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Roberts at High Court Confirmation Hearing: "I Have
No Agenda"
Senate Dems Call For Open Questioning of Roberts as GOPs
Encourage Nominee to Avoid Controversial Topics
Honduran Immigrants in New Orleans: Fleeing Hurricanes Mitch,
Katrina and Now the U.S. Government
After Katrina, Where Have All the Prisoners Gone?
Roberts at High Court Confirmation Hearing: "I
Have No Agenda"
The Senate opened confirmation hearings Monday for John
Roberts to become the nation's 17th chief justice. If confirmed,
Roberts would be the youngest chief justice in two centuries
and would be positioned to lead the court for decades. We
play Roberts' opening remarks. [includes rush
transcript]
The Senate opened confirmation hearings Monday for John Roberts
to become the nation's 17th chief justice. If confirmed, Roberts
would be the youngest chief justice in two centuries. And
he would be positioned to lead the court for decades.
A federal appeals court judge for the past two years, Roberts
served in the Republican administrations of President Ronald
Reagan and the first President George Bush.
Monday's hearing was devoted solely to opening statements
-- from the 18 eighteen members on the Senate Judiciary Committee,
the three senators chosen to introduce Roberts and from the
nominee himself.
As the afternoon came to a close, Roberts was sworn in by
committee chair Arlen Specter. Speaking without notes, Roberts
gave a brief opening statement in which he outlined his view
of the judiciary.
- John Roberts, chief justice nominee.
Senate Dems Call For Open Questioning of Roberts
as GOPs Encourage Nominee to Avoid Controversial Topics
During the opening day of confirmation hearings of John
Roberts as chief justice, Democrats repeatedly said all questions
to the nominee were fair game, including about issues such
as abortion and civil rights. Republicans encouraged Roberts
not to answer questions about his views on controversial topics.
We play excerpts of the hearing. [includes rush
transcript]
John Roberts' opening statement came after the 18 members
of the Senate Judiciary Committee - 10 Republicans and 8 Democrats
- delivered their opening statements.
While lawmakers from both sides of the aisle praised Roberts'
credentials, Democrats challenged his commitment to civil
rights and women's rights. They cited documents stemming from
Roberts' work as a government lawyer under Presidents Reagan
and George HW Bush.
Democrats repeatedly said all questions were fair game. They
promised to use the nearly weeklong hearings to ask Roberts
about a number of issues including abortion, civil rights
and the powers of the presidency and Congress.
- Sen. Joseph Biden (D - Delaware)
While Democrats asserted that all questions during the hearing
were fair game, Republicans used the opening day to encourage
Roberts not to answer questions about his views on controversial
topics.
- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R - South Carolina)
President Bush nominated Roberts despite pressure from Republicans
and even from his own wife, Laura Bush, that he should name
a woman following the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
who was considered a swing vote on the closely divided court.
Roberts is a solidly conservative Republican and has come
under criticism for his work and views on abortion. Many Democrats
said they intended to question Judge Roberts on his views
of "the right to privacy," the basis for the Roe
v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion, which he once seemed to
dismiss as a "so called right." At Monday's hearing,
it was Senator Dianne Feinstein of California who made the
strongest comments of the day on reproductive rights.
- Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D - California)
Many Republicans on the panel came with a set of procedural
talking points aimed at encouraging Roberts not to answer
the Democrats' questions about his views on controversial
issues before the court.
- Sen. Chuck Grassley (R - Iowa)
Honduran Immigrants in New Orleans: Fleeing Hurricanes
Mitch, Katrina and Now the U.S. Government
It is estimated that 120,000 Hondurans lived in the New
Orleans area. Many were refugees from Hurricane Mitch, which
devastated Honduras in 1998 killing up to 10,000 people. While
many Honduran immigrants were granted temporary legal status,
others are undocumented and fear deportation. Democracy Now!
travels to Louisiana to speak with some of the Honduran survivors
there. [includes rush
transcript]
It is estimated that 120,000 Hondurans lived in the New Orleans
area. Many were refugees from Hurricane Mitch, which devastated
Honduras in 1998 killing up to 10,000 people. Others came
to the area to work at Louisiana's ports and fisheries. Now
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this community is on
the move again. Though the U.S granted temporary legal status
for the Honduran victims of Mitch, others are undocumented
and fear deportation - and it is unclear how the U.S government
will handle their citizenship status.
According to an article in Inter Press Service, Honduran
ambassador to the United States Norman Garcia lamented that
the offers of food, medical and logistical support made by
Latin American and Caribbean governments have been turned
down.
Mexico's consul in Houston told IPS "undocumented migrants
live in a state of terror."
Democracy Now! traveled to Louisiana this weekend and spoke
with some of the Honduran survivors there. Just out of New
Orleans is the community of Gonzales.
- Jorge Vitanza, Honduran Consular Agent.
- Santa, Honduran immigrant.
- Melissa Gutierrez, the pastor of Healing Place church
in Gonzales, LA.
- Mirta Flores, Honduran immigrant.
After Katrina, Where Have All the Prisoners Gone?
A makeshift prison has been set up in the Greyhound bus
and train station in downtown New Orleans. The nearby prison,
was flooded after hurricane Katrina. What happened to the
prisoners there and in other parish prisons in New Orleans?
A writ of habeas corpus was recently filed for an accounting
of the prisoners. We speak Louisiana defense attorney Phyllis
Mann. [includes rush
transcript]
A makeshift prison has been set up in the Greyhound bus and
train station in downtown New Orleans. It's being run by the
Burl Cain - the warden of Angola prison as well as prison
guards from New York.
The nearby prison, the Orleans jail was flooded after the
hurricane. What happened to the prisoners there and in other
parish prisons in New Orleans? Yesterday, a writ of habeas
corpus was filed in Louisiana for an accounting of the prisoners.
- Phyllis Mann, defense attorney in Alexandria, LA
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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