Baseless Cries of Racism Obscure Real Concerns Over Estrada
Feature Story by civilrights.org staff - 3/3/2003
The debate over the nomination of Miguel Estrada to a federal circuit court has veered "out of bounds" because of divisive and insulting name calling by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and others, a coalition of civil rights, environmental, labor, women's and human rights groups stated Friday.During the course of public debate over the Estrada nomination, Senator Hatch and other senators have suggested that opponents of Estrada are either anti-Hispanic or oppose Estrada because he is the "wrong" type of Hispanic.
Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) has stated that "deny[ing] the position on the D.C. Circuit...would be to shut the door on the American dream of Hispanic Americans everywhere."
Sen. Grassley was one of 39 Republican Senators who voted against the confirmation of Clinton appointee Richard Paez to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Judge Paez was first nominated to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1996. He was the first Latino to serve on the federal district court in Los Angeles. Paez had bipartisan support and the highest possible rating from the American Bar Association. The Judiciary Committee heard and approved his nomination in 1998, but the full Senate took no action on his nomination and it died at the end of the 105th Congress. Paez was finally confirmed in 2000.
Critics of Mr. Estrada have stated that he has failed to meet the burden of demonstrating his qualification and suitability for the position. Mr. Estrada has been called the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" nominee for his refusal to state his positions on crucial issues during his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The Coalition for a Fair and Independent Judiciary, which includes the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, has requested Senator Hatch to reconsider his remarks and make "every effort to ensure that the debate on Mr. Estrada's nomination...be conducted on a higher plane."
