Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:02MOVE FORWARD AS A DEPARTMENT
00:00:05DOING THE RIGHT THING, BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY, ANY,
00:00:09ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST, UM, WHETHER IT'S RELEASING
00:00:12EMAILS OR ADMITTING TO THINGS THAT WE DID AND THE DEPARTMENT
00:00:16DID THAT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE, UM, TO, TO MAKING, BEING
00:00:19TRANSPARENT WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ABOUT THAT. THAT'S THE BEST WE CAN DO. AND THAT'S WHAT,
00:00:23THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
00:00:25>> I MADE MESSAGES PUBLIC
00:00:29BETWEEN JACK SMITH'S OFFICE THAT
00:00:31APPEARED TO RELATE TO THE TRUMP
00:00:33CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT CASE. THOSE MESSAGES SHOWED GOVERNMENT
00:00:36PERSONNEL LEFT OPEN A CLASSIFIED
00:00:39FACILITY AND POTENTIALLY MISHANDLED CLASSIFIED
00:00:43INFORMATION, CAUSING A SECURITY VIOLATION, WHILE DEFENSE
00:00:47COUNSEL'S TO TRUMP. UH, DID THE
00:00:49GOVERNMENT APPRIZE YOU OF THESE
00:00:52ISSUES? AND SECONDLY, DID THE BIDEN JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION DO
00:00:56ANY INVESTIGATION INTO THIS
00:00:59MISCONDUCT? >> WE WERE NEVER ADVISED AT THAT
00:01:01TIME. WHEN I WAS DEFENSE COUNSEL TO PRESIDENT TRUMP, AND I'M NOT
00:01:04AWARE OF ANY INVESTIGATION THAT
00:01:07WAS STARTED BY FOR THAT ALLEGED CONDUCT.
00:01:10>> UH, THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MUST DO A FULL AND COMPLETE
00:01:14INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER. UH, THIS WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO
00:01:17BE MY LAST QUESTION. ON MARCH
00:01:20THE 15th, THIS YEAR, I MADE PUBLIC A SIGNED AND SWORN
00:01:23STATEMENT FROM AN FBI OFFICIAL. THAT STATEMENT SAYS TWO
00:01:27IMPORTANT THINGS. SPECIAL COUNSEL MUELLER'S TEAM LACKED A
00:01:31LEGAL BASIS TO PURSUE A FISA
00:01:35RENEWAL OF THE WALID PHARES AND
00:01:38INVESTIGATE THOMAS BURR, BUT DID
00:01:43SO ANYWAY. WHAT STEPS HAVE YOU
00:01:45TAKEN TO INVESTIGATE THESE VERY
00:01:48TROUBLING CRIMINAL ALLEGATIONS? AND IF YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN ANY
00:01:51ACTION, WHY NOT? >> WE WE ARE INVESTIGATING THAT,
00:01:54CHAIRMAN, AND IT WOULD BE
00:01:57INAPPROPRIATE IN THIS SETTING TO GET INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT
00:02:00INVESTIGATION. BUT THE THE SWORN AFFIDAVIT THAT THAT WE REVIEWED
00:02:04FROM THAT YOU PROVIDED, UM, DOES
00:02:06RAISE SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS. YES. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SENATOR DURBIN.
00:02:10>> THANK MR. BLANCHE, UH, I HAVE
00:02:13A FEW QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU. IS IT NOT TRUE THAT
00:02:17CONGRESS HAD TO PASS A LAW
00:02:19REQUIRING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO DISCLOSE THE
00:02:22EPSTEIN FILES, THE EPSTEIN FILES
00:02:26TRANSPARENCY ACT, PASSED BY BIPARTISAN ROLL CALLS IN THE
00:02:28HOUSE AND SENATE TO FINALLY GET THE FILES MADE PUBLIC.
00:02:32>> PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED THAT LAW. >> YES, OF COURSE HE DID. AFTER
00:02:35OVERWHELMING NUMBERS OF HOUSE MEMBERS AND SENATE MEMBERS VOTED
00:02:38FOR IT ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS
00:02:42BECAUSE THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD NOT VOLUNTARILY PRODUCE THESE
00:02:45DOCUMENTS. NOW, I'VE MENTIONED. >> THAT'S NOT TRUE. >> WELL, WHAT PART OF IT ISN'T TRUE?
00:02:49>> UM, WE WERE PROHIBITED BY LAW FROM FROM PRODUCING THOSE
00:02:52DOCUMENTS. THIS IS A JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. THERE ARE LAWS THAT
00:02:55DID NOT ALLOW US TO PRODUCE
00:02:56THOSE DOCUMENTS, WHICH WE MADE
00:03:00PLAIN IN NUMEROUS COURT FILINGS. SO WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD SAID FROM DAY ONE TO RELEASE THE
00:03:04FILES, EVEN WHEN HE WAS RUNNING. AND SO, YES, HE SIGNED IT INTO LAW AND WE COMPLIED WITH IT.
