U.S. Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) raised concerns this month over Brian C. Buescher’s membership in the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic service organization. Buescher is an Omaha-based lawyer who was nominated by President Donald Trump to sit on the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.

Catholic News Agency reported on Hirono’s line of questioning:

Senators also asked whether belonging to the Catholic charitable organization could prevent judges from hearing cases “fairly and impartially.”

In written questions sent to Buescher by committee members Dec. 5, Sen. Hirono stated that “the Knights of Columbus has taken a number of extreme positions. For example, it was reportedly one of the top contributors to California’s Proposition 8 campaign to ban same-sex marriage.”

Hirono then asked Buescher if he would quit the group if he was confirmed “to avoid any appearance of bias.”

They then report on what Harris asked Buescher:

In her questions to the nominee, Sen. Harris described the Knights as “an all-male society” and asked if Buescher was aware that the Knights of Columbus “opposed a woman’s right to choose” and were against “marriage equality” when he joined.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have seen this from the Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Amy Coney Barrett received this kind of scrutiny as well.

This line of questioning demonstrates anti-religious bigotry, plain and simple. It’s unnerving that these two Democrats, who would probably cry foul if conservatives tried to unconstitutionally apply a religious test to judicial appointments that favored say evangelicals or faithful Catholics, seem to think it is ok to use a religious test for those who belong to groups they disapprove.

The hypocrisy lives loudly in these two Senators.

You May Also Like

Just Let President Trump Finish His Term

Shane Vander Hart: Calls for the president’s cabinet invoking the 25th Amendment and now talk about removing him through impeachment are wrongheaded and will further divide us.

Narrowing the Digital Divide in Rural America

Chuck Grassley: All Americans ought to be able to share in the opportunity that advanced telecommunications and mobile technology can bring.

Over 62,500,000 Lives Lost and a President Who Celebrates It

Shane Vander Hart: After 62.5 estimated lives lost to abortion, President Joe Biden wants to expand abortion access, have taxpayers pay for it, and see Roe v. Wade codified.

Senate Attempt to End Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Fails

The U.S. Senate failed to invoke cloture on S. 109, No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2019 by a 48 to 47 vote.