1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: You're listening to Bloomberg Law with June Grasso from Bloomberg Radio. 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: Senate Democrats are all but powerless to keep Judge Amy 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: Coney Barrett off the Supreme Court. Barrett was questioned about 4 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: abortion rights, Obamacare, guns at election disputes. She declined to 5 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 1: answer questions on some issues she has expressed personal opinions 6 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: on in the past, such as abortion rights, or on 7 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: what she would do recording other matters likely to come 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: before the Supreme Court. My guest is Harold Crant, a 9 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: professor at the Chicago Kent College of Law. What did 10 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: we learn about Judge Barrett from the hearings? We've learned 11 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: very little about Judge Barrett that We've mostly learned that 12 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: the centers are using this nomination process as a way 13 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: to reach the American people and influence them for the election. 14 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: That's what they focused on, and both Republicans and Democrats 15 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: are using spin to try to get voters on their side. 16 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: Judge Barrett has refused to answer numerous quess Gin's about 17 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: many different topics. Has this become the norm for Supreme 18 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: Court nominations hearings or is she taking it even a 19 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: step further? Unfortunately, she's very close to the norm. I mean, 20 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,839 Speaker 1: the perfecting the art of the non answer is something 21 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: that she's taken, perhaps to a different level, but we've 22 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 1: seen that in the last several nominations, and unfortunately, in 23 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: this age of partisanship, UM, the non answer is the 24 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: one that gets by and doesn't antagonize any of the 25 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: senators who are asking questions. There are a couple of 26 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: clues that have come through. To give you one prominent example, 27 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: Judge Barrett said that the president of Brown versus Board 28 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: of Education recognizing that separate is not equal is entrenched 29 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: into our system, has been accepted, and she would never 30 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: be second guest uh. And she refused to do that 31 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: for ro versus Wade. She said that despite the fact 32 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:59,559 Speaker 1: that the court has reconsidered it an affirm ro versus Wade, 33 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: the fact that there's so much discussion about it means 34 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: that it's not entrenched. And so her theory, which a 35 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: little bizarre, is that if the president is accepted, there's 36 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: no reason to re examine it, which of course is obvious. 37 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: But if it's not accepted, then you can re examine it. 38 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: So her her answers, even in contrast to those UH, 39 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: now Justice Kavanaugh, just a couple of years ago, suggests 40 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 1: a willingness to reconsider ropersts way, So I would consider 41 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: that the biggest crewe that she left dropped today in 42 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: discussion so far. She talked with Lindsey Graham at the 43 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: beginning about precedent and what she calls a super precedent. 44 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: First of all, is super precedent something you teach in 45 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: law school nowadays? So super president is not something that 46 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: we have historically taught her that knew anything about. And indeed, 47 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 1: just as Kavanagh used the expression president on precedent, which 48 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: I had not been aware of until he used to. 49 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,399 Speaker 1: And so what these jurors are do when you're trying 50 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: to suggest that there are some presidents, yes, that we 51 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: should re examine, and some presidents that are beyond reproach. 52 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 1: And there is a consensus in the academy and probably 53 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: amongst the Court, that the justices should be willing to 54 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: reconsider constitutional precedents, more readily the statutory precedents, because Congress 55 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: can always change a statutory interpretation by the Court that 56 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 1: they disagree with, and Congress can't do that with the 57 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: Court's interpretation of the Constitution. What do you think of 58 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: the fact that she was willing to say that Casey 59 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: was precedent but not Roe v. Wade. My interpretation of 60 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: our answer is suggesting that despite Casey, there's still so 61 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: much discussion and so much handwringing about the status of 62 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: Casey and roversus way that it's not entrance precedent, which 63 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: to me was a clear signal. Maybe not