Democrats refocus fight against Trump's Supreme Court nominee on healthcare
Reuters
Published Jul 11, 2018 07:45PM ET
Democrats refocus fight against Trump's Supreme Court nominee on healthcare
By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats on Wednesday were reorienting their uphill push to block U.S. Senate confirmation of President Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, moving healthcare to the center of their strategy and putting less emphasis on abortion rights.
While the two issues are closely linked, the change aligns with polling that shows healthcare is a major concern for swing-state voters ahead of November's congressional elections, with abortion rights more divisive.
No matter the top issue, Democrats will have a hard time derailing the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
Trump's Republicans have a 51-49 Senate majority, enough to confirm Kavanaugh if they stick together. But they have little margin for error and Democrats see healthcare as a potential wedge issue.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday rattled off topics Kavanaugh might have to rule on as a Supreme Court justice. "But at the top of the list is healthcare," he said.
Democratic strategist Jim Manley noted, "This is one argument that unites the (Democratic) caucus."
Congressional Republicans suffered a crushing defeat in 2017 when they tried and failed to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, former President Barack Obama's healthcare law. Democrats hope public support for healthcare will help them repeat that victory by building opposition to Kavanaugh, a conservative federal appeals court judge and Trump's second nominee to the high court.
If confirmed, Kavanaugh and the court might have to consider a lawsuit by Texas and other states challenging Obamacare's health insurance protections for patients with pre-existing conditions, such as cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's.
The case has slim chance of success even if it does reach the conservative-leaning Supreme Court, said legal scholars, including some involved in previous Obamacare challenges.
Still, Democrats are pointing to that case as a red flag as Congress considers elevating Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
As a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Kavanaugh dissented in 2011 from the appeals court's conclusion that Obamacare did not violate the U.S. Constitution. The dissent was narrowly focused.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said on Wednesday that Trump, in choosing Kavanaugh, is "trying to rig a Supreme Court such that it will strike down protections for pre-existing conditions and he has a case ready to move to the Supreme Court to do just that."
West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, battling for reelection in a state Trump won in 2016, in a statement on Kavanaugh's nomination, said the "Supreme Court will ultimately decide if nearly 800,000 West Virginians with pre-existing conditions will lose their healthcare."
Get The News You Want
Compared to their initial attacks on Kavanaugh, Democrats are putting less stress in recent days on the possibility that he could threaten Roe v Wade, a landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision supporting abortion rights.
Republican Senator Susan Collins, a moderate and a key swing vote in the Senate, has signaled concern about Kavanaugh and abortion, but also about healthcare. Speaking to reporters, she said, "The healthcare issues are very important to me."
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.