00:03:08>> I REMEMBER, AND EVERYONE IN
00:03:09THE AUDIENCE REMEMBERS THE LINKS
00:03:13THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WENT THROUGH TO DELAY PRODUCTION OF
00:03:17THESE DOCUMENTS, TO THE POINT WHERE CONGRESS DID AN
00:03:21EXTRAORDINARY THING, DISCHARGE MOTION IN THE HOUSE TO BRING
00:03:24THIS MATTER BEFORE THEM AND VOTE
00:03:26ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS TO COMPEL YOUR ADMINISTRATION TO DISCLOSE
00:03:30THOSE DOCUMENTS. LET ME TALK TO YOU FOR A MOMENT ABOUT THE SURVIVORS ARE IN THE ROOM. THERE
00:03:34ARE TEN INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE
00:03:35EXPLOITED AND ABUSED BY MR.
00:03:38EPSTEIN. THEY ARE HERE TODAY. NONE OF THEM HAVE HAD A CHANCE
00:03:41TO SPEAK TO ANYONE IN THE DEPARTMENT OR FBI, THOUGH
00:03:45THEY'VE ASKED REPEATEDLY. SO, CAN I GET YOUR WORD UNDER OATH
00:03:48THAT WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS, YOU WILL PERSONALLY SIT DOWN
00:03:52WITH THESE TEN VICTIMS AND HEAR THEIR CASE IN TERMS OF WHAT
00:03:56NEEDS TO BE DONE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
00:03:59>> I, CHAIRMAN, I APPRECIATE THEM BEING HERE TODAY. I ALSO
00:04:02HAVE SOMEBODY FROM MY OFFICE
00:04:04WHO'S SPENT HER ENTIRE CAREER WORKING ON CASES LIKE MR.
00:04:08EPSTEIN'S. SHE'S IN CHARGE OF OUR TASK FORCE INVESTIGATING
00:04:12HUMAN TRAFFICKING. SHE'S AVAILABLE TO TALK TO THEM. >> SHE CAN SIT RIGHT NEXT TO
00:04:15YOU. SHE CAN SIT RIGHT NEXT TO YOU. WHEN YOU MEET WITH THESE SURVIVORS.
00:04:19>> I AM. I HAVE NEVER SAID I WILL NOT MEET WITH SURVIVORS.
00:04:21>> WILL YOU MEET WITH THESE SURVIVORS? I'M ASKING YOU ON THE RECORD.
00:04:24>> IF THEY HAVE LAWYERS. AS YOU
00:04:27KNOW, I'M PROHIBITED FROM MEETING DIRECTLY WITH THEM. I
00:04:30HAVE MET WITH COUNSEL FOR SURVIVORS, AS HAS MANY PEOPLE IN
00:04:32THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, OVER 30. BUT IF THEY ARE REPRESENTED
00:04:36BY COUNSEL, WE WILL WORK WITH THEIR COUNSEL. IF THEY DON'T HAVE A LAWYER, I WILL CERTAINLY
00:04:40MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO MAKE SURE THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MEET WITH.
00:04:44ABSOLUTELY. >> WILL YOU GET IT DONE WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS? THAT I WILL GET.
00:04:47>> IT DONE TODAY, IF THAT'S
00:04:50NECESSARY. MY POINT IS, THERE'S SOMEBODY HERE WHO CAN MEET WITH
00:04:53THEM TODAY, GET THEIR INFORMATION, AND ARRANGE TO MEET WITH THEM. >> ABSOLUTELY. OUGHT TO BE IN
00:04:56THE ROOM. PARDON ME. I THINK YOU OUGHT TO BE IN THE ROOM BECAUSE
00:04:59YOU OUGHT TO HEAR THIS. YOU HAD
00:05:03SINGULAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE FILES. UH, THERE WAS A DELAY IN MEETING THE STATUTORY
00:05:06REQUIREMENT ON DISCLOSURE. YOU WERE INVOLVED IN THAT? I THINK
00:05:09YOU OUGHT TO BE PART OF THIS. >> AND I AM DEFINITELY PART OF
00:05:12IT. AND I HAVE BEEN FROM DAY ONE. >> AND IT WILL BE DONE WITHIN
00:05:16THE NEXT 30 DAYS. >> I HAVE I CAN KEEP ON REPEATING MYSELF, BUT I SAID IT
00:05:19COULD GET DONE AS SOON AS TODAY. IT COULD HAVE GOTTEN DONE LAST
00:05:23WEEK. WE REMAIN AVAILABLE TO MEET WITH ANY VICTIM OR THEIR
00:05:27REPRESENTATIVE AT ANY TIME. >> WILL YOU NOTIFY THE COMMITTEE
00:05:30WHEN YOU'VE DONE THIS? >> UM, THAT WOULD BE PROHIBITED
00:05:33BY LAW. IF THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION.
