Justice Breyer On Contested Elections, Precedent, Confirmation Battles & 2020 (Melber Intv)

Digital Exclusive: Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer talks with MSNBC’s Ari Melber in a forum at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate in Oct. 2020. This video features excerpts from the entire conversation – visit for the entire forum and additional details. Aired on 10/20/2020.
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Justice Breyer On Contested Elections, Precedent, Confirmation Battles & 2020 (Melber Intv)

75 comments

  1. When Biden is asked about packing the court’s..he only needs to say…l will not pack the court’s, and you can use my words against me. That way when the time comes he can do whatever he wants.

    1. *Two years after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — who are the winners and the losers?*
      Feb 22, 2020 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/two-years-after-the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-who-are-the-winners-and-the-losers-2020-02-11

      *To the contrary, a study conducted by the Tax Policy Center found that 65% of households actually got a tax cut in 2018, while only 6% paid more. The rest saw little or no change in their tax bills. More specifically, the New York Times survey and the Tax Policy Center study show the following contradictory results:*

      *Impact on the economy*

      There is some evidence suggesting that the TCJA may have given a jolt to the economy and led to more job creation. The TCJA cut the maximum corporate federal income tax rate from 35% to 21% and greatly expanded first-year depreciation write-offs for business equipment additions.

      The lowest-paid workers have been experiencing higher median wage growth than workers overall over the last few years, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. (Overall, about half of workers said they didn’t get a pay rase in 2019 — a marked improvement from the previous year.)

      Real disposable income per household has increased by an average of about $5,000 since the TCJA became law. Labor force participation has increased. The economy has added about 6 million jobs since January of 2017. Unemployment is at a 50-year low. More and better-paying jobs are good for all of us.

      *So, the TCJA has not hurt the federal government’s tax revenues as many economic pundits predicted. And the TCJA is not the cause of ongoing huge federal budget deficits ($984 billion for fiscal year 2019 and a projected $1.02 trillion for fiscal year 2020). The cause is on the spending side of the equation. Federal spending in 2016 was an already whopping $3.85 trillion. By 2019, it had jumped to an even more whopping $4.447 trillion. While yearly tax revenues increased by $192 billion during this period, yearly government spending increased by $597 billion.*

    2. Clever and well said…basically they have entered the front door and are trying to escape out back.

  2. Criminal Indictments by Administration

    Donald Trump (so far) — 215
    Richard Nixon — 76
    George W. Bush — 16
    Bill Clinton — 2
    Jimmy Carter — 1
    Barack Obama — 0
    . . . . . .

    1. @Keith Johnson – Shelby GT500 yes but the one point you neglected to tell us is that in order to get to trumps so called great economy he has doubled the national debt, and that was before the virus…. Obama/Biden halved the national debt in their term…. whatever happened to conservative values….so if Biden wins he will be the one who will have to try to bring that back to a decent level once again.
      And let’s not forget trumps trade war has cost the country billions in subsidies to farmers etc….
      Most of the analysis that I’ve read seems to think Biden’s plan is ok, unsurprisingly Fox business gave it the thumb down but generally it was received well. And up till now I haven’t seen any post pendemic plans from the trump camp….and despite what trump says the steel industries are loosing more jobs that it’s gaining, and farmers only surviving on federal handouts we have had no updates on Trump economic plan’s…..

    2. @Keith Johnson – Shelby GT500 Wow you are such a propagandist. Everything you claim is debunked. republican party is DEAD. You are a dinosaur that children will be learning about in school alongside the Nazi party as some of the worst and anti-human political movements in history. Good day ghost.

  3. *_Imagine_* *signing a Covid-19 waiver to attend Donald Trump’s Corona rally. Just to hear about how Covid-19 is a hoax.*

    Once again, *Can’t fix stupid but the hats make it easier to identify.*

    1. PLEASE SPREAD THIS AS MUCH AS YOU CAN:
      My latest investigation report – on this channel (“Conflict of Interest at its Historical Record”) on how Trump rebuilt his BUSINESS EMPIRE by illegally misusing his presidential powers!
      (PDF FORMAT of the report is liked in the ‘comments section’ of the video report)
      There are more of my investigation reports on Trump’s corruption and conspiracies on my channel.

    1. @Alicia Abundic sorry sweet cheeks but it’s over for the democrats! Mars will be completely terraformed before the loony left gets back in power!

    1. @Alan Perry I don’t have money but I know a lot of people wanna to bid millions on Trump. Please take that chance for you to be rich.

  4. Something needs to be done about lifetime appointments. It’s ridiculous to have someone in a spot for decades with how fast things change for such important positions.

    1. I could not agree more. There should be a mandatory retirement age for Justices just as there is in any well run business…..we simply get too old to make good decisions. When I was 60 I would never have said this but at 66 I realise this is a fact of life. Frankly, I think this should also apply to Presidents.

