Sen. Mazie Hirono, Hawaii Democrat, offered a new explanation Tuesday for why Democrats should filibuster Judge Neil Gorsuch, speculating that he would be against equal pay for women if he reaches the Supreme Court.
She offered no evidence from cases he’s decided or from his time as a lawyer or a judge, but said because he was backed by conservative groups he would be anti-woman.
“Today is equal-pay day,” she said in explaining her opposition to reporters.
Ms. Hirono said that Judge Gorsuch is tainted because he was on a list of more than 20 potential nominees the Federalist Society helped then-candidate Donald Trump formulate.
She said other Republican-appointed judges in the past ruled against a pay-discrimination case brought by a woman named Lilly Ledbetter. In that case, a 5-4 court said the way Congress wrote the law, a sex discrimination claim had to be filed under a fairly strict deadline.
Congress quickly went back and rewrote the law to expand the deadline, but Ms. Hirono was still steaming.
“Judge Gorsuch will fit right in with that court,” Ms. Hirono said. “This is why we substantively are against this nominee.”
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.