Maryland Lawmakers React To Kavanaugh Confirmation

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — After a divisive confirmation process, Brett Kavanaugh has been officially confirmed and sworn in late Saturday afternoon as an associate judge in the United States Supreme Court.

Maryland lawmakers and even potential candidates reacted to the confirmation, many tweeting out their disappointment or approval to the decision to vote Kavanaugh into the highest court of the land.

Maryland senators Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Sen. Ben Cardin both expressed their opposition to his confirmation in and outside of the voting room.

Both senators voted 'no' in the final vote Saturday.

Van Hollen said in his statement that any remaining hope of Kavanaugh's ability to be trusted as an impartial justice was "shattered by his opening statement at his last hearing," when he launched into what Van Hollen described as a "ultra-partisan diatribe and wild conspiracy theories that showed a total lack of the temperament and trustworthiness needed in a Supreme Court Justice,"

Van Hollen, in reaction to the hearing, said he has had over 50 Marylanders send him written testimonials about the sexual abuse they had encountered.

"I thank them for their courage, and I promise to keep speaking out on this critical issue," Van Hollen said.

Cardin also touched on his belief that Kavanaugh lacks the impartiality, tweeting out a statement Saturday.

Rep. Andy Harris, tweeted his pride for the confirmation Saturday evening.

While Gov. Larry Hogan has not released an official statement yet, his opponent, Ben Jealous, tweeted out a full statement Saturday afternoon.

"Today is a deeply frustrating and unsettling moment in our nation's history- a day when the voices of tens of millions of Americans, and so many survivors of sexual assault, were ignored so that one party could further politicize the highest court in our land. It was a clear repudiation of a country calling out gender equality and cultural change.

This new, more conservative court will put Roe v. Wade in jeopardy, further rig our economy in favor of the billionaires and giant corporations, strip away voting rights, and tear apart the Affordable Care Act. Generations of Marylanders will be harmed by this new court's reckless conservative ideology.

The people of our state and our nation will not forget who ignored their voices and refused to stand in opposition to Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation, including Larry Hogan. We will never stop working for the systemic change necessary to create a more just America and a more equal Maryland. November is coming and Maryland is ready to vote for that change,"

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