McConnell Threatens To Hold Vote Right Before Midterms If Dems Keep Pressing For Information On Kavanaugh
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell predicts that if the vote was held that late, Democratic voters would be left deflated if Brett Kavanaugh is appointed to the seat. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has been making a lot of noise clamoring for the full set of documents from Kavanaugh’s time in the George W. Bush White House.
Politico:
McConnell Issues Supreme Court Ultimatum
Mitch McConnell has a warning for Democrats demanding copious documents on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh: Be careful what you wish for. The Senate majority leader privately told senior Republicans on Wednesday that if Democrats keep pushing for access to upwards of a million pages in records from President Donald Trump’s high court pick, he’s prepared to let Kavanaugh’s confirmation vote slip until just before November’s midterm elections, according to multiple sources. (Schor and Everett, 7/20)
In other national health care news —
The Hill:
More Than 400 Bills Aimed At Improving Reproductive Health Have Been Introduced In 2018: Report
More than 400 bills aimed at improving reproductive health have been introduced across 44 states in 2018, according to a new report. The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) on Monday released a report that found fewer state-level initiatives related to reproductive rights were introduced this year than in 2017, but that overall legislation has continued to skyrocket under President Trump's administration. (Birnbaum, 7/18)
The New York Times:
After Flint, Watchdog Urges E.P.A. To Monitor Drinking Water More Closely
The Environmental Protection Agency’s failure to intervene earlier and stop the water crisis in Flint, Mich., exposed a need for wholesale changes to how federal officials monitor drinking water systems, a government watchdog said Thursday. A report from the E.P.A.’s Office of Inspector General said management weaknesses hobbled the agency’s response to the lead and other contaminants that poisoned Flint’s drinking water for more than a year and that federal officials should have taken stronger action to correct repeated blunders by state regulators. (Smith and Friedman, 7/19)
The Hill:
Senate To Vote Monday On Trump's VA Nominee
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), the chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, said earlier Thursday that the Senate should vote to confirm Wilkie “without delay.” "It is of utmost importance that any policy changes that impact the future of the department be made by a confirmed VA secretary who can be held accountable by Congress and the American people," Isakson said. (Carney, 7/19)