'Do You Think We're Supporting The Occupation Of Palestine?': Lindsey Graham Grills Judicial Nominee
At Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Lindsey Graham questioned Cynthia Valenzuela Dixon, nominee to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Thank you. Judge Venezuela, about your work with the national, you were the national vice president director of litigation of the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund from 2006 to 11. Is that correct?
00:16 Correct.
00:17 Okay. Were you there when this organization opposed Miguel Estrada for the DC Circuit or was that before?
00:26 I don't recall that happening during my tenure.
00:29 Okay. Your counsel in cases, Martinez versus Regent of the University of California, arguing that illegal immigrants should be given in-state tuition. Is that correct?
00:48 That was the issue in that case, correct.
00:52 Yeah. And you opposed non-resident US citizens being given that status. Is that correct?
01:00 I don't think we opposed non-resident citizens getting that benefit.
01:05 Okay. And Chamber of Commerce versus Whitting, you opposed the e-verify system to identify a person's immigration status in Arizona. Is that correct?
01:22 In all of the immigration cases that MALDEF brought at that time, Senator, what MALDEF was litigating was the issue of whether the states had the authority to regulate immigration law. And our argument was that states and local jurisdictions do not. That only Congress has the right to regulate immigration.
01:44 So it was just about the role of the state versus Congress, right?
01:48 It was about preemption.
01:51 Okay. So in Coral Construction versus San Francisco, you argued in support of a San Francisco contracting scheme which granted a 5 to 10 percent discount on bids received by minority and women-owned businesses for contracting projects. Is that correct?
02:14 Senator, I know that I listed that case on the SJQ. I don't think I signed that brief. I don't recall the issues in that case.
02:24 You don't remember that case?
02:26 I don't.
02:27 Okay. Were you involved in Ritchie versus the stand-off of D-E-S-T-E-F-A-N-O? Were you arguing in favor of bending written exams for firefighters that produced a disparate impact on minority candidates?
02:45 Again, that case was -- I think that MALDEF did file an amicus brief in that case, if I remember correctly. But I did not sign the brief as far as I recall.
02:56 Do you agree with that idea?
02:58 What idea?
02:59 The organization that you're a member of apparently provided an amicus brief in this litigation. Is that correct?
03:07 Yes.
03:08 Okay. Do you agree with the position stated in the amicus brief that you shouldn't have written exams for firefighters?
03:23 That's all right. Have you heard of California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance?
03:32 No.
03:34 You've never heard of that?
03:36 No.
03:37 That's not a program that MALDEF is involved in, houses and supports? You've never heard of it?
03:44 I don't know what MALDEF does now. I haven't been there for 13 years, 15 years.
03:48 This has been around for a while. So you don't know anything about it?
03:51 I don't.
03:52 It says -- well, their manifesto is to abolish ICE. Are you for abolishing ICE?
03:57 No, Senator.
03:58 Okay. And it says that all immigrant policies are deeply rooted in white nationalism. You don't agree with that, right?
04:05 No, Senator.
04:06 Do you think that we're supporting the occupation of Palestine, the United States? I mean, this is the manifesto of this group.
04:19 I would not agree with that statement, Senator.
04:21 All right. But you don't know anything about this, I guess, is your testimony, right?
04:24 I don't. That's correct.
04:26 Okay.