In the latest showdown between congressional Republicans and Democrats, up to 150 subpoenas are expected to be unleashed on liberals and Democrats if Joe Biden’s party in the Senate follows through on their plan to subpoena friends and supporters of Supreme Court justices appointed by Republican presidents.
This move comes as liberal Democrats continue their attacks on the U.S. Supreme Court, specifically targeting the two most conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, and their associates.
Former Trump White House aide and former Breitbart News senior management Stephen K. Bannon recently interviewed Mark Paoletta, a senior fellow at the Center for Renewing America and a longtime defender of the federal judiciary, on the left’s ongoing efforts to undermine the Supreme Court.
Paoletta, who worked in the White House Counsel’s Office during the confirmation of Justice Thomas in 1991, believes that the court is the last bulwark in protecting the Constitution and that the left’s attacks are an attempt to destabilize it.
Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), could move forward with issuing subpoenas as early as this week. In response, Republicans are prepared to issue 150 subpoenas of their own to investigate the activities of liberal Supreme Court justices and the gifts they have received from wealthy friends.
Among those on the potential subpoena list is David Rubenstein, a liberal mega-donor who has hosted President Joe Biden for Thanksgiving and has a history of providing lavish travel and accommodations for liberals and Democrats, including Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
Other potential targets of the Republican subpoenas include Governor J.B. Pritzker, whose family has paid for Justice Breyer’s travels on 17 different occasions, and Israeli billionaire Morris Kahn, who flew Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg around the Middle East for lavish trips. These instances did not trigger ethics investigations or calls for reform, highlighting the double standard at play.
According to Paoletta, the subpoenas would be authorized by House committees, chaired by Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and James Comer (R-KY), making it easier to enforce them than if Republicans were in the majority in the Senate. This could prove to be a powerful tool for Republicans in exposing the hypocrisy of the left’s attacks on the Supreme Court.
The announcement of a Thursday hearing by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) will likely consider these subpoenas, along with up to six judicial nominations. However, with the clock running out, Durbin may choose not to bring the subpoenas for a vote.
Some Democratic senators, including Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), have expressed concern over the potential backlash from voters in swing states if the left overplays their hand and risks destabilizing the Supreme Court.
Despite the left’s relentless attacks, polls continue to show that the Supreme Court remains more popular than Congress or Biden. Americans understand the importance of a truly independent judiciary, and any attempts to undermine its legitimacy are seen through by the public. With the potential for up to 150 subpoenas being issued, this battle between congressional Republicans and Democrats is far from over.
