Senator Specter, the Judiciary Committee chairman, offers opening comments at the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Chief Justice Nominee John Roberts. He discusses the nominee’s obligation to answer the Senators’ questions and the balance of power between the Congress and the Courts.
Discussion Questions
- What is the purpose of these committee hearings? How does Senator Specter (R-PA) characterize the interaction between Senators and judicial nominees?
- What is Senator Specter’s view on the types of questions the committee members should ask?
- What does the Senator mean when he says the inverse of judicial competence is Congressional incompetence?
- What are Senator Specter’s goals in this opening statement? How do they connect with the goals of the hearings? How might he evaluate the effectiveness of checks and balances?
Keywords
Checks and Balances, Judicial Theory and Philosophy, Justices, LEGISLATIVE, Nominations and Confirmation, U.S. Senate, U.S. Supreme Court