in the 64 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: first case you hear is, maybe not in the second, 65 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: but at some point she would be willing to overturn 66 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: Roe versus Weight itself. Have you ever heard that definition 67 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: of precedent before? Again, it makes no sense to me 68 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: at all, because the point is if it's a circle, um, 69 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 1: it's it's likely because if people have then are willing 70 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: to overturned precedent, suddenly it becomes eligible for overturning, which 71 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: is no rule at all. So her rule of star 72 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 1: discisis or precedent is far weaker than others on the court, 73 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: even weaker than that of the least that professed, you know, 74 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: by Justice kav and not just a couple years ago. 75 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: Maybe she misspoke, but it seems sound to me as 76 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 1: if she said, if it's a controversial precedent, it's fair game. 77 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: Let's go on to Obamacare, And she has written about 78 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: Justice Robert's opinion in Obamacare and criticized it. What do 79 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 1: you take away from what she said about any case 80 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: of Obamacare coming before of her. But she clearly indicated 81 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:04,840 Speaker 1: that she would not recuse herself, and I don't think 82 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: the rules currently would force her to recuse herself at all. 83 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: She did give a little bit of clue um by 84 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: saying that the precise issue that would be before the 85 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: Court in early November, right after the election, dealing with Obamacare, 86 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: has to do it with the constitutional a doctrine called severability, 87 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:27,840 Speaker 1: which asks how do you ascertain congresses underlying intent if 88 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 1: one part of the statute is deemed unconstitutional? And that 89 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 1: really on that issue hangs the fate of Obamacare. And 90 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 1: she said, look, that wasn't that issue when I wrote 91 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:41,679 Speaker 1: the article, um, and I've done no writing on it. 92 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: It's a separate issue. And if I'm on the quote 93 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: and the issue comes up, I'm gonna have to grabble 94 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: with it or for the first time. And that's something 95 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:53,160 Speaker 1: that suggests at least that she is not perhaps made 96 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: up her decision, and that her writings would not convince 97 00:05:56,480 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: her that she should vote to hold unconstitutional. I'm skeptical, 98 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: but that's at least a two leaf from what she 99 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: said in the hearings. I've been talking to Professor Harold 100 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,359 Speaker 1: Crent of the Chicago Kent College of Law. What was 101 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: your take on her description of when she would recuse 102 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: herself from a case. Isn't it up to the justices 103 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: themselves to decide that there are some clear directives in 104 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: terms of like financial um involvement that would require a 105 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: judge too accuse themselves. I believe there's also a would 106 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: if here had been involved in the case previously. As 107 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: for instances executive branch officers, so we've had justice since 108 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: we accuse themselves when they hear a case that challenged 109 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: something in which they were involved in the they were 110 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: in the Justice Department. But there is a wide ray 111 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: gray area, and so what I think she was saying, 112 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 1: and I think with some justification that at least the 113 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 1: examples suggested to her by the senators were in that 114 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 1: gray area, fact specific and likely she wouldn't have to 115 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: um recuse yourself. I'm the one issue that was raised 116 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: um which said some lights on this is she's been 117 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: asked several times whether she promised the President to rule 118 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: in a particular way on a given case, because that, 119 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: of course, is what President Trump has made it seem like. 120 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 1: And she clearly stated that that was not the case, um, 121 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: because that would have strengthened the case for recusal. But 122 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: on the question of the constitutionality of Obamacare, or what 123 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 1: would happen if there was a challenge to President Trump's 124 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 1: um election come November, she clearly said, I have made 125 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: no promises, I'd have no pre commitments about ruling in 126 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: any way on those cases, which again would signal that 127 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: she doesn't