Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is facing rising calls from Democratic lawmakers to get more involved in scrutinizing details surrounding Justice Clarence Thomas's undisclosed luxury trips. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Roberts on Thursday asking that he or another justice of his choosing appear before the Senate panel for testimony on May 2. Durbin has limited the request to questions surrounding Supreme Court ethics issues amid mounting scrutiny over trips Thomas made that were paid for by Texas billionaire businessman Harlan Crow. "Under federal law, Supreme Court justices are required to file annual financial disclosures, but Thomas has publicly said he was advised that the trips fell into a personal hospitality exception," The Hill's Zach Schonfeld writes. "The federal judiciary's policy-making arm last month clarified the exception, and Thomas said he will follow that guidance in the future," Schonfeld added. Still, Democrats have called on Roberts to investigate the matter. Democrats on the Judiciary panel support a binding code of ethics for Supreme Court justices, something the chief justice resisted in 2011. Durbin told reporters "there's been no discussion of subpoenas for anyone at this point" should Roberts decline to testify voluntarily. Democrats would need a majority to vote for a subpoena but the panel is currently deadlocked, with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) still out recovering from shingles — an absence that has frustrated some Democrats. "I would be surprised if he agreed to come. And I would support his decision not to come if that's what he wanted to do," Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told reporters of Roberts. |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I'm Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what's coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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House passes bill restricting trans girls, women in sports
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The U.S. House passed a bill restricting trans girls and women in sports amid a wave of legislation at the state level placing limits on athletic participation, health care and more for transgender individuals. The House-passed bill would bar "a recipient of Federal financial assistance who operates, sponsors, or facilitates athletic programs or activities" from allowing transgender women and girls to participate in women's and girls' sports. The bill passed along party lines in a 219-203 vote. The White House has already said it would veto the bill if it reached the president's desk. The bill is unlikely to see movement in the Democratic-majority Senate. Last month, more than 100 House members cosponsored the reintroduced Transgender Bill of Rights resolution. |
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Ads target swing-vote senators over Julie Su nomination |
President Biden's Labor secretary nominee Julie Su defended her record with backup from Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee during Thursday's confirmation hearing as the fate of her nomination remains uncertain. Dueling ad campaigns are targeting Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), who haven't said whether they'll vote to confirm Su. None of the senators are on the HELP Committee. On one side, business interests are pressuring the swing-vote senators to vote against Su's nomination. The AFL-CIO, on the other side, is urging the senators to support her. Committee Republicans focused their criticisms on unemployment fraud during Su's time as California labor secretary, while Democrats argued that fraud rates were high in several states during the pandemic. Read more on the confirmation hearing here |
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Breaking down the GOP's debt limit bill
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The Hill's Aris Folley offers a handy cheat sheet to help you get your bearings on the 320-page debt limit proposal House Republicans introduced Wednesday, including provisions on budget caps, student loans and energy policy. Check it out here | |
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"Marriage is hard. ... We've been married for 30 years. If I fell out with him for 10 [years], and we had a great 20 years, I'd take those odds anytime." – Michelle Obama on her marriage with former President Obama on "CBS Mornings"
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🗳 Takeaways from the Dominion settlement
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🏰 North Carolina state senator wants Disney to relocate
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North Carolina State Sen. Michael Garrett (D) filed a bill called "Mickey's Freedom Restoration Act" as part of an effort to get Disney World to move to North Carolina amid Disney's fallout with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) over an education policy critics dub "Don't Say Gay." |
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📱 Former Rep. Crowley registers as TikTok lobbyist
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Former Rep. Joe Crowley, who Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated in New York's 14th District Democratic primary in 2018, has registered as a lobbyist for TikTok as legislators consider banning the platform. |
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"The bank crisis is the latest argument to expand Postal Service banking" — Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union. (Read here) "Republican voters back states' right to determine cannabis use" — Greg Walden, former representative of Oregon's 2nd Congressional District and current co-chair of the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Reform. (Read here) |
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565 days until the presidential election. |
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Thursday — President Biden is hosting Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House. Friday — 9 a.m.: The House Ways and Means Committee holds a hearing on "The State of the American Economy: The South" |
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There a story you think should be getting more attention? Something people should be talking about? Drop me a line: ALaTour@thehill.com | |
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