    2. @Tessa Bristow we have a retirement age in Australia for our High Court. After retirement those judges are often then appointed to run inquiries and investigative commissions.

    3. @Tessa Bristow Better than a retirement age, have a term limit of 18 years, so every two years a president gets an appointment.

    4. FBI just confirmed the laptop is real and creepy Joe Biden is going to be president of cell block five!

  5. If Joe Biden win’s the Election & DJtRump is found to be criminally corrupt then all his appointments including up to the Supreme Court should be null & voided!

    1. @j leigh Go blow your wind of god somewhere else Kenneth Copeland and Democrats embrace free speech and expression of ones sexuality as well as having the final word of what they want done with their bodies, only the right wing and it’s fanatics that want to tell women what they can and can’t do with their own bodies and Denigrate and Demean those with sexual preferences outside the right wings Belief. J leigh No matter how you look at it forcing women to have babies because you think Abortion is wrong, IS FORCING YOUR BELIEFS ONTO OTHERS!!!

    1. She’s a woman who is politically conservative, against abortion and is young – that’s all they care about. She’s been a judge for three friggin’ years. She is EMINENTLY UNQUALIFIED

    2. Bunker Baby dRumph, it will be interesting to see how things work out, very interesting to see how all trumps candidates will vote.

    3. It will be very interesting to see how she votes if a case against trump comes before her. I truly believe that all he’s nominees should decent from sitting in on a hearing against him. That would be true justice for all he’s crimes. There should be one sent to The Hague for crimes against humanity. Firstly the handling of the pandemic, tac evasion and what happened to the children separated from their parents. He maintains he is a Christian he has no concept of what it means.
      Keep safe and healthy, in these very trying times

    1. @Jacqueline Wernett democrats are finished! Mars will be completely terraformed before the loony left gets back in power! God bless the USA!

    2. @Dave Schultz …. But you and your cult leader will be going away soon! 👍

      There will be dancing in the streets! (Wearing masks and social distancing of course!) 😷🥳💙

    3. NO D O U B T
      PLEASE SPREAD THIS AS MUCH AS YOU CAN:
      My latest investigation report – on this channel (“Conflict of Interest at its Historical Record”) on how Trump rebuilt his BUSINESS EMPIRE by illegally misusing his presidential powers!
      (PDF FORMAT of the report is liked in the ‘comments section’ of the video report)
      There are more of my investigation reports on Trump’s corruption and conspiracies on my channel.

  6. There is a difference between what is “Political” and what is “Partisan.”

    “Political” Means:
    Relating to government, a government, or the conduct of government.
    Relating to or concerned with the making as distinguished from the administration of governmental policy.
    Relating to, involving, or involved in politics and especially party politics,
    A system that involves the government, as well as the politics of the powers within that country.

    “Partisan” Means:
    An adherent or supporter of a person, group, party, or cause, especially a person who shows a biased, emotional allegiance.

    This is why it matters:
    “The Political Question Doctrine”

    Federal courts will refuse to hear a case if they find that it presents a political question. This doctrine refers to the idea that an issue is so politically charged that federal courts, which are typically viewed as the apolitical branch of government, should not hear the issue. The doctrine is also referred to as the justiciability doctrine or the nonjusticiability doctrine.

    Cornell Law School

  7. Vote for empathy, vote for passion, vote for unity, vote for peace, vote for love, vote for the 🇺🇸….dont vote for Trump and Russia and his pages of criminal charges and his ignorant lack of belief in doctors and scientists…dont vote for hate, lies, division….GET OUT AND VOTE! BRING YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY NEIGHBORS…AMERICAN LIVES DEPEND ON YOU!!! #BIDENHARRIS2020🌊💙

    1. Trump history has Russia writing all over it he knows he done far too much dirt and I’m in total agreement with you. We as American people need to love and respect one another that’s more important than anything now 😉🙏🤗

    1. The good thing is she is not the only judge. There are others who know what the American ppl want. Trump lost 2 issues before the supreme court and he wasn’t happy.

  8. 🇬🇧 RBG obviously was an advocate for a saying I grew up with.
    “Speech is silver but silence is golden”.

    1. FBI has confirmed the laptop is real and now creepy Joe Biden is going to be president of cell block five!

  9. I really enjoyed what Justice Bryer shared about Ruth B Gingsberg… it was so wonderful! And I liked his reply about SC nomination/confirmation- “it’s like asking for the recipe of Chicken a la King from the point of view from the chicken” – very witty & thought provoking!

  10. What I want to know is how does a Judge with only 2.5 years experience even qualify to serve on the Supreme Court?

    1. Excellent question! Absolutely nothing qualifies her other than her being necessary for Trump stealing the election.

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