believe she would ever need to recuse herself 128 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: in those settings. I remember that Justice Scalia refused to 129 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: recuse himself from a case involving Cheney, even though he 130 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: was friendly with Dick Cheney and had gone hunting with him. 131 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: Even there's no one the chief Justice is not looking 132 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: at the Justice and saying, oh, you have to accuse 133 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: yourself in this case. No, that's that's right, And and um, 134 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: again one could an issue might arise, But I don't 135 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: think this this particular set of circumstances dictates a need 136 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: to uh for any kind of recusals. So I do 137 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: think that Judge Barrett was on strong ground and thinking, 138 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: you know, and saying or expressing her belief that, yes, 139 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: you might have to accuse yourself in in some cases. 140 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 1: For instance, that there was a case in which she 141 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 1: was involved in the Seventh Circuit Um, but and just 142 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:44,319 Speaker 1: because of this politically charged atmosphere near an election, I 143 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: don't think that necessarily would force your hand to accuse 144 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:50,679 Speaker 1: yourself from any kind of controversial case. And about in 145 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: President Trump or involved in Obamacare. At one point I 146 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:59,719 Speaker 1: believe it was Senator Durban was asking her about just 147 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 1: as that she took part in at the Seventh Circuit, 148 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: and in one decision she was in dissent in saying 149 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 1: that she thought that a felon should have the right 150 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: to own a gun. Her rulings on the Seventh Circuit 151 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 1: are comprehensive that they haven't touched upon many of the 152 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: constitutionally charged issues of the day. And one of the 153 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:22,719 Speaker 1: cases that she has ruled upon, she did sent it 154 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 1: in a case in which um the court held that 155 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,560 Speaker 1: a non violent felon did not have the right to 156 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:34,199 Speaker 1: possess a gun, and she thought that as an individual 157 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: right back in sevente she believes the Second Amendment is 158 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: an individual right that should give a wide ambit or 159 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: live possibility for people to then enjoy that right, even 160 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: felons who are non violent felons. Um, So that she 161 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 1: signaled they're a very strong interest in maintaining the robust 162 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 1: Second Amendment. And of course, um, the Republicans were delighted 163 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: to highlight that as a way of trying to embrace 164 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: people who like guns in this country to vote the 165 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: Republican come um the election. So you know, you might 166 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: ask yourself if if there's a Second Amendment right to 167 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: for felons to own guns, then shouldn't there be a 168 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 1: right to vote as well? Um. Whether she would agree 169 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: with that statement, Um, I'm not sure, but we may 170 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 1: find out in the future. Justice Scalia was her mentor, 171 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: and she has said that she will follow in Justice 172 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: Scalia's footsteps. She says, you're not going to get a 173 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: Justice Scalia, You're going to get a Justice Barrett. Yes, 174 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:41,440 Speaker 1: she's an originalist, a textualist. What does that tell you? 175 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: It tells us not everything, but tells us that, like 176 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: Justice Scalia, should be very skeptical of sort the broad, 177 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:52,560 Speaker 1: open ended rights that have been read into the due 178 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: process clause, namely the right to privacy and the right 179 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 1: to body, the autonomy because if the right was not 180 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: clear to the articulated it at the time of the framing, 181 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:03,840 Speaker 1: should be more skeptical. I mean, there are open ended 182 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: constitutional provisions like free from an unregional search and seizure. 183 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: You have to read some kind of evolution into those words, 184 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: because you know, there was no Internet back in the 185 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: time of the of the framing. And so like Justice Scalia, 186 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: she might be turned out to be more liberal in 187 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: some criminal justice questions, but when you come to rights, 188 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:30,559 Speaker 1: she'll be very strict and trying to understand what a 189 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: right is and it was not, so she would probably 190 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:37,199 Speaker 1: tend to be skeptical of many of the rights that 191 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: the course over the last thirty years have recognized, such 192 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 1: as again by all the autonomy, privacy and we're not sure, 193 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: but she might be very skeptical about affirmative action as well. 194 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: And as we all know, there has been some very 195 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 1: close votes in affirmative action over the past couple of years. 