The Senate reconvened at 10:00 A.M. and has resumed consideration of the motion to proceed to, H.R.4521, America COMPETES Act, post-cloture.
Earlier today, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) tried to quickly move House passed legislation to end normal trade relations with Russia but it was held up by Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), the top Republican on the Finance Committee, who blocked Schumer’s request, which he was widely expected to do. Crapo had previously warned that he would block quick passage of the House bill if it didn’t include a ban on importing Russian oil. The House legislation, which cleared that chamber last week in an 424-8 vote, raises tariffs on goods from Russia and Belarus and sets up strict guidelines for when the president can restore normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus based on the state of the war. The Biden administration will additionally be obligated to push for Russia’s removal from the World Trade Organization. The bill also reauthorizes and expands the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
On the third day of her hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson explained her sentencing practices and her views on expanding the Supreme Court, among other topics, in another day of questions from members of the Committee as hearings continue over her historic nomination to be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. Senators asked the Judge about a wide range of topics Tuesday, including about her judicial philosophy, her faith, her work as a former federal public defender and sentences she handed down as a District Court judge in Washington. Wednesday’s hearing began with two senators finishing up their first round of questions, before moving into a second round – slightly shorter – with questions from the committee’s 22 members. Today’s hearing descended directly into a squabble when Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, used an opening statement to rebut criticism from GOP senators, including several White House hopefuls, during the first day of questioning, especially around the baseless claims that the Judge is soft on crime and gave lenient sentences to those convicted of child pornography.
Democrats are planning to finish the hearings on Thursday and hope to move Jackson to a final confirmation vote by early April. The Senate Judiciary Committee released the list of witnesses who will provide testimony on Thursday today. The list includes Ann Claire Williams, D. Jean Veta, and Joseph M. Drayton of the American Bar Association. The second group of majority witnesses is made up of Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty of Ohio, University of Virginia School of Law dean Risa Goluboff, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights president Wade Henderson, lawyer Richard B. Rosenthal, and National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives President Captain Frederick Thomas. On the minority side, the witnesses are Alabama state Attorney General Steve Marshall, The C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State co-director Jennifer Mascott, anti-abortion activist Eleanor McCullen, First Liberty’s Keisha Russell and Operation Underground Railroad’s Alessandra Serano.
While the lower chamber is in recess this week, House Republicans will hold their retreat in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida starting today.
