Washington—Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on the need to review records as part of the vetting process of Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court:

            “Reviewing documents from Supreme Court nominees is a key part of the Senate’s ‘advice and consent’ responsibility. It’s a tool that both Republicans and Democrats have insisted on over the years.

            “Now, Republicans are arguing that Brett Kavanaugh’s three years as White House staff secretary aren’t worth reviewing. They say there are too many documents and we don’t need to see White House menus, travel itineraries or press clippings.

            “They’re right, we don’t need those documents. What we do need is access to documents that show Kavanaugh’s views on and involvement in important issues like torture, the Enron task force, health care and presidential signing statements. Those are issues that Kavanaugh himself said he worked on and are essential to understanding his record.

            “We are asking for no more and no less than what was provided to the Senate for the Elena Kagan nomination. It was possible then and it should be possible now. The minority party shouldn’t be precluded from document requests.

            “Democrats don’t want to waste time reviewing superfluous material that only crossed Kavanaugh’s desk. What we do want to know are Kavanaugh’s involvement and views on key issues. I hope my Republican colleagues reconsider their arguments and support transparency, just as we both parties did for Elena Kagan.”