Rand Paul Changes Tune on Kavanaugh Decision
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh moved one step closer to confirmation Monday after Sen. Rand Paul said he will support President Donald Trump’s choice to succeed Justice Another Kennedy.
“After meeting Judge Kavanaugh and reviewing his record, I have decided to support his nomination,” the Kentucky Republican said in a statement, according to The Hill.
Paul, who had earlier said he was undecided about Kavanaugh, met with the nominee last week. Paul disclosed his decision in a series of tweets.
“No one will ever completely agree with a nominee (unless of course, you are the nominee). Each nominee however, must be judged on the totality of their views character and opinions,” Paul tweeted.
After meeting Judge Kavanaugh and reviewing his record, I have decided to support his nomination. No one will ever completely agree with a nominee (unless of course, you are the nominee). Each nominee however, must be judged on the totality of their views character and opinions.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) July 30, 2018
Paul then streamed out a series of tweets to explain his position.
“I have expressed my concern over Judge Kavanaugh’s record on warrantless bulk collection of data and how that might apply to very important privacy cases before the Supreme Court,” Paul tweeted.
“In reviewing his record on other privacy cases like Jones, and through my conversation with him, I have hope that in light of the new precedent in Carpenter v. United States, Judge Kavanaugh will be more open to a Fourth Amendment that protects digital records and property,” Paul tweeted.
The case to which Paul referred requires that police now obtain a warrant to search long-term cell phone records in order to determine a person’s location.
“Of course, my vote is not a single-issue vote, and much of my reading and conversation has been in trying to figure out exactly how good Judge Kavanaugh will be on other issues before the Court,” Paul wrote.
“His strong defenses of the First and Second Amendments in landmark cases show someone who isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo and will fight with backbone,” Paul wrote, according to CNN. “Judge Kavanaugh will have my support and my vote to confirm him to the Supreme Court.”
My conversation with Judge Kavanaugh reinforces my belief that he will evaluate cases before the Supreme Court from a textual and originalist point of view. I believe he will carefully adhere to the Constitution and will take his job to protect individual liberty seriously.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) July 30, 2018
Kavanaugh can be confirmed without Democratic support, but it would require that all GOP senators support the nominee.
Two Republicans — Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine — appear to be leaning toward supporting Kavanaugh, Politico reported.
“Let’s put it this way: There were some who have been on the list that I would have had a very, very difficult time supporting, just based on what was already publicly known about them,” Murkowski said recently. “We’re not dealing with that.”
Collins also voiced some praise for Kavanaugh, without saying she would support him.
“It will be very difficult for anyone to argue that he’s not qualified for the job. He clearly is qualified for the job,” Collins said. “But there are other issues involving judicial temperament and his political, or rather, his judicial philosophy that also will play into my decision.”
I take my responsibility to advise & consent on a nominee to the #SCOTUS very seriously. As I did when Merrick Garland & Neil Gorsuch were nominated, I am evaluating Judge Kavanaugh’s record, legal qualifications, judicial philosophy & particularly, his views on healthcare. pic.twitter.com/onLbQd81La
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) July 16, 2018
On Monday, Kavanaugh was meeting with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, according to Fox News. Manchin is the first Democratic senator to meet with Kavanaugh.
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