U.S. Sen. Michael Bennett on Tuesday said he's opposing President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, saying Kavanaugh would threaten women's rights and cut back "essential" environmental regulations.
"In addition, his view that sitting presidents may be immune from criminal investigations and subpoenas is particularly troublesome at this moment," Bennett, a Democrat, said in a statement.
"For these reasons, I will oppose his nomination," Bennett said.
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held four days of confirmation hearings for Kavanaugh. USA Today reported Kavanaugh was questioned about abortion, gun control and the limits of presidential powers. A vote on his confirmation could happen this month.
Bennett said in his is statement he was "deeply discouraged" by the Senate's "descent into rank partisanship."
"Regrettably, the majority’s accession to the administration’s refusal to disclose Judge Kavanaugh’s full record — including nearly 90 percent of the documents from his time in the Bush White House —represents a further abdication of the Senate’s constitutional responsibility to advise and consent," Bennett said. "The hearing was a sham. The American people would be better served by a transparent, deliberate, and bipartisan confirmation process.”
Colorado's junior U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, a Republican, met with Kavanaugh in July after he was nominated by Trump earlier that month. Gardner, a Republican, said Kavanaugh, "is a well-qualified judge who has incredible experience in the federal court."
"We had a long conversation about the role of precedent and how a judge should perform on the bench," Gardner said in a statement in July after meeting with Kavanaugh. "It’s not about personal opinion, it’s not about personal biases or policy preferences, it’s about looking at the law and ruling on the law and where the law takes you. We had a good conversation about how he would be on the Supreme Court. It was a very good meeting and I think he will make an incredible Supreme Court Justice.”
If confirmed, Kavanaugh would be Trump's second Supreme Court appointment. Trump appointed Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch last year.
