Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) on Wednesday lamented the hostility from Democrats toward Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, saying that political divisions in the United States are getting increasingly worse.
"I just wish if we could have a hearing where the nominee's kids could show up. Is that asking too much?" Graham said at Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. "So what kind of country have we become?"
"None of this happened just a couple years ago," Graham continued. "It's getting worse and worse and worse, and all of us have an obligation to try to correct it where we can."
Kavanaugh's hearing began on Tuesday with an immediate disruption from Democrats calling for the process to be delayed. Sen. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) confirmed that Democrats planned the move ahead of time, and they ended up interrupting 76 times throughout the hearing's first day. Seventy protesters were arrested during the day, and at certain points, it became heated enough that Kavanaugh's two daughters were escorted from the room.
Supreme Court nominees have generally garnered wide bipartisan support, but in recent years, the process has become increasingly partisan. Graham highlighted how several Senate Democrats publicly stated their opposition to Kavanaugh within minutes of President Donald Trump announcing his nominee for the country's highest court.
You were nominated by President Trump on July the 9th, my birthday, which I thought was a pretty good birthday present for somebody who thinks like I do ... at 9:00. By 9:23, Chuck Schumer says I'll oppose Judge Kavanaugh. By 9:25, Senator Harris: "Trump's Supreme Court justice nominee, Judge Kavanaugh, represents a direct and fundamental threat to the rights and health care of hundreds of millions of Americans. I will oppose his nomination." Elizabeth Warren at 9:55: "Brett Kavanaugh's record as a judge and lawyer is hostile to health care for millions, opposed to the CFPB, corporate accountability, thinks President Trump is above the law," on and on and on. Nancy Pelosi at 10:11. Bernie Sanders at 10:18: "If Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Supreme Court, it will have a profoundly negative effect on workers rights, women's rights, and voting rights for the decades to come."
"All I can say [is that] within an hour and 18 minutes of your nomination, you became the biggest threat to democracy in the eyes of some of the most partisan people in the country," Graham added.
Senate Democrats attempted to obstruct the hearing by urging the judiciary committee to adjourn on Tuesday because, hours earlier, the White House released additional documents pertaining to Kavanaugh's time in the George W. Bush administration. Democrats said they have not had time to review the documents and not all the documents have been released.