196 00:11:55,960 --> 00:12:00,680 Speaker 1: Justice Scalia thought that Row was wrongly decided he was 197 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: in the minority in the ol burgher Feld case, the 198 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: same sex marriage case and he voted against Obamacare, So 199 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 1: can we take it that she will be on the 200 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:14,440 Speaker 1: same side of those issues or is that drawing too much? 201 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 1: Clearly clearly through aspect to the rights of gays and 202 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: transgender there are reasons for deep concern. Her view would 203 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: be that the protection clause should be quite limited. Her 204 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:32,080 Speaker 1: view of marriage is quitely probably right, very historically based, 205 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: so her votes would likely line up with Justice Scalia 206 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:38,439 Speaker 1: in that case. And I think the Obamacare case is 207 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: really different head to do with the scope of the 208 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:44,839 Speaker 1: commerce plause and part over um the insurance markets, and 209 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 1: I don't think that lines up as neatly with in 210 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 1: terms of Justice Scalia's originalism. But what I do think 211 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 1: um that she, even more so than Justice Scalia, would 212 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: probably believe in a vigorous free exercise clause, which was 213 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 1: probably suggests that the government cannot play sort of mainstream 214 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:11,679 Speaker 1: responsibilities and obligations on on those exercising religious rights. So 215 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 1: what happens with the conflict between the taxing power in 216 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:20,719 Speaker 1: a church, or if there's a conflict between a right 217 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 1: of non discrimination against days or people of different different 218 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: races against the religious rights, she might change the scales 219 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 1: and vote that that the government cannot impose such burden 220 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:36,680 Speaker 1: upon those exercising the religions, and that would, I think 221 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: cause much disruption in our society. How do you think 222 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: she handled the questions? And you know her demeanor, She's 223 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 1: very calm, she's very self assured. Um, she's she's clearly 224 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: confident in her own abilities and in her experience that 225 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 1: you will be able to handle the job. And in 226 00:13:56,160 --> 00:14:00,319 Speaker 1: terms of traditional notions of qualifications, she's clearly a well 227 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: qualified for the job. But she will move the court. 228 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 1: She will move the court even more to the right 229 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: than it is now. And part of the skirmishing that 230 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: I saw both yesterday today is preparing the ground for 231 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: a possible fight over the structure of the Supreme Court 232 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: in the future. About whether, with these last two appointments 233 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: and the sort of hypocrisy and the Republicans, if the 234 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 1: Democrats get the Senate and the presidency, will they try 235 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:31,600 Speaker 1: to alter the Court in some way to sort of 236 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: fight back against this sort of incursion or seeming incursion 237 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: by the Republicans. Any final thoughts, how much of the 238 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: question today by both Republicans and Democrats, say by Senator 239 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:47,160 Speaker 1: Cruz on Republican size Senator white House on the Democratic side, 240 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: they didn't even ask questions of Judge Barrett, and they 241 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 1: clearly we're using their time as is their prerogative to 242 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 1: talk directly to the American people about on the one hand, 243 00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 1: Republican values of religion and gun ownership, on the other hand, 244 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: with Democratic values of Affordable Care act Um and so forth. 245 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:08,760 Speaker 1: Because again, this is just so clearly an opportunity to 246 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: try to influence voting as it continues up until November, 247 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: so that in some ways even the senators themselves didn't 248 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 1: take this seriously as an opportunity to grill and find 249 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 1: out more about Judge Barrett. The way these hearings are 250 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 1: now structured and the way the nominees don't answer questions, 251 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: is there any point in having these hearings anymore. It's 252 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 1: a great question, and the function of the hearings has 253 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: changed over time. Um. I think there is a necessity 254 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: to do for a period, to do due diligence to 255 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: find that what somebody has written, to find out if 256 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 1: there's any kind of with of impropriety in their background. 