Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono on Friday doubled down on her criticisms of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic organization and one of the world’s most charitable entities.

Hirono and fellow Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris in December harangued a Catholic judge for his membership in the organization. Both Hirono and Harris accused the Knights of sexism and trashed the organization for adhering to Catholic doctrine on the issues of gay marriage and abortion. (RELATED: Democrats Press Judicial Nominee About Knights Of Columbus Membership)

After Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse introduced a resolution reaffirming the unconstitutionality of religious tests for public office, Hirono once again went on the attack accusing the mild-mannered Nebraskan of taking an “alt-right” position.

NEW: @maziehirono doubles down against Knights of Columbus, saying @BenSasse’s S. Res. 19, which Senate adopted by unanimous consent, is embrace of “alt-right.” The Senate’s resolution states it’s unconstitutional to reject a nominee because of membership in @KofC. pic.twitter.com/NagcP8OiCe — Jason Calvi (@JasonCalvi) January 18, 2019



“If my colleague, the junior Senator from Nebraska, wants to embrace the alt-right’s position by offering this resolution, that is his business,” Hirono said on the Senate floor on Friday. “Rather than passing a resolution to address a problem that doesn’t exist, we should focus on something real, like ending this totally unnecessary, unjustified shutdown.”

Sasse’s office responded by calling Hirono’s accusations “laughably stupid.”

“@BenSasse has gone after the alt-right. [Hirono] is recklessly using the label “alt-right” to smear 2 million Catholics who volunteer in their communities,” Sasse’s communications director said on Twitter. “It’s laughably stupid, but it’s also insulting to the folks who face hate from the actual alt-right and neo-nazis.”

The Senate agreed to Sasse’s resolution by unanimous consent Wednesday.

This is the latest example of Democratic senators attacking judicial nominees over their faith. In Sept. 2017, Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein, Dick Durbin, and Hirono questioned if then-Notre Dame Law professor Amy Coney Barrett’s Catholic faith disqualified her from a seat on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

“Ms. Barrett, I think your article is very plain in your perspective about the role of religion for judges, and particularly with regard to Catholic judges,” Hirono said at the time.

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