Ted Cruz Unleashes On Democrat Nominees and Dick Durbin For Accusing Him Of Being A 'Bigot'

about this nominee and I would note we have talked at length in this committee about the nature of Joe Biden's judicial nominees he is consistently seeking people who are extreme who are partisans and who are out of the mainstream today we are voting on several judges that whose records quite frankly are extraordinary and it is consistently disappointing that no matter what a judge is done a Judicial nominee is done no matter how extreme their record the Democrats on this committee will vote in favor of those nominees Mr mangi served for years on the board of advisers of a radical and anti-semitic Law Center at ruter it was called the center for security race and rights that Center hosted an event on the 20th anniversary of September 11th challenging the quote narrative regarding that gruesome terror attack the existing narrative concerning 9/11 to the extent that there is one is that vicious terrorists launched a cowardly attack and killed thousands of American civilians call me crazy I don't think that's a narrative that needs to be rethought it's pretty accurate in terms of what happened but apparently the center did not think so the panel of speakers at the event included firstly an actual terrorist I'm not joking Sam Al Arian who in 2006 was convicted of conspiracy to contribute services or benefits to a terrorist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad spoke on this 9911 panel panel also featured hatm bazian who explicitly called for inata in the United States that's not rumor inuendo it's on video and it's Undisputed is that a mainstream position apparently Senate Democrats think it is to have another October 7th here in the United States are my Democratic colleagues okay with this or do they simply believe the Press will not report anything no matter how extreme these nominees are so they can be safe this event also featured Professor rabab Abdul Hadi who had hosted her own events in San Francisco ones that platformed and featured an actual terrorist and plane hijacker Leela khed Mr mangi who was on The Advisory Board of the center while all of this was transpiring now if this were just a single isolated event maybe it would be a different story but instead the opposite is true this sort of radical political programming was at the very core of this organization Mr mangi was involved in in May of 2021 the senator held an event called quote the 100 Years War on Palestine teachin a Jewish news syate opinion piece entitled quote Hamas apologist slander Israel at Rutter's teachin described the event as quote terrorist whitewashing webinar among other things speakers at the event explained that quote Israel has succeeded in painting Palestinian resistance as Terror understand the Democrat Senators on this committee are perfectly fine with that they don't have a problem with that at all because they're getting ready to vote for a judge who served on The Advisory Board and saw event after event after event and didn't see anything he disagreed with because he kept serving there on September 2022 the sener held another event entitled quote consistent partiality US foreign policy on Palestine Israel one of the speakers Peter Bart stated quote there's a deep identification among many conservative white American Christians with Israel and it partly comes from the fact that Israel like the United States is a settler colonial state the Democrats on this committee agree with that apparently they're willing to vote for judges that do on May 29th 2021 the director of the center Professor Sahar aiz signed a letter which was posted on the Center's website which read quote a ceasefire does not end the colonial conditions of structural violence and inequality that Palestinians live under the letter went on quote the Palestinian rights to Freedom Security in their homes to return self-determination and to be free of violent occupation are well established under international law the language above both sidedness of Timeless or religious conflict with moments of escalation erases the military economic media and diplomatic power that Israel an occupying Force has over Palestine the most shocking part of this statement reads quote we are in awe of the Palestinian struggle to resist violent occupation removal and eraser and the expansion of Israeli settler colonialism well after October 7th are Senate Democrats and all of that we'll find out with their vote in a moment I asked Mr Angi did he agree with these statements specifically did he agree or disagree with professor aiz and I have to say his his answer was reminiscent of Sergeant Schulz and Hogan's Heroes I know nothing who's she again I asked him did he agree with Professor ai's statement whether Israel was an occupying force in Palestine and he refused to answer he said it was too complex let that sink in for a minute I have to say I kind of wondered if he was auditioning to be president of Harvard he just needs context to know whether the Hamas terrorist or the IDF are more problematic he had the opportunity to denounce this event to denounce these statements to denounce this Center and he didn't do it he just said no I don't know anything about it I don't know anything about it no too complex I I have no idea I have no views at all he also tried to give this committee the impression that his connection with the senator was extremely limited what senat no no I was just on an Advisory Board I don't I have no idea what they're doing mind you look it's possible I don't know but it's possible he didn't know about this event celebrating Terrorist on 911 it's possible he didn't know about the