mr. menashi's -- mr. menashi supervised the work on the proposal to rewrite the rules dealing with sexual assault and sexual harassment on college campuses. the administration's own analysis concluded that the new rules would dramatically reduce the number of sexual assault investigations. mr. menashi worked on the rolling back efforts to address disparities and those with disabilities. in march a federal court ruled that the department had engaged in an illegal delay and had acted arbitrarily and capriciously. during mr. menashi's time at the department of education, the administration argued that it was appropriate to use federal education funds to purchase guns for school. also consider mr. menashi's time as a white house counsel where he helped steven miller in crafting some of the administration's most draconian immigration policies. while he was an advisor, the white house cut refugee admissions to a historic low effectively banned asylum for refugees traveling through mexico, and threatened to end b

mr. menashi currently works in the white house. he works with steven miller. there is a name that may be familiar. he is pushing steven miller's anti-immigrant agenda. he spent several years advising secretary of education betsy devos on some of the most antistudent measures that department has ever undertaken. mr. menashi's hearing testimony before the senate judiciary committee was an embarrassment. he refused to answer basic questions from either democrats or republicans, basically saying to the judiciary committee my experience, what i have done, what i believe is none of your business. it was a deeply troubling nomination, to the point where even republican colleagues on the committee were chiding him to answer a question if he wanted a lifetime appointment to the secretary highest court in the land. he continued to refuse, but he still won all of their votes when his nomination came up last week. apparently, mr. menashi is hoping that in this busy week, we're going to hold this floor vote and nobody will notice. well, a lot of americans will notice, espe

mr. menashi to come even close to doing that? mr. menashi is a textbook example of someone who does not deserve to sit on the federal bench, particularly with a lifetime appointment. my republican colleagues in my view rubber stamped too many of these extreme unqualified nominees, nominees in mr. menashi's case who are almost craven but on a few occasions a small group has stood up and said enough. this is too far. well, my colleagues, if there was ever anyone who was too far, it's menashi. there is no reason president trump couldn't find a more suitable nominee for the second circuit court of appeals. i urge my republican colleagues to do the right thing today and reject the menashi nomination. on tax returns. yesterday, a federal court -- appeals court ruled that congress can seek eight years of the president's tax returns. no doubt, the president will appeal the ruling to the supreme court in an effort to keep hidden what the president has been hiding for as long as he's been in public life, his tax returns. why the president has e

mr. menashi's nomination appears already to be in trouble.n him tomorrow, that would be the third effort they've made to try to call a vote on him. his nomination keeps getting rolled over to new date after new date, because he is one of donald trump's most controversial nominees which is saying something given the roster donald trump has tried to turn into judges. we've talked about him on the show and his paper trail. for example on an italian prime minister's proclamation of the spearuratety of western civilization over islam, he says quote, he did nothing other than state the obvious, the obvious inferiority of islam. he also wrote how offensive it was that the matthew shepherd murder got so much attention. that obviously didn't need as much attention as it got. he also opined on the movement of campus rape. he said campus gineo centrists are throwing around these accusations but there's no similar leeway for men. and there's of course his law review article entitled ethno nationalism and liberal democracy in which he argues, quote, the a

mr. menashi. we have disposed of the blue slip convention for circuit court nominees, and i'll just warn my colleagues again that there is a price to be paid for that. the blue slip for circuit court nominees is the thing that connects a circuit court nominee to a particular state so that an arkansas judge on the circuit court of appeals or the rhode island judge on our circuit court of appeals or the montana judge on their circuit court of appeals only is the arkansas judge or the rhode island judge or the montana judge because we honor that blue slip. and in another presidency when the shoe is on the other foot, i don't want to hear any of my colleagues who've thrown this circuit blue slip out complain when somebody who is not even from their state gets appointed to the so-called state seat on the circuit court. in addition, we've dealt with a lot of unqualified candidates. i think this administration has set the record for a.b.a.-designated unqualified candidates. this guy has never tried a cas

mr. menashi. he has a troubling record on race, women's equality, lgbtq rights and the rights of immigrants. his conduct before the judiciary committee was insulting. and recent poor reports describe how during his tenure working at the department of education, he played a leading role in designing an illegal effort to deny debt relief to thousands of students swindled by the for-profit colleges. that's right, the senate is going to be asked to confirm someone -- mr. menashi -- to be a judge who designed an illegal scheme to deny debt relief to defrauded students. the man has no principles, no conscience, no morals. he should not be on the bench. finally about our veterans and agent orange. yesterday our nation observed veterans day, a chance for all of us to say thank you to the millions of brave americans who served our country. it's a day to not only celebrate their achievements and express a deep and abiding gratitude for their service, but also to recognize that for many veterans, sacrifices

mr. menashi. in a few minutes, maybe as of now, in a few minutes the judiciary will be holding a vote on a nominee who is dangerously unfit to serve on the second circuit court of appeals. mr. steven menashi of new york. his nomination should not be allowed to continue. mr. menashi has a very troubling record on race, women's equality, lgbtq rights and the rights of immigrants. his conduct before the judiciary committee was insulting. his contempt for the senate reprehensible. his refusal to be forthcoming about his record is outright disqualifying. but if members of the committee needed any more evidence to vote against menashi's nominees, she -- nomination, they should read this morning's "new york times." here's the headline, appeals court nominee shaped devos' illegal loan forgiveness effort. the times reports that during mr. menashi's tenure working with secretary devos at the department of education, he played a leading role in designing an illegal,en illegal effort to deny debt relief to tho

menashi of new york to be united states circuit judge for the second circuit. mr. mcconnell: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the cloture. the clerk: cloture motion: we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination much steven j. menashi of new york to be united states circuit judge for the second circuit signed by 17 senatorsals follows -- mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the reading of the names waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motion be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that notwithstanding rule 22, the cloture motions ripen at 5:30 p.m. on tuesday, november 12. the presiding officer: without objection. the senator for ohio. mr. portman: mr. president, i'd like to take this opportunity to talk about something positive that's happening back home in ohi