Federal Spotlight: Trump Selects Kavanaugh as SCOTUS Nominee

President Donald Trump chose Brett Kavanaugh to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy for the Supreme Court on Monday night. Kavanaugh, 53, currently sits on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. He graduated from Yale Law School, spent multiple years in the Office of Independent Counsel under Ken Starr and served several years in the George W. Bush administration. Kavanaugh is expected to face a bruising confirmation battle, as several Democrats have already come out in opposition to his nomination. It only takes a simple majority to confirm a Supreme Court nominee, and though Senate Republicans currently control the chamber 51-49, there is little to no margin for error as this is expected to be a very partisan fight. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has indicated he would like to have Kavanaugh confirmed before the start of the fall term of the Supreme Court that begins on the first Monday of October.