川普提名卡瓦诺出任联邦最高法院大法官

U.S. President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, is taking his first step Tuesday toward securing his place on the high court, when he begins meeting with senators to shore up support for his nomination ahead of hearings.

Kavanaugh, a 53-year-old conservative-leaning federal judge for the past 12 years, with an extensive legal paper trail, is also no stranger to executive branch politics and controversy.

Kavanaugh said, "if confirmed by the senate I will keep an open mind in every case. And I will always strive to preserve the Constitution of the United States and the American rule law."

Known as a devout Catholic, Kavanaugh's position on one of America's most politically charged issues – abortion – has raised concerns.

Kavanaugh could become Trump' second Supreme Court placement, after selecting conservative Neil Gorsuch to succeed Antonin Scalia, who had died at the age of 79 in February 2016.