-
Court nominee as the fed- peals court judge who
eral judge courted two suspended the president’s
Senate Democrats crucial travel ban on refugees and
to his winning a seat on the travelers from seven pre-
high court. dominantly Muslim coun-
Judge Neil Gorsuch met tries.
Monday with California In tweets, Trump dis-
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the missed U.S. District Court
top Democrat on the Sen- Judge James Robart as a
ate Judiciary Committee, “so-called judge” and his
and Montana Sen. Jon Tes- decision “ridiculous.”
ter, a Democrat running for
re-election in a state that “We don’t have so-called
Trump won handily. Unlike judges,” Sen. Ben Sasse,
some Senate Democrats R-Neb., a member of the
who have already said Supreme Court Justice nominee, Neil Gorsuch meets with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., ranking Senate Judiciary Commit-
they will oppose Trump’s member of the Senate Judiciary Committee in her office on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, tee, said Sunday on ABC’s
Feb. 6, 2017.
nominee, both have said (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) “This Week.”q
they will wait to decide.
After his meeting with Gor- is running three ads to pres-
such, Tester said the two sure certain Democrats to
talked about corpora- vote for him.
tions’ involvement in elec- Separate ads target Wis-
tions, the environment and consin Sen. Tammy Bald-
women’s health, among win and Indiana Sen. Joe
other issues. He said he is Donnelly in their home
“open” to supporting Gor- states, asking voters to tell
such. their senators to put state
“I would encourage all of and country ahead of their
my fellow senators to meet party. Both are running for
with him and give him a fair re-election next year in
shake. He deserves that,” states won by Trump.
Tester said. An ad airing in Washington
Feinstein did not comment says Democrats are play-
after her meeting, but she ing politics with the nomi-
said last week that she nation.
wanted to take time to “Tell Democrats the elec-
consider his record. tion is over, the people de-
“We need time to do our cided,” the ad says.
work so that we can make The conservative group
a decision and make re- Judicial Crisis Network has
marks that will stand the pledged to spend $10 mil-
test of time, and not be lion to help confirm Gor-
cheap shots, or bad or such, and has already
rushed,” Feinstein said. released $2 million in ads
“Because this is a lifetime in Tester’s home state of
appointment, this is as big Montana, Donnelly’s home
as it gets.” state of Indiana, and also
Senate Minority Leader Missouri and North Dakota,
Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., additional states where
has said Trump’s nominee Trump won and Senate
must be able to win sup- Democrats are running for
port from 60 of the Sen- re-election. They are also
ate’s 100 members. Re- running ads in Colorado,
publicans have a 52-48 Gorsuch’s home state.
majority, so Senate Majori- One of the group’s ads
ty Leader Mitch McConnell features Jane Nitze, a for-
will need the support of at mer Obama administration
least eight Democrats to lawyer who also clerked for
confirm him easily. In an ef- Gorsuch.
fort to win those votes, the “He will have a great deal
Senate GOP’s campaign of respect for folks on all
arm, the National Republi- sides of the ideological
can Senatorial Committee, spectrum,” Nitze says in the