[DAILY WIRE] On Tuesday, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) released an op-ed titled, "Elected leaders who weaponize religion are playing a dangerous game."The piece, published by The Hill, took aim at politicians who use religion as a cudgel against their political opponents, specially as it pertains to judicial nominees.
Gabbard wrote:
While I oppose the nomination of Brian Buescher to the U.S. District Court in Nebraska, I stand strongly against those who are fomenting religious bigotry, citing as disqualifiers Buescher’s Catholicism and his affiliation with the Knights of Columbus. If Buescher is "unqualified" because of his Catholicism and affiliation with the Knights of Columbus, then President John F. Kennedy, and the "liberal lion of the Senate" Ted Kennedy would have been "unqualified" for the same reasons.
Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution clearly states that there "shall be no religious test" for any seeking to serve in public office.
No American should be told that his or her public service is unwelcome because "the dogma lives loudly within you" as Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said to Amy Coney Barrett during her confirmation hearings in 2017 to serve as U.S. Circuit Court judge in the 7th Circuit.
Gabbard further wrote: "We must call this out for what it is ‐ religious bigotry. This is true not just when such prejudice is anti-Catholic, but also when it is anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, anti-Hindu, or anti-Protestant, or any other religion."
While the representative singled out Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) regarding her comment to 7th Circuit Judge (then nominee) Amy Coney Barrett, Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono (D) appears to have taken the op-ed personally, as she was one of the individuals who questioned nominee Brian Buescher regarding his faith and membership with the Knights of Columbus (KoC).
Through spokesman Will Dempster, Hirono’s office issued the following statement: