Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings

 

Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on the confirmation of federal judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to be the next Justice of the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh was nominated by President Donald Trump to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Instructors, click the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt and a debate question as well as other assessment questions.

Download the PowerPoint Lecture Spark for Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings

Links

“Second day of Kavanaugh hearings erupts into tense cross-examination on Mueller, racial profiling”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/09/05/brett-kavanaugh-to-be-grilled-by-senators-in-confirmation-hearing-after-day-partisan-fireworks.html

“Protesters urged to disrupt Brett Kavanaugh hearings: ‘These are not normal times’”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/09/05/brett-kavanaugh-hearing-disruptions-testimony-coordinated-supreme-court/1201785002/

“5 key takeaways from Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing”
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/protesters-interrupt-brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-hearing-day/story?id=57617263

“Capitol Police arrest 73 on day two of Kavanaugh hearings”
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/06/politics/kavanaugh-hearing-day-two-capitol-hill-police-arrests/index.html

“Kavanaugh dodges debate that could touch Trump”
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/05/kavanaugh-hearings-abortion-supreme-court-806568

“Kavanaugh’s Confirmation Hearings: What’s Wrong With This Picture?”
https://www.npr.org/2018/09/06/645099204/kavanaughs-confirmation-hearings-whats-wrong-with-this-picture

“Sen. Thom Tillis: At Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing, Democrats engage in desperate stunts”
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/09/07/sen-thom-tillis-at-kavanaughs-supreme-court-confirmation-hearing-democrats-engage-in-desperate-stunts.html

“Brett Kavanaugh and the Democrats got what they came for”
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/07/politics/supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-donald-trump-republicans-democrats/index.html

“Kavanaugh Hearing gives 2020 Dem hopefuls a chance to break out”
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/04/kavanaugh-hearing-2020-democrats-806697

“Kavanaugh Supreme Court Hearings showcase Republican partisanship, hypocrisy: Al Franken”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/09/07/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-hearings-showcase-republican-hypocrisy-column/1215578002/

Assessment

• Writing: Why has the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court elicited such strong feelings?
• Debate: The confirmation hearings of Judge Brett Kavanaugh showcased Washington D.C. politics at its worse.
• Poll: Brett Kavanaugh should be confirmed as the next Justice of the Supreme Court.
• Short Answer: Why did Democrats place such significant emphasis on obtaining more documents from the White House and more time to review them?

Current events quiz:

1) Brett Kavanaugh faced many questions regarding the Supreme Court decision having to do with abortion, __________.

a. Marbury v. Madison
b. Dred Scott v. Sanford
c. Roe v. Wade
d. Plessy v. Ferguson

2) Supreme Court Justices are appointed for terms that last __________.

1. 4 years
2. 2 years
3. for life
4. 6 years

3) This Senator asked Kavanaugh whether he had ever discussed the Russia probe or Special Counsel Mueller with anyone at his law firm.

1. Cory Booker
2. Kamala Harris
3. Jeff Flake
4. Thom Tillis

4) Kavanaugh openly declared that his loyalty lies to the Republican Party and conservatives. (T/F)

5) Brett Kavanaugh stated that he does not think that President Trump has the right to pardon himself if he is involved in illegal activity. (T/F)

6) Over 100,000 documents detailing Kavanaugh’s work in the Bush administration were withheld by the White House. (T/F)

Answers:

1) C

2) C

3) B

4) False

5) False

6) True

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