That's not how it works. If you are under oath in front of the Senate or in Court, you have to answer unless you have a privilege (attorney client, spousal, executive, etc.) to assert allowing you not to answer. If the privilege has not been asserted, you are in contempt if you don't answer. You don't get to say "Trump might assert it in the future so I won't answer." Same is true for Rogers and Coats last week. (I think they answered many of the questions in closed session.)

 

Given that this is more of a political exercise than a judicial one and the "judge" is not impartial, I suspect they'll all answer eventually, but it will be down the road a bit.

 

He answered their questions, just not the answer they wanted.

So GOP holds commanding majority in House, Majority in Senate and the Presidency and it is the Dems who are "slow[ing] any work Trump tries to get done?" How exactly does that work? They control what gets voted on and when it gets voted on so if there are any delays in Trump's agenda, McConnell and Ryan get the blame, not the Dems.

 

Dems do have the right to filibuster in the Senate until the GOP changes that rule for everything, not just SCOTUS nominees. If I was GOP and wanted to make the argument that Dems were slowing things down, I'd put a bill on the floor and make the Dems filibuster it. The reality is, whether it is healthcare or infrastructure or tax reform, there is no unity within the GOP to move forward. Healthcare is a perfect example. Trump twisted arms to get bill passed in House (and then had a party about it at the WH) that will not pass in the Senate. My guess is that both House and Senate will pass healthcare bills so they can tell their constituents that they "repealed Obamacare," but there will be no reconciliation and nothing ever gets sent to Trump to sign in 2017.

 

When you're having hearing everyday it's kind of hard to get any work done.