00:05:37>> I'M ASKING YOU IF YOU'LL NOTIFY THE COMMITTEE THAT YOU MET. DEPENDS ON.
00:05:39>> WHAT THEY SAID. I'M NOT SURE I'M ALLOWED TO NOTIFY YOU IF
00:05:43THERE'S AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION. >> WELL, YOU'RE DANCING ON THE
00:05:47HEAD OF A PIN HERE. >> I'M NOT DANCING ON ANY PIN.
00:05:51>> THESE SURVIVORS WHO HAVE THE COURAGE TO COME BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE HAVE THE COURAGE TO
00:05:55TELL THEIR TERRIBLE STORIES, HOW
00:05:56THEY WERE EXPLOITED. DON'T YOU THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE
00:06:00HAVE A PROMPT RESPONSE BY OUR
00:06:03GOVERNMENT TO THESE SURVIVORS? >> ABSOLUTELY. AND THERE WILL BE
00:06:05A PROMPT RESPONSE. I MY HEART
00:06:09BREAKS FOR EVERY SURVIVOR, EVERY VICTIM OF MR. EPSTEIN.
00:06:12ABSOLUTELY. AND I WOULD LOVE TO PROSECUTE ANYBODY THAT DID ANY
00:06:16HARM TO THESE. >> WILL YOU MEET WITH THEM WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS? THE LAST TIME I ASKED A QUESTION,
00:06:20YOU CAN SAY YES OR NO. >> KEEP ON ANSWERING IT. THE SAME WAY I CAN MEET WITH THEM.
00:06:24MY STAFF WILL MEET WITH THEM. WE HAVE A STAFF MEMBER HERE. >> YOU CAN MEET WITH THEM. WILL
00:06:27YOU MEET WITH THEM? >> UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE
00:06:31LOOKING FOR ME TO SAY. AS I SAID. >> YES, THERE.
00:06:33>> ARE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE. IF THEY'RE REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL,
00:06:37I'M NOT ALLOWED TO MEET WITH
00:06:38THEM DIRECTLY. AS YOU KNOW, I
00:06:41ASSURE YOU, THE FBI, WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THIS SPACE,
00:06:45PROSECUTORS, WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THIS SPACE, AND ME, IF
00:06:47NECESSARY, WILL ABSOLUTELY MEET WITH THEM. I PROMISE YOU THIS. >> I THINK.
00:06:51>> I WILL STAY UPDATED AND KNOW
00:06:53EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING WITH ANY VICTIM THAT HAS INFORMATION
00:06:57ABOUT ANY OF ANY OTHER PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH EPSTEIN, THAT COMMITTED ANY CRIMES WITH
00:07:01EPSTEIN. ABSOLUTELY. >> WELL, IF YOU'RE TRULY
00:07:05COMMITTED TO EXTRAORDINARY TRANSPARENCY AND YOU'RE WILLING TO MEET WITH THESE VICTIMS, I
00:07:08HOPE YOU WILL DO IT IMMEDIATELY,
00:07:10OR WE'RE GOING TO HOLD YOU TO
00:07:12IT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE IMMUNITY
00:07:15PROVISIONS THAT YOU SIGNED. UH,
00:07:20RELATIVE TO THE RESPONSIBILITY
00:07:23AND LIABILITY OF THE PRESIDENT
00:07:25AND HIS FAMILY AND THEIR BUSINESSES WHEN IT COMES TO TAX
00:07:28AUDITS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLAIN HOW WE CAN GIVE TO THE
00:07:31PRESIDENT AND HIS FAMILY AND
00:07:35BUSINESSES EXEMPTIONS FROM COMPLYING WITH THE TAX LAWS OF
00:07:37THE UNITED STATES
00:07:39>> IT'S IT'S NOT AN EXEMPTION TO COMPLY WITH THE TAX LAWS OF
00:07:44THE UNITED STATES. AS PART OF THE SETTLEMENT. IT WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT ANY PAST AUDITS
00:07:48WOULD, WOULD BE WOULD END. >> THE UNITED STATES. YOUR
00:07:52SIGNATURE, THE UNITED STATES
00:07:54RELEASES WAVES, ACQUITS, AND
00:07:58FOREVER DISCHARGES EACH OF THE PLAINTIFFS WHEN IT COMES TO TAX
00:08:02LIABILITY. THAT'S THAT'S HOW IT READS. IT'S PRETTY, PRETTY
00:08:06SWEEPING. YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT
00:08:07IS A DISCHARGE FOREVER FROM
00:08:11LIABILITY. >> OF PAST, OF, OF ANY PAST
00:08:13FILINGS. YES.
