At a Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting to advance President Joe Biden’s two judicial nomination cases on Nov. 9, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) criticized Mustafa Taher Kasubhai, nominee to be the district judge for Oregon, over his previous statement that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is the “heart and soul” of the court system, as well as other statements.
“Why isn’t it any of the other things we mentioned, why isn’t it the law itself?” Mr. Lee asked.
He also criticized Eumi K. Lee, nominee to be the district judge for the Northern District of California, for her statement about the sex-based classification of prisoners.
The committee voted 11–10 at the end of the meeting, along party lines, to forward the two cases to the Senate floor for confirmation as federal district judges.