257 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 1: So it's the idea of having something a waiting period 258 00:15:56,640 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: to allow for investigation. I think it's critical, but I'm 259 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: not sure that there's much function in these sort of 260 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: show boat um hearing after the nomination, because again, what 261 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 1: we've seen so far is pure posturing by both sides. 262 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: Thanks for being on the Bloomberg Law Show. How that's 263 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,920 Speaker 1: Harold cran To, professor of the Chicago Kent College of Law. 264 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 1: Monday session was primarily opening statements. Barrett cast herself as 265 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: a judge who puts her personal preferences aside, saying the 266 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 1: public shouldn't expect courts to resolve policy disputes or make 267 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: value judgments, and that judges should not try to do so. 268 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 1: My guest is Professor Carl Tobias of the University of 269 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: Richmond Law School. What did you think about the opening statements? 270 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: And let's start with the Democratic senators basically talking about 271 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 1: what affect her nomination would have on the Obamacare decision 272 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: coming up after the election. Well, they did talk about 273 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: that because that's funding center for the elections that are 274 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: coming up, But I think more fundamentally, they said that 275 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:12,640 Speaker 1: basically what Republicans were doing with this nomination was directly 276 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:16,120 Speaker 1: opposed to what they did in sixteen. As a matter 277 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:20,120 Speaker 1: of principal and I think they're correct about that. Basically 278 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 1: that Senator McConnell and all the Republicans wouldn't allow Marrick 279 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: Garland UM, to distinguished nominee of President Barack Obama, to 280 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: even have a hearing or even meet with him, given 281 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: the fact that it was ten months before UM the 282 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:46,399 Speaker 1: end of his presidency when the vacancy occurred. Here, we're 283 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 1: twenty two days away from the election, and so as 284 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 1: a matter of consistency, m Republicans have been inconsistent, and 285 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:03,199 Speaker 1: so I think Democrats are questioning legitimacy of what is 286 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 1: going on. Secondly, that it's been extremely rushed to move forward. UM. 287 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: The President didn't consult at all with any of the 288 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 1: UM Democratic senators as best we can tell, and so 289 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 1: I think they had those kinds of questions. But then 290 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:24,680 Speaker 1: they went on to talk about UM, as you say, 291 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: the Affordable Care Act, and basically I think they're concerned 292 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 1: about how she might address that issue that's before the 293 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 1: court in short order, UM after the elections, and they're 294 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:47,919 Speaker 1: concerned about being in a pandemic and UM having people 295 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 1: lose their health care, especially people with pre existing conditions. 296 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:57,240 Speaker 1: So UM, I think that's what they're talking about and 297 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,920 Speaker 1: I think a number of them also said that they 298 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:05,520 Speaker 1: would intend to talk about her record, uh and how 299 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 1: she might resolve certain cases, or judicial philosophy, those types 300 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 1: of things. What was the focus of the Republicans that 301 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: the Republicans have as much of a centered approach as 302 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,640 Speaker 1: the Democrats did. Well, a number of them talked about 303 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:28,480 Speaker 1: and accused Democrats of using a religious test for office, uh, 304 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:34,160 Speaker 1: which I think is a perversion of what Democrats have 305 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: been trying to do with all nominees. So I don't 306 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: think that was persuasive for people who actually watched the 307 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 1: arns Um over time, as I did. And I think 308 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:53,480 Speaker 1: though that all the Democrats seem to be saying they 309 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:58,400 Speaker 1: will not in any way do that. But UM, we'll 310 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:02,440 Speaker 1: see what the questions are. And it's a very delicate, 311 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:08,200 Speaker 1: difficult kind of issue, um to find out what a 312 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: nominee philosophy might be in a particular case. UM. And 313 