Page 17 - James Arkin News Today

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a $782 billion defense spending bill as part of a $1.5 trillion federal spending package for fiscal year 2022 that includes $13.6 billion in Ukraine-related funding.

The Senate floor fight between Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., over delayed nominations continued Wednesday when Cotton once again blocked Democratic efforts to swiftly confirm a batch of U.S. attorney and U.S. marshal nominees because of his frustrations with the U.S. Department of Justice.

President Joe Biden touted D.C. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, as one of the nation's "top legal minds" during his first State of the Union address Tuesday night, but did not dwell on the coming Senate confirmation process during his hourlong remarks.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will begin on Monday, March 21, with introductory statements, and Judge Jackson will answer questions from senators that Tuesday and Wednesday.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is scheduled to meet with top Senate leaders of both parties Wednesday on Capitol Hill, officially kicking off the confirmation process as she aims to secure support to become the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.

Senate Democrats over the weekend pledged to move quickly on President Joe Biden's selection to join the Supreme Court and some Republicans left the door open to supporting Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, but neither side could resist sniping at each other over what has become a highly politicized process for filling open seats on the high court.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to take up former President Donald Trump's case attempting to block the disclosure of White House records to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. 

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to take up former President Donald Trump's case attempting to block the disclosure of White House records to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. 

Sen. Dick Durbin, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thursday he's "anxious" for President Joe Biden to move quickly on announcing his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court before the end of this month, and that he's hopeful the confirmation vote happens before the Senate's two-week Easter break in April.

Sen. Dick Durbin, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thursday he's "anxious" for President Joe Biden to move quickly on announcing his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court before the end of this month, and that he's hopeful the confirmation vote happens before the Senate's two-week Easter break in April.