Res. No. 458
Title
Resolution calling upon the United States Senate to oppose the confirmation of President Donald Trump's nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, to the United States Supreme Court.
Body
By Council Members Levine, Ayala, Rosenthal, Brannan, Powers, Kallos, Levin, Constantinides, Richards, Koslowitz, Reynoso, Williams, Rivera and Rodriguez
Whereas, On June 27, 2018, Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his decision to retire from the United States (U.S.) Supreme Court, creating a vacancy on the country's highest court; and
Whereas, President Donald Trump has the power to nominate judges to the U.S. Supreme Court with advice and consent of the U.S. Senate under the Constitution; and
Whereas, On July 9, 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh, a federal appeals court judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy; and
Whereas, Brett Kavanaugh's decisions on the bench and writings off the bench offer insights into how he might make decisions on the highest court; and
Whereas, In Garza v. Hargan (2017), Brett Kavanaugh sought to undercut women's reproductive rights, contending that an undocumented 17-year-old in immigration detention should not be allowed to seek an abortion unless she has a sponsor, but the full appeals court overturned his decision; and
Whereas, In Priest of Life v. United States Department of Health and Human Services (2015), Brett Kavanaugh undermined women's health in the name of extreme religious ideology, arguing in his dissent that the Affordable Care Act's contraception coverage mandate infringes on religious liberty; and
Whereas, In a 2009 law review article, Brett Kavanaugh proposed that a sitting president should be exempt from criminal prosecution and investigation, which professes a dangerous level of unchecked executive authority; and
Whereas, In PHH Corporation et al. v. Consumer Financ...
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