WASHINGTON (AP) - Most of Congress' black lawmakers will oppose the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, officials said Wednesday. The Congressional Black Caucus also opposed the nomination of now- Chief Justice John Roberts, but waited until his confirmation hearings to announce that position. The group was preparing an announcement about Alito on Thursday, ahead of his confirmation hearings that begin Jan. 9.
President Bush nominated the 55-year-old federal appeals court judge on Oct. 31. If confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate, Alito would succeed retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. She has often case the swing vote on abortion, the death penalty, affirmative action and other contentious issues.
"The members of the CBC are concerned about Judge Alito's opinions, many in dissent, in race cases where his decisions have disproportionately affected African-Americans," said Rep. Mel Watt, D- N.C., the caucus chairman.
"We are troubled by what appears to be a very conservative judicial philosophy that seems greatly at odds with much of 20th century constitutional jurisprudence," Watt said.
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., a caucus member, has not decided how he will vote on Alito's nomination, a spokesman said. The other members of the caucus are in the House, which does not vote on judicial nominees.
A group of Democratic House women also planned to announce their opposition to Alito on Thursday, along with the National Women's Law Center.
On Wednesday, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, urged the Justice Department to release additional documents on Alito's government career.
The department has made public thousands of documents from Alito's career as a government lawyer and an appeals court judge, but some documents have been withheld using exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act, Leahy said.
"The Senate, in the exercise of its constitutional function of advice and consent for presidential nominations, is not subject to those exceptions," Leahy said. "Nevertheless, in the interest of expediting this matter and avoiding any need for delaying our proceedings, we request that you immediately supplement the material already provided."
Leahy wants the department to review the documents in question, determine why they was withheld and whether they can be given in whole or in part to just the committee's senators.
Republicans want a confirmation vote for Alito by Jan. 20.
