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[Pages S3154-S3155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NOMINATION OF CORY T. WILSON
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today in opposition to the
nomination of Cory Wilson to a Mississippi seat on the Fifth Circuit.
Judge Wilson has a troubling record on a number of critically important
issues. That record makes clear Judge Wilson is far outside of the
judicial mainstream. I believe that record is and should be
disqualifying.
First, Judge Wilson has a long record of working to undermine voting
rights. He has been a longtime proponent of voter ID laws--which
disproportionately harm communities of color, students, voters with
disabilities, and the elderly--and has made false claims about the
prevalence of voter fraud.
He has likewise expressed opposition to enforcement of the Voting
Rights Act and has made unsubstantiated claims that voter suppression
is nonexistent. As I have noted before, Judge Wilson's troubling record
on voting
[[Page S3155]]
rights is highly relevant to his nomination. The Fifth Circuit is a
majority-minority circuit; 55 percent of those who live in the circuit
are people of color. The Senate should not confirm a nominee who would
work to further restrict the right to vote from the bench.
Second, Judge Wilson has been a staunch opponent of the Affordable
Care Act. He referred to the ACA's passage as ``perverse'' and
``illegitimate.'' He called upon the Supreme Court to strike down the
law, writing: ``For the sake of the Constitution, I hope the Court
strikes down the law and reinvigorates some semblance of the limited
government the Founders intended.''
As of June 22, more than 120,000 Americans have died from COVID-19,
and nearly 2.3 million have been infected. Now is not the time to
advance a judicial nominee whose opposition to the ACA would strip tens
of millions of Americans of healthcare, including those with
preexisting conditions.
Third, Judge Wilson has made extreme partisan comments that call into
question his ability to rule fairly and impartially. In op-eds in a
Mississippi newspaper, he likened President Obama to ``a fit-throwing
teenager'' and called him ``King Barack'' and ``President Make-
Believe.'' In tweets that he has kept public even while serving as a
State court judge, Judge Wilson called Hillary Clinton ``Crooked
Clinton'' and said she was ``criminal and clueless.'' He also called
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a ``claptrap.'' The Senate
should not confirm a nominee who cannot be trusted to put aside extreme
partisanship to rule in an unbiased and impartial manner.
Fourth, Judge Wilson has sought to undermine the rights of LGBT
Americans. In 2016, while serving in the Mississippi legislature, Judge
Wilson supported HB 1523, a bill providing legal cover for businesses
to deny services to individuals on the basis of their sexual
orientation. In a 2012 op-ed, Judge Wilson argued that ``gay marriage
is a pander to liberal interest groups and an attempt to cast
Republicans as intolerant, uncaring and even bigoted.'' Judge Wilson's
past support for anti-LGBT legislation and his comments demeaning the
fight for marriage equality raise questions about his ability to rule
objectively on any case implicating LGBT rights.
Finally, Judge Wilson has been an ardent opponent of women's
reproductive rights, making it abundantly clear that he supports ``the
complete and immediate reversal of the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton
decisions.''
Judge Wilson will be the 200th Article III judge appointed by this
President and confirmed by this Senate. Unfortunately, Judge Wilson's
record of hostility to voting rights, the ACA, the rights of LGBT
Americans, and women's reproductive rights is not unique to him. In
fact, it is clear that so many of this administration's judicial
nominees have been selected precisely because of those viewpoints. This
is not something to celebrate. After all, those who have gained
healthcare because of the ACA deserve the security of knowing their
coverage is not at risk from the Federal judiciary.
And those who seek to vindicate their rights--to vote, to make their
own reproductive healthcare decisions, and to be free from
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity--
deserve a judiciary that will rule fairly and impartially.
I will vote against Judge Wilson's nomination, and I urge my
colleagues to do the same. Thank you.
____________________