Voting Rights Tension Spills Into Second Circuit Pick Hearing

Partisan controversy over voting rights flared at a confirmation hearing for a New York-based federal appeals court nominee who was questioned by conservative lawmakers over her record working on election and voting law issues.

Myrna Pérez, director of voting rights at the Brennan Center for Justice nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, faced questions about her advocacy from Senate Judiciary Committee Republican members on Wednesday with pressure building on the Democratic-led Congress to approve new voting rights legislation.

In one exchange, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) asked Pérez to explain a statement that he said ...