On Immigration, the Supreme Court Sounds More Like Congress

Supreme Court arguments are starting to resemble Supreme Court confirmation hearings (which it used to be customary to hold for nominees way back in the days before, well, 2016). During confirmation hearings, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee from both parties take turns asking questions. Senators from the President’s party ask softballs, in a sort of direct examination; senators from the opposition party try to throw the nominee off stride with what seems more like cross-examination. Back and forth go the senators, and the questions, until, most of the time, they vote along party lines anyway.