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Senators Question Alito on Past Statements and Rulings on
Abortion, Presidential Power and the Role of the Judiciary
Senators Question Alito on Past Statements and Rulings
on Abortion, Presidential Power and the Role of the Judiciary
On Capitol Hill, Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito is entering
his third day of confirmation hearings today before the Senate
Judiciary Committee. On Tuesday, Alito was repeatedly questioned
about his past statements and rulings on abortion, presidential
power and the role of the judiciary.
We play excerpts of the hearings including the questioning
of Alito by Senators Arlen Specter, Diane Feinstein and Jeff
Sessions on abortion and Roe v. Wade and Sen. Patrick Leahy
on spying and torture and Alito's membership in a discriminatory
Princeton group. [includes rush
transcript - partial]
On abortion, Alito vowed to approach the issue with a "open
mind." But several Senators questioned whether he still
believes -- as he did in 1985 -- that he personally believes
"that the Constitution does not protect a right to an
abortion." We will hear Alito discussing abortion later
in the show. But first we turn to the issue of presidential
power.
- Sen. Patrick Leahy (D - VT), ranking member on the Senate
Judiciary Committee questioning supreme court nominee Samuel
Alito.
Although Samuel Alito was repeatedly questioned on the issue
of abortion, he said little new beyond vowing to keep an open
mind. On Tuesday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen
Specter -- the Republican from Pennsylvania -- opened his
questioning of Alito by focusing on the issue of abortion.
- Sen. Arlen Specter (R - PA) , chairman of the Senate
Judiciary Committee questioning supreme court nominee Samuel
Alito.
Later in the day, New York Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat,
raised more questions about Alito's 1985 statement that "the
Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion."
- Sen. Chuck Schumer (D - NY), questioning supreme court
nominee Samuel Alito.
We turn to California Senator Diane Feinstein. She asked
about the Casey vs. Planned Parenthood when Judge Alito voted
to uphold a Pennsylvania law requiring women to notify their
husbands before having an abortion.
- Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D - CA) , questioning supreme
court nominee Samuel Alito.
Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama attempted to
counter the Democrats charges that Alito was a threat to Roe
V. Wade by pointing to evidence where Alito appeared to come
down on the side of protecting the right to an abortion.
- Sen. Jeff Sessions (R - AL), questioning supreme court
nominee Samuel Alito.
During the Alito hearings Senators also raised numerous other
issues from the constitutionality of anti-pornography laws
to the 2000 case that decided the Bush-Gore election to Alito's
membership in a controversial group at Princeton called the
Concerned Alumni of Princeton -- a group criticized for opposing
the inclusion of women and minorities at Princeton.
- Sen. Patrick Leahy (D - VT), ranking member on the Senate
Judiciary Committee questioning supreme court nominee Samuel
Alito.
Moments after Senator Patrick Leahy stopped questioning Samuel
Alito about the Concerned Alumni of Princeton. Republican
Orrin Hatch of Utah took up the issue.
- Sen. Orrin Hatch (R - UT), questioning supreme court
nominee Samuel Alito.
Senator Joseph Biden, a Democrat from Delaware spoke about
the significance of the confirmation vote before the Senate
Judiciary Committee.
- Sen. Joseph Biden (D - DL), Senate confirmation hearings
on Samuel Alito.
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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