WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Steve Daines (r-mt) said Tuesday he plans to vote for President Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, and he accused Democrats for their early opposition against the jurist.
In a news release, Sen. Daines said he met with Kavanaugh and felt "he has proven himself to be a well-qualified judge who appreciates the vital role that our Supreme Court holds and understands that it not appropriate for justices to legislate from the bench, but that they must apply the Constitution without regard to the policy outcome they want."
"It is disappointing that many of my Democrat colleagues in the Senate apparently do not feel the same and decided to oppose Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination before it was even announced," Sen. Daines added.
Montana’s senior senator, Democrat Jon Tester, has not announced whether he will vote to confirm Kavanaugh. A head count by Vox shows 41 Democrats have came out against Kavanaugh or voiced concerns about his record.
Sen. Daines also noted he discussed the nomination with fellow Republican President Trump while traveling to Montana for the president’s recent visit to Great Falls.
President Trump announced Kavanaugh, an appellate court judge in Washington, D.C., to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy earlier this month.
Kavanaugh must gain confirmation in the U.S. Senate, where Republicans hold a slim 51-49 majority. One Republican, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, is ill and not expected to vote in the confirmation, making the Republicans’ edge even thinner.
