Thread by @jbendery

Gm! ☕️

The Senate Judiciary Committee has begun its confirmation hearing for 2 of Biden's nominees to lifetime seats on federal appeals courts.

Beth Robinson, for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Jennifer Sung, for the U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit

Robinson has been an associate judge on the Vermont Supreme Court since 2011.

If confirmed, she would be the first openly LGBTQ woman to serve on *any* U.S. appeals court. huffpost.com/entry/joe-bide…

Sung, a labor lawyer and former union organizer, has been a member of the Oregon Employment Relations Board since being appointed in 2017.

If confirmed, she'd be the first Asian American judge from Oregon on the 9th Circuit.

In opening remarks, Sen. Grassley already trying to paint Sung as too lefty.

"I see Ms. Sung this way: focusing intensely on labor law and working closely with labor leaders. That may be why @WeDemandJustice and @cdkang76 are excited about her nomination."

Always funny to me when Grassley and other GOPers try to hurt Biden's nominees by mentioning Demand Justice. It's happened in a number hearings, for some reason.

(Congrats on the shout-out @WeDemandJustice and @cdkang76!)

"I'm joined by my life partner of nearly 29 years, my wife Kim" Robinson says in opening remarks. "Without her decades of support, I most assuredly would not be here today."

Some history in the making here. 🇺🇸🌈

Tom Cotton asks Sung about a 2018 letter she signed with other Yale students + alums blasting the law school for boasting of Brett Kavanaugh's accomplishments.

Cotton: "Can you explain why you thought Brett Kavanaugh was 'a morally bankrupt man?'"

Sung was one of hundreds of Yale students/alums on this open letter to Yale Law School.

The letter refers to Kavanaugh as "an intellectually and morally bankrupt ideologue." washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sh…

Sung says today that she recognizes that letter was "overheated rhetoric" and that if she created the impression that she wouldn't respect Kavanaugh's authority as a Supreme Court justice, "I do sincerely apologize."

Ted Cruz asks Sung 3 times if she thinks Brett Kavanaugh is “intellectually and morally bankrupt."

She responds 3 times that she respects every Supreme Court justice's authority + concedes the 2018 letter she signed was overheated rhetoric.

But she never actually says no.

Tense back and forth just now between Sens. Kennedy and Leahy, after Kennedy repeatedly interrupts Sung as she tried to answer his questions.

Leahy basically tells him to stop being rude + chides Republicans for regularly opposing women and people of color before the committee.

Leahy: "This idea, esp if we have a woman nominee, that you can interrupt her any any time you want, state your own things, she answers the ? over and over again....I would hope we get back & show some respect."

Kennedy: "I resent the suggestion I'm doing that bc she's a woman."

Leahy: Look at the record. Republicans here have a disproportionate # of votes against women and people of color, esp women of color.

Kennedy: No evidence I've voted on a nominee based on race or gender.

Durbin: "We’re gonna terminate this conversation" and get back to biz.