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 1: so it may be that certain cases touched on questions 314 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: of religion. Of course they do. Religious freedom is on 315 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:27,000 Speaker 1: the docket in many cases before the Supreeding Court. So 316 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,400 Speaker 1: I don't know that they can probe that without that 317 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:36,399 Speaker 1: kind of accusation coming um. From the Republicans. But even 318 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 1: in the earlier hearing for the Seventh Circuits for Judge 319 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:45,480 Speaker 1: Barrett when she was a nominee, I don't think anyone 320 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: really meant to in any way impose some kind of 321 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 1: religious tests and violation of the Constitution. Um. So they're 322 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:59,359 Speaker 1: really talking past one another. Um it seems to me. 323 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 1: Uh So hopefully they'll be less partisan sniping and maybe 324 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 1: more attention to the process as we go forward. But again, UM, 325 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: I do think, uh that it is rushed, and we'll 326 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 1: see how the questioning goes and what the nominee's answers are. 327 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,119 Speaker 1: But there was certainly a lot of uh back and 328 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:30,719 Speaker 1: forth between um, the senators on both sides of the 329 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 1: aisle on a whole number of issues, some of which 330 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 1: seemed expraneous and some of which hopefully would go to 331 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 1: the kinds of issues that should be raised here about 332 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: how the nominee views for responsibility as a life tenure 333 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:56,160 Speaker 1: member of the Supreme Court. Now, let's talk about her statement. 334 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 1: She said that courts should not try to make policy decisions. 335 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:04,400 Speaker 1: That's for the political branches. What did you make of 336 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:09,400 Speaker 1: that statement of hers? Well, that I suppose that's one 337 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: thing that Democrats might ask her by what does she mean? Because, 338 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 1: as I think they pointed out, the policy that was 339 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: made was the A C A which passed, and despite 340 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 1: President Trump and Republican efforts to gut that legislation, they 341 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:32,960 Speaker 1: can't get it through Congress. And so now despite their protestations, 342 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: they're seeking a verdict from the Supreme Court that would 343 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 1: change that UM. And so they're doing the very thing 344 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 1: they accused Democrats doing, using the courts for policymaking. So 345 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:51,920 Speaker 1: I think we'll have to see what she really means 346 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 1: by that UM. And you know, in fairness, I think 347 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:01,399 Speaker 1: she's saying, UM, we don't make policy. But of course 348 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 1: that's just not true, UM, because they will make policy. 349 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 1: If they were to find the UM law unconstitutional and 350 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 1: strike it down, it will make policy one way or 351 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:20,520 Speaker 1: another for under thirty million people who have pre existing conditions. 352 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:24,879 Speaker 1: And so UM, we'll see if they probe that I 353 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 1: expect they will. Supreme Court nominees are often asked about 354 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:35,159 Speaker 1: respect for precedent. Explain why that's particularly true of Judge 355 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:38,639 Speaker 1: Barrett Well. I believe she's written a number of law 356 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 1: view articles about precedent, and UH has taken a view 357 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:50,399 Speaker 1: that he's different from some present justices on the Supreme Court. 358 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: She seems to, according to her critics, respect precedent less 359 00:23:55,680 --> 00:24:00,880 Speaker 1: than UM. Other justices on the Supreme Court, and certainly 360 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:07,360 Speaker 1: Justice Thomas has been a pretty strong critic of UM 361 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:14,160 Speaker 1: precedent UH and saying most most prior decisions are up 362 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:20,359 Speaker 1: for re examination. UM. Chief Justice Roberts UM, I think 363 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:25,680 Speaker 1: is UM more measured about that and says we ought 364 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: to be very cautious for reasons of institutional respect from 365 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:36,120 Speaker 1: the citizens when we change a precedent, especially one that's 366 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:41,920 Speaker 1: long standing. UM. But more specifically, examples would be ro 367 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 1: versus Wade, or there was some mention of UM privacy 368 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 1: cases like UM the case from Connecticut in the sixties, 369 00:24:54,680 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: UM that recognize the notion of a right to privacy UM. 370 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: But UH, and of course Brown versus Board UH, and 371 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: a number of other precedents. And so I think there's 372 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:14,879 Speaker 1: a feeling amongst some Democratic senators that UM, she is 373 