00:08:16>> IT IS. PEOPLE? EVERYONE IN
00:08:19THIS ROOM, ALL OF US ON THIS SIDE, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE TAX
00:08:22LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES. AND IF WE DON'T, WE CAN BE HELD
00:08:26RESPONSIBLE FOR IT TO THE POINT OF EVEN CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.
00:08:29WHY DID YOU DECIDE THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS FAMILY
00:08:33AND THEIR BUSINESSES SHOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THAT SAME RESPONSIBILITY?
00:08:36>> AS PART OF THE SETTLEMENT
00:08:38BETWEEN THE IRS AND PRESIDENT
00:08:42TRUMP AND SOME OF HIS FAMILY, TWO OF HIS SONS AND HIS
00:08:45ORGANIZATION, UM, AS IS TYPICAL,
00:08:47WHEN THERE'S A SETTLEMENT
00:08:50BETWEEN PLAINTIFFS AND THE IRS,
00:08:51PART OF THE SETTLEMENT INCLUDED
00:08:54RELEASE OF, OF ANY PAST AUDITS.
00:08:56IT DOES NOT GIVE ANY PROTECTION TO THE PRESIDENT, HIS FAMILY, OR
00:09:00HIS ORGANIZATIONS FOR ANY TAXES THEY FILE. IF THEY FILED IT THE
00:09:03DAY AFTER I THE DAY OF THAT, I
00:09:05SIGNED THAT AGREEMENT OR THE DAY AFTER. THEY HAVE NO PROTECTION. >> NO MATTER WHAT THEIR
00:09:08LIABILITY, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR
00:09:10VIOLATION OF TAX LAW. YOU SIGNED
00:09:13A DOCUMENT THAT FOREVER DISCHARGED THEM FROM ANY LEGAL
00:09:17RESPONSIBILITY. >> AS PART OF THE SETTLEMENT THAT WE ENTERED INTO ANY PAST
00:09:20AUDITS WERE. >> HOW OFTEN, HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK THAT'S BEEN DONE IN THE
00:09:23HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. >> INVOLVING THE PRESIDENT OF
00:09:26THE UNITED STATES? I'M NOT SURE IT'S EVER BEEN DONE, BUT THIS
00:09:30TYPE OF SETTLEMENT IS DONE REGULARLY. >> SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT WHEN
00:09:33IT COMES TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE
00:09:34UNITED STATES, HIS FAMILY AND
00:09:37BUSINESSES HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY UNDER THE TAX
00:09:40LAWS FOR ANY WRONGDOING? PRIOR TO THE SIGNING OF THIS DOCUMENT?
00:09:44>> NO, I DIDN'T SAY THAT AT ALL. I WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT I
00:09:47THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS FAMILY ARE THE FIRST PRESIDENT THAT HAD THEIR TAX RETURNS
00:09:51ILLEGALLY TAKEN ILLEGALLY. UM,
00:09:55AND MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. SO THAT IS UNIQUE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP. YES. BUT THIS
00:09:58TYPE OF SETTLEMENT IS NOT UNIQUE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OR
00:10:02THE IRS. >> IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN TO THE
00:10:05AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW. WHEN THAT TYPE OF
00:10:08DOCUMENT WAS SIGNED BY YOU
00:10:10FOREVER DISCHARGING THAT FAMILY
00:10:13AND THAT PRESIDENT FROM ANY LIABILITY FOR VIOLATING THE TAX
00:10:17LAWS. >> NOBODY IS ABOVE THE LAW. AND
00:10:20WHEN WE ENTER INTO SETTLEMENTS LIKE THAT, WE DO IT WITH ALL
00:10:22KINDS OF PEOPLE. IT'S NOT JUST PRESIDENT TRUMP. IT DOESN'T MAKE
00:10:26ANY OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS ABOVE THE LAW. >> SO LET ME ASK YOU, SINCE YOU
00:10:30DON'T BELIEVE ANYONE SHOULD BE ABOVE THE LAW ABOUT THE JANUARY
00:10:336th RIOTERS PARDONED, WE'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT THE PRESIDENT
00:10:37PARDONED ON HIS FIRST DAY IN OFFICE. THE ONES WHO ATTACKED
00:10:40THIS CAPITOL. AND I'LL USE THE WORD ATTACK, BECAUSE I WAS HERE
00:10:43AND I SAW WHAT HAPPENED. ANYONE LOOKING AT THE VIDEOS KNOWS WHAT
00:10:46HAPPENED ON THAT DAY. AMONG THOSE WHO WERE PARDONED BY THE
00:10:49PRESIDENT ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO'VE GONE ON TO COMMIT SERIOUS CRIMES
00:10:53AGAINST INNOCENT VICTIMS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. DO YOU THINK
00:10:56THAT BLANKET PARDON BY THE PRESIDENT OF JANUARY 6th RIOTERS
00:11:00WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO? >> I THINK THAT THIS THE
00:11:03CONSTITUTION GIVES THE PRESIDENT THE FULL POWER TO PARDON ANYBODY
00:11:06FOR ANY REASON HE WANTS. AND SO
00:11:08I, I DON'T QUESTION PRESIDENT TRUMP'S AUTHORITY OR IS A
00:11:11DECISION TO DO SO. ON JANUARY 20th.
00:11:13>> YOU DON'T QUESTION HIS DECISION.
00:11:16>> AS I SAID, PRESIDENT TRUMP, UNDER OUR CONSTITUTION, JUST
00:11:19LIKE PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS THE
00:11:21AUTHORITY TO PARDON ANYBODY FOR ANY FEDERAL CRIME. AND AND
00:11:25THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERY PRESIDENT. THAT'S A PRIVILEGE
00:11:28EVERY PRESIDENT'S AFFORDED, AND INCLUDING INCLUDING PRESIDENT
00:11:31BIDEN AND PRESIDENT TRUMP. >> WELL, I CAN TELL YOU, HE MAY
00:11:34HAVE HAD THE AUTHORITY TO DO IT, BUT I THINK SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE
00:11:38GRABBED HIM BY THE ARM AND SAID, STOP, YOU CAN'T RELEASE ALL OF
00:11:41THOSE RIOTERS. SOME OF THEM
00:11:44ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED POLICEMEN IN THE CAPITOL. SOME
00:11:47OF THEM WERE GUILTY OF CRIMES, SERIOUS CRIMES, BEFORE THAT DAY.
00:11:51AND FOR THE PRESIDENT TO GIVE A BLANKET PARDON TO THESE
00:11:54INDIVIDUALS IS SOMETHING THAT I DON'T THINK YOU CAN EXPLAIN TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. YOU
00:11:58CERTAINLY CAN'T EXPLAIN IT TO THE POLICEMEN WHO ALMOST LOST THEIR LIVES BECAUSE OF THESE
00:12:02ATTACKERS. I YIELD, MR. CHAIRMAN.
00:12:05>> BEFORE I GO TO SENATOR CORNYN, I'D LIKE TO ENTER INTO
00:12:08THE RECORD. UM, SUPPORTING MR.
00:12:14BLANCHE NOMINATION FROM, UH, FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN
00:12:18ASHCROFT. AND THIS IS A QUOTE FROM THE LETTER. THIS RULE OF
00:12:21LAW IS THE BEST FRIEND OF, UH,
00:12:29LIBERTY TO SAFEGUARD THIS CORE
00:12:31VALUE. AMERICA NEEDS AN ATTORNEY
00:12:35GENERAL EXCLUSIVELY DEVOTED TO THE RULE OF LAW AND WILL HONOR
00:12:38HIS OATH TO THE CONSTITUTION. TODD BLANCHE IS THE RIGHT PERSON
00:12:41FOR THAT RESPONSIBILITY. HIS
00:12:44RECORD AND CREDENTIALS UNDERGIRD
00:12:47MY WHOLE HEARTED SUPPORT FOR HIS
00:12:52NOMINATION. WITHOUT OBJECTION, THAT WILL BE ENTERED INTO THE
00:12:54RECORD. SENATOR CORNYN.
00:12:57>> GOOD MORNING, MR. BLANCHE. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR
00:13:00NOMINATION. THERE'S A LOT TO
00:13:03ADMIRE ABOUT YOUR RECORD OF SERVICE TO, UH, TO OUR COUNTRY.
00:13:06AND, UH, I RESPECT THE FACT THAT
00:13:08YOU WANT TO CONTINUE THAT
00:13:13SERVICE. AND AS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, AS I TOLD YOU IN MY
00:13:14OFFICE, I THINK THE ATTORNEY
00:13:17GENERAL HAS THE HARDEST JOB IN
00:13:20WASHINGTON, D.C., BECAUSE YOU ARE AT THE SAME TIME, A MEMBER
00:13:22OF THE PRESIDENT'S CABINET,
00:13:25SUBJECT UH, WHATEVER THE
00:13:29PRESIDENT WANTS FOR ANY REASON OR NO REASON AT ALL. BUT THEN YOU ALSO HAVE A DUTY AS THE
00:13:33CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OF
00:13:37THE UNITED STATES. AND I THINK
00:13:39IT'S A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT
00:13:42BALANCE. AND I WANT TO ASK YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, PARTICULARLY IN CONNECTION WITH
00:13:46THE SETTLEMENT OF THE TAX, UH,
00:13:49CASE. THERE'S SO MUCH THAT'S
00:13:52UNUSUAL ABOUT THIS. FIRST OF
00:13:53ALL, THE FACT THAT THE TAX
00:13:57RETURNS WERE LEAKED BY A IRS
00:14:00CONTRACTOR, CHARLES LITTLEJOHN,
00:14:02WHO WAS APPROPRIATELY CONVICTED OF A CRIME FOR DOING THAT.
