Montana’s senior U.S senator continues to reserve judgement on President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee. Judge Brett Kavanaugh is now making the rounds on Capitol Hill ahead of his September confirmation hearings.
Democratic Senator Jon Tester says he hoped to have met with the judge by now.
“Unfortunately, the White House delayed my meeting with Mr. Kavanaugh which was supposed to take place this week," Tester says.
Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine met with Kavanaugh for two hours Tuesday. The Associated Press reports that Kavanaugh told her he thinks the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion rights is settled law. Collins, an abortion rights advocate, is widely viewed as a key swing vote on his nomination.
Senator Tester is calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to release all documents related to Kavanaugh’s record.
Tester says he has not made a decision on Kavanaugh’s nomination:
“The challenge with Supreme Court nominees is they’re not very forthcoming with answers. We’ll do our best to hold his feet to the fire and make sure he gives the answers. Then I’m going to listen to the judiciary hearing, which will be when we come back in September. Then if I get a chance to meet him, I anticipate announcing sometime shortly thereafter whether I’m going to vote to confirm or whether I'm going to vote against confirmation. The jury is still out, no pun intended.”