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:19,359 Speaker 1: less concerned about honoring longstanding precedents, or to flip it around, 374 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:24,360 Speaker 1: more willing to overturn them. So UM, those questions will 375 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 1: be asked. Explain this, Carl, Because the Supreme Court does 376 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,000 Speaker 1: overturn its own precedent. I mean, we saw that a 377 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:32,320 Speaker 1: couple of years ago when they overturned to think, a 378 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 1: forty year old precedent in the Union case. It just 379 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 1: seems as if all this stress on precedent is is 380 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:47,200 Speaker 1: sort of um elusive because they do overturn their own precedent. Well, 381 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:51,040 Speaker 1: they do, but you know, there ways to talk about that, 382 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 1: and I think one measure is how long the president 383 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 1: has existed. In other measures, how strong the precedent is. Uh. 384 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,399 Speaker 1: There's some discuss of something being a super precedent and 385 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 1: that type of thing, but there are notions, especially of 386 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:16,640 Speaker 1: times passage, um, how central that um president is to jersprudence. UM. 387 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:19,400 Speaker 1: But you're right. I mean, if if the Court's made 388 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: earlier decisions that's wrong, then I think justices some feel 389 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:30,200 Speaker 1: there should be changed. You don't cling to precedents that 390 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:35,639 Speaker 1: now are completely outmoded. Um. But Chief Justice Roberts, I 391 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:40,720 Speaker 1: think would say you shouldn't too readily overturned precedent, especially 392 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:44,919 Speaker 1: a new precedent, say that's a couple of years old, uh, 393 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,919 Speaker 1: or make a dramatic change only because the composition of 394 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:54,000 Speaker 1: the court has changed. For example, President Trump has will 395 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:59,919 Speaker 1: likely UM appoints three new justices. Just because the courts 396 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 1: composition is change doesn't mean that president should be struck 397 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:08,199 Speaker 1: down without seriously considering them. She was a clerk of 398 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: Justice Scalia and said that she would follow Justice Scalio. 399 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 1: What does that mean? Well, that's that's a difficult notion, because, 400 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,840 Speaker 1: UM that he wrote decisions and joined opinions, you know, 401 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,399 Speaker 1: for three decades and many areas, and I think she 402 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 1: would most well, I wouldn't put words in their medipor here. 403 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:32,879 Speaker 1: I think they'll ask her about that. But UM, I 404 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: think the notions of originalism and textualism and those types 405 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:40,920 Speaker 1: of ideas. Perhaps, and maybe the notion we're talking about 406 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 1: earlier that UM judges shouldn't be policy makers. Um, but 407 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 1: there were many areas in which you know, he made decisions, 408 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:54,800 Speaker 1: and I don't think she was saying that she would 409 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 1: necessarily follow every one, UM, but kind of the general. 410 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:02,919 Speaker 1: But we'll hear about that. I assend that there'll be 411 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 1: questions that go to that. Just give me your basic 412 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:09,360 Speaker 1: take on her statement. What was she trying to get at? 413 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:13,480 Speaker 1: What impressed you? What didn't impress you? Well, I she 414 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: really didn't say a whole lot. That's new. UM. We 415 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,919 Speaker 1: knew she had said earlier in the Rose Garden that 416 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:25,920 Speaker 1: she UM was you know, a proponent and took views 417 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 1: very similar to Justice Celia her mentor, and she said specifically, UM. 418 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 1: And so then the question is you know how that 419 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:39,720 Speaker 1: will play out. She also said clearly again today as 420 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:43,600 Speaker 1: she had earlier, that she doesn't think judges or policymakers. 421 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 1: But as I said, I don't think that tells us 422 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 1: very much, because they make policy in all kinds of 423 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 1: areas and deciding all kinds of questions. So then the 424 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,840 Speaker 1: question is how senators will question her and drilled down 425 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 1: and be more specific and maybe bring up particular areas 426 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 1: of law or how she intends to apply rules. That's 427 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 1: the president. I think all of those questions are legitimate 428 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 1: ones that will be asked and try to move from 429 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,120 Speaker 1: the more general statements that she has there UH to 430 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: something more specific and concrete. Thanks Carl. That's Professor Carl 431 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 1: Tobias of the University of Richmond Law School