-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, Adeel Mangi has been nominated by President Biden to serve on the Third Circuit. We have had a hearing before the Judiciary Committee, a vote in the committee, and his name is on the calendar.

In recent weeks, we have heard an amazing number of attacks against this individual. It is hard to imagine some of the things that are being said about him. They bear no resemblance to the truth.

What was said this morning on the floor of the U.S. Senate is painful. To accuse a nominee of being anti-Semitic is heartbreaking when it is not true. In this case, it clearly is not true.

After the initial hearing on Mr. Mangi, who would be the first Muslim to serve on the Federal circuit bench, we received communications from several groups in defense of his nomination and critical of the questioning that took place in the Senate Judiciary Committee. One of the most noteworthy came from the Anti-Defamation League.

The ADL issued a statement in response to what they called ``the inappropriate and prejudicial treatment of Adeel Abdullah Mangi, a nominee for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.'' I am going to read this in its entirety because it clearly rebuts the charge that was made on the Senate floor today that this nominee is anti-Semitic:

As the leading anti-hate organization in the world, whose mission is ``to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all,'' ADL is compelled to speak out about the inappropriate and prejudicial treatment of Adeel Abdullah Mangi, a nominee for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, during the Judiciary Committee Hearing on December 13, 2023.

The ADL statement goes on to say:

During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Mangi was subjected to aggressive questioning unrelated to . . . professional expertise or qualifications. Rather, he was forced to provide responses to a wide range of inquiries regarding his views on global strategic considerations in a manner that inappropriately politicized these issues and raised serious questions regarding pretext and bias.

The ADL statement goes on to say:

Just as associating Jewish Americans with certain views or beliefs regarding Israeli government actions would be deemed antisemitic, berating the first American Muslim federal appellate judicial nominee with endless questions that appear to have been motivated by bias towards his religion is profoundly wrong.

The ADL goes on to say:

Hate, bias, and bigotry have no place in government, especially in the hallowed halls of Congress. When nominees approach a congressional hearing, their religion, heritage, race, gender, or any other protected identity characteristic should not be a subject for political fodder.

This was an attempt to create controversy where one did not exist.

ADL urges leaders to refrain from fueling discrimination and hate--and urges the Senate to offer Mr. Mangi a fair vote, based on his qualifications and fitness for the job.

That statement from the ADL--as they describe themselves, the ``leading anti-hate organization in the world'' when it comes to the Jewish people--is specific and directed toward those who are really making criticisms of Mr. Mangi which are not warranted in any aspect of fact.

To have a man characterized as anti-Semitic on the floor of the U.S. Senate is a gross miscarriage of justice in this case. This gentleman could not have been more explicit in his statements against terrorism, against what happened in Israel on October 7, and the fact that he is coming before this body with no prejudice whatsoever toward the Jewish people.

The questions that were asked of him, a Muslim nominee, are heartbreaking. At one point, one of the Republican Senators asked if he celebrated 9/11 in his family household. He said: Of course not. He was sickened by what happened on that day and had friends who were associated with the losses.

This kind of treatment of any nominee is unacceptable in America. To charge someone as anti-Semitic on the floor of the U.S. Senate is truly unfortunate, if not scandalous in itself. We should be fair to every nominee, whether proposed by a Democratic or Republican President, and we should not have any prejudice or bigotry when it comes to a person because of their religious beliefs.

I am sorry that this was said on the floor of the Senate this morning. I hope that the person who did it will have second thoughts about whether or not that was appropriate.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source