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US onAir- 1/27/22

US onAir- 1/27/22 1

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PBS NewsHour live episode, Jan. 27, 2022
Politico, January 27, 2022 – 6:00 pm (ET)

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/27/biden-pressed-move-fast-scotus-nominee-00003044

Dems to Biden: Move fast on SCOTUS; a tragedy could ensue
Politico, Christopher Cadelago et al.January 27, 2022

Democrats are preparing a mad-dash confirmation for President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court pick, fearful that with an evenly divided Senate, the door to act could close at any moment.

Now, they just need Biden to do something he’s historically struggled with: move fast and send them a name.

Just hours after the retirement announcement of Justice Stephen Breyer, the president was already facing increased pressure to get the gears of the nomination and confirmation processes moving. While Biden has said he intends to make his choice by the end of February, his history of missing major deadlines is causing concern. And some Democrats concede they’re already worried that a single illness, death or retirement could throw it all into chaos.

“You don’t know what the circumstances may bring, whether it’s the loss of a member or somebody crossing over to the other party,” said former Senate Majority Leader, Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), who led the last evenly-split upper chamber. “That’s something that ought to be very much on their minds right now.”

Who’s who among some possible top Supreme Court contenders
Associated Press, Jessica Gresko and Colleen LongJanuary 27, 2022

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement gives President Joe Biden a chance to make his first nomination to the high court. It’s also a chance for Biden to fulfill a campaign promise to nominate the first Black woman to be a justice.

Some things to know about the women seen as leading candidates:

KETANJI BROWN JACKSON

Ketanji Brown Jackson has known Breyer for decades. A graduate of Harvard and Harvard Law school, she was a law clerk to Breyer from 1999 to 2000. She is comfortable enough with her former boss to have a little fun at his expense. In 2017, after Breyer accidentally brought his cellphone to court and it rang, Jackson introduced him at an event and pretended to get a call mid-introduction from Breyer’s colleague, Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Talks between January 6 committee and former DOJ official, a key witness, remain on ice
CNN, Zachary Cohen, Annie Grayer and Ryan NoblesJanuary 27, 2022

Talks between former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and the House select committee investigating January 6 remain on ice nearly two months after the panel gave him a second chance to appear or face possible contempt charges.

Clark has not heard from the committee since his deposition was delayed in early December but still expects to invoke the Fifth Amendment when that meeting takes place, a source familiar with the situation tells CNN.

The committee moved late last year to hold Clark in contempt of Congress for defying his subpoena but then gave him another opportunity to meet with House investigators. That deposition then was postponed because of a “medical condition” that prevented him from participating.

Top aide to Mark Meadows met with January 6 committee
The committee has been tight-lipped about any plans related to Clark since mid-December, but another source familiar with the investigation tells CNN they expect his appearance to be rescheduled very soon.

Manchin and Sinema have hurt Biden’s agenda, but haven’t voted against a court nominee
CNN, Tierney SneedJanuary 27, 2022

Whatever issues Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema have caused for President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda, their records on Biden’s judicial confirmation efforts are a positive signal for the President as he seeks to replace the retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.

Neither Manchin nor Sinema has voted against any of Biden’s lower court nominees so far — including Biden’s picks for the federal judiciary who have attracted significant Republican heat.

Manchin and Sinema stuck with the rest of the Democratic caucus when Republicans were united against the confirmation of Jennifer Sung to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals — a confirmation that required the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris to move forward.

Manchin in particular has attracted liberal ire for holding up Biden’s Build Back Better spending plan, and both the West Virginia Democrat and Sinema voted against Democrats’ efforts to end the use of the 60-vote filibuster on voting rights legislation. But the filibuster isn’t in play for Supreme Court votes anymore.

President Biden gives remarks on the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breye
CNN, January 27, 2022 – 12:30 pm (ET)

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/27/politics/anti-trump-republicans/index.html

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