event before it happened but you know what he didn't do he didn't resign after it happened he didn't say whoa who I didn't know this is what you guys were doing nope no he was perfectly fine and by the way they kept on on doing these events over and over and over again but he wasn't just on The Advisory board he was a donor he gave $6,500 of his own money wrote it to the center but that's not it he didn't just give his own money he also went to his Law Firm Patterson belnap to help get the center an additional 13,000 so nearly 20 grand and mind you what Mr mangi wants to tell this committee is yeah I helped ra nearly 20 grand I gave 6,500 myself I was on The Advisory board but you can't blame me for anything and mind you he could have done what some of Biden's nominees do which is take their record and run away from it denounce it say I was mistaken I was young no he didn't say any of that instead he just said it's too complex he can't give an opinion he didn't denounce any of this and by the way who recruited Mr mangi to the center that would be the director saharis the same woman who described Israel as an occupying Force quote unquote that engages in quote settler colonialism the Jewish Federation of greater greater Metro West New Jersey has stated that aiz quote regularly and consistently promoted vile anti-semitic propaganda the Senate Democrats agree with that quote vile Semitic anti vile anti-semitic propaganda well we're going to find out and there's no surprise Senate Democrats of the Russian polar Bureau da da that's how you vote no matter how extreme the nominee I understand when your part is in power it's expected that you vote for most of your president's judicial nominees many of us on the committee were here all four years Donald Trump was President we had a number of nominees I voted for most of those nominees I understand that I'm not expecting Democrats to suddenly start voting against a ton of democrat nominees but Joe Biden and this White House are seeking out radicals and repeatedly when there were president when President Trump made nominees who we deemed outside the mainstream we said no that's not going to cut it and we actually exercised advis and consent the Constitutional authority of the Senate I do not understand why Senate Democrats believe they have no responsibility and why they're willing to rubber stamp these nominees but I would urge every member of this committee to vote against this nomination before recognizing another senator from the Republican side I'd like to make a statement it's been my honor to be on this committee for more than two decades this is one of the best committees on Capitol Hill in terms of the opportunity to address issues of the moment and to make a difference in the selection of Lifetime appointments for judicial nominations that will impact this country for years forward I've set through hundreds and hundreds of these nominations under President Biden it's been close to 200 already and in the past like numbers in previous years I will tell you what happened in this committee this Senate Judiciary Committee on December the 13 2023 to this nominee is a new low in this committee a new low what is it about adal mongi that attracts such criticism we know what the starting point is he would be the first Muslim American to be appointed to serve on the circuit bench that's an amazing honor there are only three other Muslim American federal judges and he would have the highest rank among them and we know because of that he is a target a target for things that he's done in the past but like every other nominee he has to let his life work speaks for itself and answer the questions of this committee so what is this man and why should we be concerned you've just heard a presentation a suggestion that because of his background he is likely to be either anti-semitic or a terrorist because he's a Muslim American anti-semitic or terrorist he said things over and over again during the course of the hearing where he had it could not have possibly been Twisted to say that he is anti-Semitic but don't take my word for it a partisan supporter of President Biden's nominee think of one Jewish organization in America that you might turn to to ask what do you think is this man's background or statements anti-semitic I think it might be the Anti-Defamation League ADL we all know them they've been around a long long time let me read the letter that they wrote to this committee and every member after the questioning which you've just heard and similar questions from other republican nominees 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 treatment for all ADL is compelled to speak out about the inappropriate and prejudicial treatment of Adil Abdul mangi a nominee for us Circuit Court of Appeals during the Judiciary Committee hearing on December 13th 2023 during his confirmation hearing Mr mongi was subjected to aggressive questioning unrelated to his 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 about pretext and bias the ADL ADL goes on to report as follows just as associating Jewish Americans with certain views or beliefs regarding Israeli government actions would be deemed anti-semitic berating the first American Muslim Federal appell Judicial nominee with endless questions that appear to have been motivated by bias toward his religions is profoundly wrong hate bias and bigotry have no place in government especially in the hallard halls of Congress when nominees approach a congressional hearing their religion Heritage race gender or any other protected identity characteristic should not be the subject for political fodder this was an attempt to create controversy where it does not