President Joe Biden’s choice to become the first Muslim American to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals was in jeopardy Thursday after Joe Manchin became the second Democrat to announce his opposition amid accusations about his associations.
Manchin, a retiring Democrat who has criticized the White House on key policy issues, joins Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.), who issued a statement expressing concerns about Adeel Mangi, President Biden’s nominee for Third Circuit Court of Appeals. this week.
Without their support, Democrats will not be able to win a simple 51-49 majority in the Senate without finding Republican support for their candidate.
Republicans criticized the nominee on the committee for his role as an adviser to Rutgers University’s Center for Security, Race and Rights, amid anti-Semitic accusations the group made. speakers to campus amid a clash Israel‘s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Cortez Masto issued a statement asking questions about his involvement with the prison rights group Alliance for Families for Justice, calling it “deeply concerning.”
Adeel Abdullah Mangi has been nominated by President Biden for a seat on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. He is facing opposition from the Republican Party and now two Democrats have said they will not support him
“This organization has sponsored a fellowship in the name of Kathy Boudin, a member of the domestic terrorist organization Weather Underground, and has advocated for the release of individuals convicted of killing police officers. I cannot support this nominee,” she said in a statement.
The White House has accused opponents of resorting to Islamophobia to block a historic appointment if it is confirmed by the Senate.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates denounced Republican-backed opposition to Mangi, whose nomination was announced by the Senate Judiciary Committee on an 11-10 party-line vote.
“President Biden is proud to have nominated Adeel Mangi, whose extraordinary qualifications and integrity earn him new support every day – including from the 7th Law Enforcement Agency to endorse his nomination, as well as from retired Circuit Judge Timothy Lewis, whom the President appointed appointed. George H. W. Bush,” Bates said.
‘Mr. Mangi, who has lived the American Dream and proven his integrity, becomes the target of a vicious and debunked smear campaign solely because he would make history as the first Muslim to serve as a federal appellate judge,” Bates continued in a statement.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a key architect of the strategy that secured a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court and placed other conservatives on Article III courts, pushed back on the criticism.
President Biden has bragged about confirming 175 judges to the federal court, and now must decide whether to continue pushing for Mangi’s confirmation. One idea that has been floated is to try to move the nomination after the election
Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced he is not supporting the nominee
Senator Cahtering Cortez Masto (D-NV) has raised questions about his involvement with the group Alliance for Families for Justice, calling it “very concerning.”
Mangi, a trial lawyer, would be the first Muslim-American on the Court of Appeals
‘How insulting. What self-respecting lawyer wants to hear that a president cares more about his demographic ticks than his life’s work?’ he said in a speech in the Senate.
“Furthermore, the opposition of Senate Republicans in Mr. Mangi’s case has nothing to do with his Muslim faith. Rather, it has everything to do with his long-standing sympathy and association with some of the most radical elements in society,” he said.
The pressure comes at a sensitive time for Biden. He faced an energetic campaign during the Michigan primary from Arab-American and Muslim voters determined to support “unaligned” in protest of his policies on Israel’s war in Gaza. Withdrawing the nomination despite opposition could pose political challenges at a time when Biden is accused of failing to sufficiently stand up to Israel over its prosecution of the war.
In February, his White House released a statement announcing the appointment of 175 federal judges to the bench.
The current campaign illustrates the importance of federal judges, with key decisions on immigration and abortion being made across the country — and the Supreme Court making crucial decisions that will impact whether former President Donald Trump can stand trial this year.
Manchin told reporters that he plans to support judges who have at least the support of one Republican in the Senate, something Mangi currently appears to lack.
“I don’t think he has any bipartisan support, and I’ve just come to the conclusion that I’m not going to continue down this path. “I believe so strongly in bipartisanship, I believe so strongly in preserving the filibuster, and here we go down this road, lifetime appointments — I just say enough is enough,” he said. NBC reported.
Mangi is a litigator and a partner in a New York law firm that has tried cases involving religious freedom, LGBT rights and the case of a mentally ill African-American prisoner. His appointment was rated ‘well Qualified’ by the American Bar Association.
The Alliance of Families for Justice says it calls for “an end to human rights abuses behind bars and an end to the era of mass criminalization.”
Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Illinois has called him “extraordinary.”
Some vulnerable Democrats are on the fence, while groups like the ACLU and the Anti-Defamation League support him.