00:14:06PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS, UH, HIS
00:14:08FAMILY WERE DEFINITELY, UH, VICTIMS OF A CRIME THERE. UM,
00:14:12BUT IT HAPPENED BACK IN 2020,
00:14:17AND THE LAWSUIT WASN'T BROUGHT UNTIL 2026. SO, UH, WITH THE TWO
00:14:21YEAR STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS, UH,
00:14:23SEEMS TO ME THAT, UH, THAT WAS SOMETHING I KNOW THAT WAS THE
00:14:27SUBJECT OF PLEADING IN THE, IN
00:14:30THE COMPLAINT AND ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE TWO YEAR STATUTE OF
00:14:32LIMITATIONS. BUT THAT STRUCK ME
00:14:35AS, AS UNUSUAL. UM, BUT LET'S
00:14:37TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT
00:14:41AND THE RELEASE. UM, FIRST OF
00:14:43ALL, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE SAID
00:14:45THAT THE WEAPONIZATION FUND IS A
00:14:48MOOT ISSUE. IS THAT YOUR
00:14:51POSITION? >> YES, IT IS A MOOT ISSUE, MEANING THERE IS NO WEAPONIZATION FUND. THE
00:14:55WEAPONIZATION FUND IS DEAD. IT'S NOT MOVING FORWARD.
00:14:58>> WELL, I WOULD REFER YOU TO
00:15:00THE, UH, SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. DO YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A COPY OF
00:15:03THAT IN FRONT OF YOU? >> I DO NOT.
00:15:06>> OKAY, WELL, YOU PROBABLY KNOW WHAT'S WHAT'S IN IT. >> I'M FAMILIAR WITH IT.
00:15:10>> YES, I'M SURE YOU ARE. ON PAGE FOUR. THIS SETTLEMENT
00:15:12AGREEMENT CAN BE MODIFIED. MAY BE MODIFIED ONLY UPON THE
00:15:16WRITTEN AGREEMENT OF THE PARTIES. HAS THERE BEEN A WRITTEN AGREEMENT OF THE PARTIES
00:15:19TO MODIFY THE SETTLEMENT FUND? >> NO. THE SETTLEMENT FUNDS ARE
00:15:23JUST NOT MOVING FORWARD. THERE'S NO THERE'S NO MODIFICATION. IT'S JUST IT
00:15:26NEVER STARTED. NO MONEY WENT FROM THE TREASURY TO ANY OTHER
00:15:29ACCOUNT. THERE'S NO COMMISSIONERS. IT'S NOT MOVING
00:15:33FORWARD. >> WELL, SO THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT REMAINS, AS IT WAS
00:15:37ORIGINALLY. UM, BUT I HEAR WHAT
00:15:42YOU'RE SAYING. UM IS IT IS THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ENFORCEABLE
00:15:44AS A CONTRACT BY THE PARTIES?
00:15:48>> WELL, YES, IT'S AN ENFORCEABLE DOCUMENT. SO I
00:15:50SUPPOSE IF, IF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S COUNSEL SOUGHT TO
00:15:53ENFORCE IT, UM, THEY POTENTIALLY
00:15:57COULD, UM. >> INCLUDING INCLUDING THE WEAPONIZATION FUND. >> WELL, THEY COULD TRY TO
00:16:01ENFORCE THE, THE CONTRACT. THEY CAN'T FORCE THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE
00:16:05WEAPONIZATION FUND. THEY COULD POTENTIALLY SAY THAT, I SUPPOSE,
00:16:09THAT WE BREACHED BY NOT MOVING FORWARD. THEY HAVEN'T DONE THAT.
00:16:12AND I'M, I'M NOT AWARE THAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON DOING THAT.
00:16:16LIKE I SAID, SENATOR, WHAT. AND SENATOR DURBIN TALKED ABOUT
00:16:19THIS, BUT I'VE TALKED
00:16:21EXTENSIVELY WITH WITH YOU AND OTHER COLLEAGUES ABOUT
00:16:25POTENTIALLY, UM, UM, CODIFYING.
00:16:29SO THERE'S NO WEAPONIZATION FUND, WHICH IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE.
00:16:32AND I WASN'T MEANING TO INSULT
00:16:34THIS BODY, BUT JUST IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS FROM SENATORS ABOUT
00:16:37WHETHER THAT COULD BE DONE, WE VERY MUCH ARE OKAY WITH THAT.
00:16:41>> BUT JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
00:16:43WHO WAS THE PLAINTIFF IN THIS LAWSUIT, UH, HAS NOT AGREED IN
00:16:47WRITING, UH, TO DELETE THE WEAPONIZATION FUND. AND THERE'S
00:16:51NO GUARANTEE THAT HE OR ONE OF
00:16:55THE OTHER PLAINTIFFS MIGHT RAISE THAT ISSUE BY WAY OF A LAWSUIT
00:16:58AND A BREACH OF CONTRACT LAWSUIT IN THE FUTURE.
00:17:02>> WELL, SENATOR, THE THE PLAINTIFFS HAVE NO POWER OVER THE FUND. THE FUND WAS
00:17:05ADMINISTERED SOLELY BY THE, UM, BY BY THE FIVE COMMISSIONERS AND
00:17:09THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. SO, NO, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY POWER WITH RESPECT TO THE
00:17:12FUND AT ALL. I SUPPOSE THEY COULD BRING A LAWSUIT, AND THEN
00:17:16WE WOULD LITIGATE IT. BUT EVEN IF WE WERE LITIGATING IT,
00:17:20THERE'S NO FUND. SO THE RESULTS OF SUCH LITIGATION, WHATEVER IT
00:17:22WOULD BE, WOULDN'T BE REVIVAL OF THE FUND.
00:17:26>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE RELEASE, AND I KNOW I'M GUILTY
00:17:29OF WHAT A LOT OF LAWYERS ARE GUILTY OF, AND HAVING A CHART
00:17:33YOU CAN'T READ, BUT I KNOW YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS DOCUMENT, WHICH IS THE, UH, THE
00:17:37RELEASE THAT YOU SIGNED ON MAY
00:17:40THE 19th, 2026. FIRST OF ALL,
00:17:46UM, DOES THIS PURPORT TO RELEASE PARTIES OR PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT
00:17:49PARTIES TO THE LAWSUIT? >> NO. SENATOR.
00:17:53>> WELL, IT SAYS HERE THAT, UM
00:18:00CLAIMS ASSERTED BY DEFENDANTS OR ANY OF THE PLAINTIFFS OR RELATED
00:18:03OR AFFILIATED INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION,
00:18:07FAMILY OR OTHERS FILING JOINTLY, OR PARTIES, INCLUDING TRUSTS,
00:18:10PARENT, SISTER OR RELATED COMPANIES, AFFILIATES, OR
00:18:12SUBSIDIARIES. THEY WEREN'T A PARTY TO THE LAWSUIT, WERE THEY?
00:18:16>> I DIDN'T HEAR EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID, SENATOR, BUT THE THE
00:18:19ONLY PARTIES THAT WERE, UM,
00:18:22THAT, THAT HAD ANY, UM, RELEASE
00:18:25AS RESPECT TO ANY POTENTIAL AUDITS, EVEN IF THEY EXISTED,
00:18:28WERE THE PLAINTIFFS IN THE LAWSUIT?
00:18:30>> DID YOU, DID YOU TALK TO THE
00:18:33PRESIDENT ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT? HE ORIGINALLY SUED FOR $10
00:18:36BILLION AND SETTLED FOR AN APOLOGY. AND THIS WEAPONIZATION
00:18:39FUND, AND THEN THE RELEASE OF
00:18:43FUTURE LIABILITY FOR TAX AUDITS. DID YOU DISCUSS IT WITH HIM?
00:18:46>> NO, I DID NOT. HE HAD OUTSIDE
00:18:50COUNSEL. I DID NOT DISCUSS IT WITH HIS OUTSIDE COUNSEL,
00:18:52EITHER. IT WAS DONE BY OTHER
00:18:55PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE. >> AND THE THE SOURCE, THIS WAS
00:18:58A LAWSUIT BROUGHT. >> CAN I CAN I QUALIFY THAT
00:19:01AFTER, UM, WHEN, WHEN WE DETERMINED NOT TO MOVE FORWARD,
00:19:05UM, AS, AS THE PRESIDENT HAS
00:19:07SAID, UM, THAT'S THE ONLY TIME THAT HE AND I HAD ANY
00:19:11CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS AT ALL WAS AFTER, WHEN IT WAS DEAD. AND
00:19:14WE SAID, WE'RE NOT MOVING FORWARD. >> AND THIS LAWSUIT WAS BROUGHT
00:19:17AGAINST THE IRS AND TREASURY.
