Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing this morning on two 9th Circuit nominees — Bridget Bade and Eric Miller — as well as one district court nominee, Karin Immergut (OR), and Federal Claims nominee Richard Hertling. Dems have opposed doing this during the recess...
Sen. Crapo is chairing today's hearing (Grassley is away). Crapo just gaveled in and is introducing the two 9th Circuit nominees -- he is the only senator here at the moment 
Here is Crapo, up there alone, administering the oath to Eric Miller and Bridget Bade
Update: Sen. Hatch just came in
Civil rights groups oppose Eric Miller's nomination to the 9th Circuit, noting the opposition from orgs that represent tribal govts and communities: civilrightsdocs.info/pdf/policy/let… Sen. Murray said earlier this week she wouldn't return a blue slip, accusing Rs of rushing things
Here is a letter that Grassley sent yesterday to Murray, saying that based on his review of what happened, it looked like the White House tried to negotiate in good faith, "but that effort was not reciprocated" (Grassley is not here today): assets.documentcloud.org/documents/5018…
Crapo asks Bade about nationwide injunctions. Bade says she understands the competing views (need for uniformity v. importance of letting issues percolate up through regional circuits), but doesn't want to speak further since the issue is the subject of pending litigation
Crapo asks Miller about his views on tribal sovereignty — his critics have pointed to cases where he argued against tribes. Miller said he was acting as an advocate for his clients, not advancing personal views.
Miller says that when the US signs treaties with tribes, those treaties must be honored and interpreted as tribes would have understood them
Hatch doesn't ask any questions, just expresses his support for the nominees. The circuit nominees are done less than 20 minutes after Crapo gaveled in
Among attendees at today's hearing: Lawyer Lisa Blatt, who made waves with her support for Brett Kavanugh's #SCOTUS nomination (she wrote this: politico.com/magazine/story…) — she didn't weigh in after the assault allegations came up. She politely declined to speak with me today.
Crapo asks general Qs of district court nominee Karin Immergut — proper role of a judge (she cites balls and strikes analogy), when is it okay to look at legislative history (it can be problematic, she says), when are nationwide injunctions okay (she acknowledged current debate)
Hatch again doesn't ask any questions of the nominees, expresses his support. Crapo concludes by saying the Senate will greatly miss Hatch when he retires. And that's a wrap on this hearing on four judicial nominees, which lasted ~40 minutes and was attended by two senators
