Kavanaugh hearings likely to begin in September, Grassley says

WASHINGTON – The Senate hearings on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill the seat of retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy likely will be held early next month, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Wednesday.

Grassley, who will chair the hearings as the Judiciary Committee chairman, said he hopes to have a more specific date next week, but for now he expects he will bring Kavanaugh before his panel for two to three days of questioning “sometime during September.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Grassley said the goal is to hold the hearings, committee vote and a final vote in time to confirm Kavanaugh by Oct. 1, when the Supreme Court begins its new term.

The hearing’s timing, however, will be influenced by the availability of archived records of Kavanaugh’s White House service for senators and their aides to examine to prepare their questions.

“So if we could get this all done by October 1st when the Supreme Court starts its new fall session, [that] would be ideal,” he said. “But I think we can get it done soon after that if we don’t get it done by October 1st.”

Grassley on Friday requested Kavanaugh’s associate counsel records in 2001 and 2002 from the George W. Bush Presidential Library. 

But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and his caucus have repeatedly demanded that Grassley also request records from the presidential library of his time as staff secretary to Bush from 2003 to 2005.

Grassley has refused, accusing the Democrats of trying to delay the confirmation process by demanding over a million documents. Schumer responded that Grassley is breaking precedent and added, “What are they hiding?”

Schumer on Tuesday said he had called and asked David Ferriero, the national archivist, to make the Kavanaugh staff secretary records public – and that Ferriero said he would “give it a careful look” and get back to Schumer by the end of the week.