Senate Panel Backs Ashcroft

Senate Panel Backs Ashcroft

NewsMax.com Wires
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001

WASHINGTON (UPI) – The Senate Judiciary Committee voted narrowly Tuesday to approve John Ashcroft as attorney general. The nomination goes to the Senate floor for what promises to be vicious debate that has already stretched bipartisanship in the chamber to the breaking point.

The committee voted 10-8 to approved the nomination almost strictly along party lines. Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin was the only Democrat to vote with the Republicans.

Feingold said he had serious concerns about Ashcroft's ability to fairly enforce the law, but would make a political gesture.

"When I vote for John Ashcroft in this committee, I am reaching out to the new administration and my colleagues across the aisle," Feingold said. He said he would not rule out voting against Ashcroft on the Senate floor.

The full Senate could vote on the nomination as early as this week. Confirmation is expected.

At least four Senate Democrats – Georgia's Zell Miller, West Virginia's Robert Byrd and North Dakota's Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan – have said they would support him, and no Republicans have broken ranks so far.

Senate Minority Leader Thomas Daschle of South Dakota kicked off the floor debate by announcing that he would vote against Ashcroft because of his conservative record on laws he would be required to enforce as attorney general.

"Senator Ashcroft has been a public official for nearly a quarter of a century," Daschle said. "Throughout his career, he has been a fierce advocate for his beliefs. Those beliefs – on civil rights, on women's rights, workers' rights, separation of church and state, and many other issues – put him far to the right of most Americans."

Daschle has said he would not support a filibuster of the Ashcroft nomination on the Senate floor. One of Ashcroft's key opponents, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said Tuesday that he also would not spearhead a filibuster, but would instead try on the Senate floor to persuade his colleagues to reject the nomination.

Democrats complained Tuesday that during lengthy confirmation hearings, Ashcroft did not explain his own objections to the nomination of Missouri Supreme Court Judge Ronnie White to the federal bench, Justice Department civil rights head Bill Lan Lee, and Luxembourg Ambassador James Hormel.

Republicans showed anger at what they have said was a smear campaign against Ashcroft by leftist special-interest groups.

"I have never seen this before in the history of the Senate," said the Senate Judiciary Committee's Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. "Everything is against him. ... I have never seen such viciousness in my life."

Republicans emphasized his credentials as Missouri attorney general, governor and senator as they prepared to vote unanimously in favor of his nomination.

"We have all had an opportunity to witness John Ashcroft's extraordinary integrity and character during his six years in the Senate," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

But Democrats blamed their divisiveness on Bush. "President Bush picked Sen. Ashcroft," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. "And he brought this conflict on himself."

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Bush Administration