Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday expressed regret for Anita Hill’s treatment during the Senate confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
“She paid a terrible price. She was abused through the hearing,” Biden said of Hill during the Biden Courage Awards ceremony in New York. “To this day, I regret I couldn’t get her the kind of hearing she deserved.”
Biden, who chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1991 during Thomas’ confirmation, has been repeatedly criticized for his handling of Hill’s testimony before the committee — criticism that could prove a thorn in his side during a potential 2020 presidential bid. Hill spoke out against Thomas at the time, accusing him of harassing her while acting as her supervisor, but was unable to stop Thomas’ confirmation.
Biden remarked Tuesday that he tried not to get Thomas confirmed, but still conceded that Hill faced a “bunch of white guys” and that she deserved a “hearing where she was respected.” He has already publicly apologized to Hill for her treatment during the hearing.
Biden added that the Senate committee remains a hostile environment for women to bring up instances of abuses, referring to the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, when Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified before the committee that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her in high school. The highly publicized hearing drew immediate comparisons to Hill’s testimony and highlighted cultural and generational clashes of the #MeToo era.
Several candidates who have formally entered the crowded Democratic field have also dealt with call-outs of mishandling complaints of sexual misconduct. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) defended her office against criticism for her handling of a sexual harassment complaint, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) apologized after reports of sexual harassment committed by his staff during his 2016 campaign.
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine
Source: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/26/biden-anita-hill-1238365
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Matthew Choi
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