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Alito hearings, vote set for January
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-11-04 11:00
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday brushed aside White House requests
for an early hearing on Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito and scheduled
hearings and a vote in January.
![Judge Samuel Alito, left, meets with Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark.,on Capitol Hill Thrusday, Nov. 3, 2005, to discuss Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court. [AP]](xin_4311020411052661508418.jpg)
Judge Samuel Alito,
left, meets with Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark.,on Capitol Hill Thrusday, Nov. 3,
2005, to discuss Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court. [AP] |
| "It
simply wasn't possible to accommodate the schedule that the White House wanted:
before Christmas. It just couldn't be done. We have to do it right. We can't do
it fast," said Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania
Republican, announcing the timetable alongside Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the top
Democrat on the panel.
The week of committee hearings will begin on January 9, with a vote in the
full Senate planned for January 20.
President George W. Bush nominated Alito to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on
the high court. The nomination is controversial because Alito's record suggests
he is far more conservative than O'Connor, who often casts a swing vote on the
closely divided nine-member court.
"We will be going on a very fast pace. But we're doing one that is
reasonable," Leahy said.
Bush wanted Alito in place before the court begins hearing new cases in
January, but O'Connor has agreed to serve until her successor is approved. It's
possible some cases would have to be reargued, depending on when O'Connor
finally steps down.
Specter and Leahy both said their staffs -- who have worked at a hectic pace
during the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts and the failed nomination
of Harriet Miers -- need time to review Alito's voluminous legal record.
He has served 15 years on a federal appeals court and was a government lawyer
before that.
"We had hoped the hearings would be finished by the end of the year. However,
we have tremendous confidence in Sen. Specter, who handled Chief Justice
Roberts' confirmation process so well. We are encouraged by the bipartisan
momentum that has set the vote on the Senate floor for January 20th," White
House spokeswoman Dana Perino said from Argentina, where Bush is attending a
summit of the Americas.
Leahy said a slower process could actually end up helping Alito.
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