Kavanaugh also wrote law review articles in 19 that questioned whether a president can be investigated while in office, except by Congress under its impeachment power. Mueller III could be fired directly by the president, and the status of many of the so-called independent agencies could be in doubt.
In speeches and court opinions, Kavanaugh has espoused versions of the “unitary executive” theory, which is sometimes said to mean the president has the constitutional power to hire, fire and control all the “officers” of the U.S. The issue of presidential power is likely to be the focus of many questions, both because of Kavanaugh’s views and President Trump’s legal troubles. “The audience is the American people and our colleagues, and the two are closely related, because the American people need to know what’s at stake and the impacts on their everyday lives.” “I’m going to be asking about his view of privacy rights, women’s healthcare and healthcare generally, whether the president is immune from the legal process if he is subpoenaed by a grand jury, whether the president is above the law,” Sen. While a few nominees opted to withdraw after encountering criticism, none has been blocked by the committee, despite the slim GOP margin.īut Democrats are determined to put up a fight over Kavanaugh, believing his conservative views would not be popular if they were widely understood. Since Trump took office last year, the White House and the committee have worked in tandem to swiftly approve conservative nominees for the courts, including Justice Neil M. The partisan divide is sharp and clear in the Judiciary Committee.