Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday he was not asked about his views on Roe v. Wade when he was being considered for the high court.
Kavanaugh appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his first round of questioning Wednesday.
He was asked by Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, whether anyone asked him to make any promises or assurances about the way he would rule on certain cases, to which Kavanaugh answered no.
[Kavanaugh: Roe has been ‘reaffirmed many times’]
Kavanaugh also told the panel he was not asked about his views on Roe, the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision that established a woman’s right to an abortion.
During his questioning of Grassley, Kavanaugh sought to establish himself as an independent judge and one who respects judicial precedent.
“If you walk into my courtroom and you have the better legal argument, you will win,” he told the 21-member committee.
Kavanaugh said adherence to precedent demonstrates the impartiality and independence of the judiciary.
“The people need to know in this country that the judges are independent and that we’re not making decisions based on policy views,” he said.
Kavanaugh’s views on precedent are expected to be raised throughout the hearing, as many Democrats have issued warnings about the future of abortion rights and Roe if the Supreme Court has five conservative justices.
