September 19, 2020

Democrats Warn Republicans Not to Rush SCOTUS Vote

Or else.

Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., conducts a Senate Judiciary Committee markup on judicial nominations in Russell Building on Thursday, September 17, 2020. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

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Democrats signaled that they would present a united front and strongly oppose any Republican effort to ram through a quick confirmation of a Supreme Court nomination by President Donald Trump. On a conference call with Democratic senators on Saturday morning, minority leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (New York), warned that if Republicans did try to approve a Trump nominee before the election, there would be consequences. 

The threat is likely a reference to the idea that a Democratic president and Democratically-controlled Senate might try to expand the Supreme Court—an idea that has been percolating through progressive circles for awhile now and slowly picking up support from the party’s center.

It’s hardly a given that all Democrats would back the move. Democratic senators are, however, presenting a united front in opposition to holding hearings on a Trump nominee. All ten Democratic members of the Senate’s Judiciary committee—the one that would hold hearings on any potential Supreme Court justice nominee made by President Donald Trump—signed a letter urging Republican Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham to stick to his own promise, made in 2016 when roles were reversed. 

Democrats have been circulating a video of Graham being interviewed in 2016 when he staunchly insisted he would treat a Republican nominee for the Supreme Court during an election year the same way he opposed confirming President Barack Obama’s pick of Merrick Garland in early 2016.

Despite this, Graham tweeted on Saturday that he would support confirmation of a Trump nominee before the election because he felt the situation had changed since he made that promise—notably that Democrats had grilled Brett Kavanaugh over allegations he had assaulted a woman when he was in high school.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

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