exist the ADL rights ADL urges leaders to refrain from fueling discrimination and hate and urges the Senate Senator to offer Mr mongi a fair vote based on his qualifications and Fitness that wasn't the only Jewish organization scores of Jewish organizations have written to us complaining about the way he was treated and supporting his nominations and here's what the American Jewish committee said Mr mongi who be the first American Muslim to serve in this role affirmed his belief in Israel's right to exist his orts of terrorism and any justifications for it and outright rejection of anti anti-Semitism from the American Jewish committee let me also report if I can that at the end of this questioning by Senator Cruz I asked Mr mongi if he would want to give a complete answer here is what he said about the incident involved the event that has been highlighted over and over again I'll answer your question very directly Senator Cruz I will condemn without equivocation any terrorism any terrorist or any Act of terrorism or any defense of any Act of terrorism and this event I don't know this event Mr mongi said I don't know anything about this event or who these people are I've never heard of them if someone on there is a terrorist I condemn them he said that under oath unequivocally did you hear that in the response by Senator Cruz you did not I'm sure and so it comes down to the bottom line do we have the the courage to stand up and say this was wrong the way this man's been treated do we have the courage to say that assuming that everyone of a Muslim faith in America is a suspect terrorist or anti-semitic I hope we do Senator Lee Mr chairman Mr chairman I I deserve a right to respond to that well you'll decide that but I'll decide Senator you've imped my character and you made an accusation I read that was a vicious I'm going to quote from you what you said about me you said that I had just asked a question and here is a quote from you Mr chairman quote that I had said he is likely to be anti-semitic or a terrorist because he is Muslim now you have just imputed my character by making a false accusation and I will say it is disgraceful did you respond to any of the substance of what I said no you just attacked me and called me a bigot and you responded by stating deliberate falsehoods you said he would be the first Muslim well you know what I understand excuse me I I have a right to defend myself when you impune my character in a way that is a new low for this committee you did not dispute any of the facts I said about the organization that he was an adviser of he was a donor of he raised money for instead you said he'd be the first Muslim on the federal court well no that actually is not correct and and in fact Mr chairman judge so the Democrats don't want to Def defend the substance so now they're screaming islamophobia and I understand playing the race card when anyone disagrees with the Democrats the ADL letter but Senator Le here are no I'm going to defend myself because under the Senate rules you have imped my character in a way that is blatantly false and let's just respond with facts with substance rather than invective just recently zahed quarashi was nominated by President Biden was confirmed by the Senate like mongi quashi is a Pakistani American he's a Muslim and he was nominated to serve the people of New Jersey however unlike mangi he doesn't have association with a radical anti-semitic group he doesn't have association with whitewashing terrorism rather Kashi served in the Army he was deployed twice to Iraq he worked for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and he served as a Fed Federal prosecutor and he received 83 votes in the United States Senate for confirmation the second most under Joe Biden second only to a nominee from Texas whom John cornin and I recommended and so it is not the fact that that Mr mongi is a Muslim that is his problem it is the fact that his record is Extreme and by the way if you want to look to Jewish organizations the Zionist organization of America submitted a letter to this this committee opposing the nomination the Coalition for Jewish values has submitted a letter to this committee opposing the nomination stop anti-Semitism an anti- a nonpartisan organization has voiced their concerns with Mr mong's affiliation I want to introduce him to the record I ask unanimous consent introduced into a record an article from the New York Post entitled Biden judicial nominee draws scrutiny over ties to controversial 9/11 Memorial event I responded with substance and fact and you responded with insults and invective that ignored the substance that Mr mongi deliberately associated with a consistently anti-semitic organization and yet Democrats are perfectly happy for him to be a federal judge I stand by the statement that I read into the record from ADL and I also stand by quote from you was not from ADL I stand by the record that I read into the record the statement from ADL and I also stand by what was said under oath by Mr mongi after you finished trying to associate him with this organization that he had no connection with it did you just say he had no connection with this organization is that seriously what you said in this hearing he was on the board of advisers he was a donor and raised money for him and you just said he has no connection with him see you twist this situation Mr chairman you just said he has no connection with his organization is that is that your view and the view of Senate Democrats read his statement too is that your view that he had no connection with this organization Senator Lee okay you're refusing to answer because it's obviously indefensible and false senly