Tag: GOP court packing

How the GOP managed to pack the court for decades

AlterNet Logo

Republican lawmakers may be accusing Democrats of wanting to pack the courts but the truth of the matter is that they have been court-packing federal judges for years — decades to be exact. 

A new piece published by TIME magazine highlights how Republicans have strategically structured the federal bench to ensure their party has a controlling voice in the judicial system.

It’s no secret Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has placed an emphasis on confirming more conservative judges. While the Republican Party has lost control of the White House, Senate, and House, their impact on the court system still gives them some form of power to fall back on — a power-balancing tactic McConnell is quite familiar with. Continue reading.

Senator opening investigation into Federalist Society’s link to ‘dark money’ used to pack the courts

AlterNet logo

According to a report from Punchbowl News, now that the Democrats have control of the U.S. Senate, one senator plans to use his ascension to chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights subcommittee to take a hard look at how “dark money” is being used to elevate conservative judges to lifetime federal appointments.

In particular, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) plans to focus on the Federalist Society which has long made recommendations to Republican presidents when it comes to critical appointments that can sway the balance of the courts.With Punchbowl describing Whitehouse’s plans as a “war” on the Federalist Society, the report notes that the Democrat has long been seeking to dig into the conservative group’s influence.

Reporting that Wednesday’s hearing is being called, “What’s Wrong with the Supreme Court: The Big-Money Assault on Our Judiciary,” the report states, “Whitehouse’s target is the Federalist Society, which he says has been involved in a years’ long effort to gain control of the federal judiciary — especially the Supreme Court. It’s a topic Whitehouse has railed about for awhile, including during the confirmation hearing for now Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.” Continue reading.

McConnell tees up Barrett nomination, setting up rare weekend session

The Hill logo

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Friday teed up Judge Amy Coney Barrett‘s Supreme Court nomination, paving the way for a rare weekend session roughly a week before the November election.

McConnell’s move sets up a vote to end debate on Barrett’s nomination for Sunday, with a final vote to confirm her to the Supreme Court expected by early Monday evening.

The Senate is expected to be in session on both Saturday and Sunday debating Barrett’s nomination, though her confirmation is guaranteed absent an unlikely last-minute surprise. Continue reading.