「核オプションを使え」トランプ大統領、共和党首脳に議会の規則変更求める　最高裁判事の承認めぐり

The Huffington Post | 執筆者： Christina Wilkie

投稿日: 2017年02月02日 16時57分 JST 更新: 1時間前

Bloomberg via Getty Images

ドナルド・トランプ大統領は2月1日、共和党の上院議会首脳のミッチ・マコーネル上院院内総務に、連邦最高裁判所判事に指名したニール・ゴーサッチ氏を承認するために、上院で必要な60票ではなく、単純過半数の51票で承認されるよう、上院の規則変更を求めると語った。

連邦最高裁判事の承認には、上院の過半数の賛成が必要となる。定数100の上院では共和党が52議席を占めるが、民主党は長時間演説で議事を妨害する「フィリバスター」を仕掛けることができる。フィリバスターを打ち切って持ち込むためには原則として60人の賛成が必要となるが、民主党の賛同を得ることは困難だ。

上院の規則変更は最後の選択肢を意味する「核オプション」と呼ばれ、議会では長年共和・民主両党ともこの手段に踏み切ることを躊躇していた。

「もし我々がワシントンで過去にあったように8年間も膠着状態に陥るのなら……私は『もし可能ならミッチ、核オプションを使え』と言う」と、トランプ大統領はゴーサッチ氏を指名した翌日、ホワイトハウスの会合で報道陣に語った。

「なぜなら、このような優れた人物がこうして軽視されるのは本当に恥ずべきことだからだ。ミッチ次第だが、私は『全力を尽くせ』と言う」と、トランプ大統領は語った。

上院の規則変更は、将来の大統領指名候補に大きな影響を残す可能性がある。指名の承認に、圧倒的多数の60票ではなく、単純過半数の51票へと規則を変更することは、将来さらに極端なイデオロギーをもつ候補者の指名を可能にしかねない。

「核オプション」の発動はマコーネル院内総務一人で簡単にできるようなものではない。それでも、民主党がゴーサッチ氏の承認に投票する意思がなければ、マコーネル氏にはそれが唯一の選択肢になるかもしれない。

マコーネル氏は1日朝、ラジオ司会者のヒュー・ヒューイット氏に、「民主党は要求を取り下げるだろうから、上院の規則を変えるかどうか、決める必要はない」と語った。

「規則変更が必要になるとは考えていません」と、マコーネル氏は語った。「面白いのは、昨晩民主党の議員が口々に『戦々恐々としている』と言っていたことです。彼らが完全にはこういう言い方をしていたわけではないですが、ゴーサッチ氏の承認にフィリバスター（議事妨害）を仕掛けるのかどうか神経質になっているのです」

しかし、マコーネル氏は同時に、「ゴーサッチ氏の承認を得るために何でもするつもりだ」と明言した。

「最終的にどうなるか予測するつもりはありません。本当に民主党次第なんです。彼らは審議を打ち切りました。2006年のサミュエル・アリート判事のときは特別多数決でしたが、審議は打ち切られました。つまり、我々は60票を得たのです」と、マコーネル氏は語った。
　
「我々は上院の通常の規則にならうつもりですし、民主党の議員たちにこの優れた候補を承認するチャンスを与えるつもりです。どういう結末になるかという仮定の質問には答えません。言うまでもなく、ニール・ゴーサッチ氏が承認されると思いますが」

マコーネル氏は上院の複雑な手続きを守り、国の最高立法機関を長きにわたって守ってきた、議会の伝統を支えてきた人物として広く知られている。しかし、トランプ氏は規則変更に慎重なマコーネル氏を意に介していない。

トランプ氏は1月26日の時点で、閣僚候補の承認のために上院の規則を変更するよう、マコーネル院内総務に勧めるつもりだと語っていた。「私はそのつもりだ。議事進行を妨害する人間がいるからだ」と、トランプ氏はFOXニュースのシーン・ハニティ氏に語った。

オバマ前大統領は最高裁判事に指名したメリック・ガーランド氏の承認を得るために1年近くを費やした。ゴーサッチ氏の承認をめぐる争いは民主党の上院議員の苦い記憶を呼び起こした。当時マコーネル氏は民主党を妨害し、大統領選の期間中は最高裁判事の指名を先へ進めるつもりはないと語っていた。

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