Page 4 - James Arkin News Today

Chief Justice John Roberts sent a letter to Senate Democrats on Monday clarifying the timeline of the recent statement on ethics the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court signed in response to an inquiry ahead of Tuesday's Judiciary Committee hearing on the court's ethics policies.

Senators and legal experts debated the constitutionality and practicality of Congress forcing the Supreme Court to adopt a code of conduct in a hearing Tuesday that laid bare the stark partisan divide on views of the high court's ethics policies.

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced an Idaho district court nominee to the Senate floor by voice vote Thursday, and the Senate also approved a procedural motion on a Ninth Circuit nominee, setting up a possible confirmation next week.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts declined a request to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about how the court handles ethical issues in a letter Tuesday, but attached a "Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices" that he said is subscribed to by each of the current justices.

A bipartisan pair of senators filed a new bill this week to fill a multibillion-dollar hole in the federal government's "rip and replace" program created to help telecom providers remove equipment made by foreign-owned companies deemed risky to U.S. network security.

Senate Democrats advanced seven judges out of the Judiciary Committee with bipartisan support Thursday, approving pending nominees who earned Republican votes but holding over other judicial picks who don't have GOP backing, as Democrats continue to deal with the prolonged absence of ailing Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Senate Democrats planned to press forward this week with an effort to temporarily replace ailing Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee and unstick some federal court nominees, but the plan already appeared doomed Monday as Republicans quickly rallied in opposition.

Two Democratic lawmakers and a watchdog organization called for inquiries into U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Friday, amplifying the push for investigations following recent reports about the justice's relationship and financial transactions with a wealthy Republican donor.

President Joe Biden is nominating two Hispanic women who are sitting judges to federal appeals courts, including a nominee who would be the first Hispanic woman to ever sit on the Fifth Circuit, the White House announced Friday.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, subpoenaed Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan Wednesday for documents related to the commission's probe of Twitter, arguing that its voluntary compliance with congressional oversight requests had been "woefully insufficient."