When Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas pressed Biden judicial nominee Kenly Kiya Kato about whether or not she believes that racial discrimination is wrong, she declined to provide a direct answer.
Cruz questioned Kato during a Tuesday Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
“Is racial discrimination wrong?” the lawmaker inquired.
“Senator, our Constitution prohibits race discrimination, discrimination on the basis of race,” Kato responded.
After Cruz posed the question again, Kato said that “as a judge” she does not “deal with issues of morality.”
Cruz jumped in as Kato was still speaking, and pressed the issue, asking, “you have no views on whether it’s right or wrong?”
“Senator because that is an issue that is frequently litigated before the courts, pursuant to cannon three of the code of conduct,” Kato said, before Cruz interrupted with another question.
Cruz queried, “why does the Constitution prohibit racial discrimination?”
Kato said that she thinks “it’s part of our Constitution and this nation’s history of aiming for equal justice and treating people regardless of any protected class status equally” as well as “fairly.”
During remarks after the hearing, Cruz unequivocally declared that it is wrong to engage in racial discrimination.
“Racial discrimination is wrong. Period, full stop,” Cruz said. “The Democratic Party supports racial discrimination. It is wrong to discriminate based on race.”
Rep. Chip Roy, a fellow Texas Republican, declared on Twitter that the left supports racial discrimination. “The left BELIEVES in racial discrimination. CC: Miguel Estrada & Janice Rogers Brown,” Roy tweeted.