00:19:21YET THIS RELEASE PURPORTS TO,
00:19:25UH, APPLY TO DEFENDANTS OR OTHER
00:19:29AGENCIES OR DEPARTMENTS. SO DOES
00:19:31THIS RELEASE APPLY TO, LET'S
00:19:33SAY, A, AN INVESTIGATION BY THE
00:19:37SECURITY AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
00:19:39OR SOME OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY? >> NO, THAT'S THE STANDARD
00:19:42LANGUAGE THAT WE USE WHEN WE
00:19:44ENTER INTO, UM, SETTLEMENTS
00:19:47BETWEEN PLAINTIFFS AND THE IRS.
00:19:48BUT NO, IT DOESN'T BIND. UM,
00:19:52IT'S ISSUED BY ME BECAUSE STATUTES REQUIRE AN AUTHORIZED
00:19:54ME TO DO THAT AS OPPOSED TO
00:19:57OTHER CABINET MEMBERS. AND IN THIS CASE, IT BINDS ONLY THE IRS
00:20:01AND BY EXTENSION, THE TREASURY.
00:20:04>> WELL, I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I CERTAINLY DON'T READ THAT IN THE, IN THE
00:20:08AGREEMENT. BUT LET ME LET ME TURN, SINCE I ONLY HAVE A FEW
00:20:11MINUTES LEFT UH, SENATOR, UM
00:20:15GRASSLEY RAISED THE ISSUE OF THE
00:20:18MIFEPRISTONE LAWSUIT. AND JUST
00:20:20TO BE CLEAR, YOU UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MORNING
00:20:24AFTER PILL AND MIFEPRISTONE, DON'T YOU? >> YES.
00:20:27>> AND SO MIFEPRISTONE IS A IS A
00:20:31CHEMICAL ABORTION THAT CAN BE
00:20:32ADMINISTERED UP TO TEN WEEKS OF
00:20:38GESTATION. UM, THE, UH, LENGTH OF GESTATION SHOULD BE,
00:20:40ACCORDING TO THE MEDICAL
00:20:42LITERATURE, UH, CONFIRMED BY ULTRASOUND OR CLINICAL
00:20:46ASSESSMENT BY A HEALTH CARE
00:20:48PROVIDER. AND, UH, IT'S
00:20:50GENERALLY SAFE AND EFFECTIVE BY,
00:20:53ACCORDING TO THE LITERATURE, WHEN USED UNDER MEDICAL
00:20:55GUIDANCE. BUT THE PROBLEM IS
00:20:57THAT, UM, PRESIDENT BIDEN'S
00:21:01ADMINISTRATION CHANGED THE TRUMP POLICY AND ALLOWED THE
00:21:04ADMINISTRATION OF THIS ABORTION,
00:21:05CHEMICAL ABORTION DRUG WITHOUT
00:21:09ANY MEDICAL GUIDANCE WHATSOEVER. AND AS YOU KNOW, I'VE WRITTEN A
00:21:12LETTER TO SENATOR TILLIS, AND I
00:21:15SENT A LETTER YESTERDAY. AND
00:21:17WHAT I WOULD APPRECIATE, I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY, UH, TALK TOO MUCH
00:21:21ABOUT YOUR LITIGATION STRATEGY.
00:21:23IN THE CASE OF LOUISIANA AGAINST
00:21:26FDA, BUT I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD RESPOND TO THIS
00:21:28LETTER FOR THE RECORD, ABOUT THE
00:21:30INTENTIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATION. IF PRESIDENT
00:21:34TRUMP IS THE MOST PRO-LIFE PRESIDENT, THIS OUGHT TO BE A
00:21:38PRETTY EASY CALL, UH, BECAUSE
00:21:40WOMEN ARE HURT AS A RESULT OF,
00:21:43UH, SIDE EFFECTS, HEAVY BLEEDING, PROLONGED, UH,
00:21:47POTENTIALLY INFECTION OR SEPSIS.
00:21:50UH, INCOMPLETE ABORTION OR OTHER COMPLICATIONS. WHEN THIS IS
00:21:53BEING SOLD THROUGH THE MAIL OR
00:21:56THROUGH ONLINE, UH, ONLINE PRESCRIPTION. UH, WILL YOU DO
00:22:00THAT FOR ME?
00:22:01>> YES, SENATOR, I WILL.
00:22:06>> FINALLY, LET ME JUST GO BACK
00:22:07TO THE IN THE 50s. I HAVE GO
00:22:11BACK TO THIS RELEASE. THIS
00:22:15PURPORTS TO RELEASE LAWFARE OR
00:22:22WEAPONIZATION AND OR WEAPONIZATION. THOSE AREN'T
00:22:25LEGAL TERMS OF ART, ARE THEY >> I THINK THEY ARE JUST LEGAL
00:22:29TERMS OF ART. THEY'RE NOT. THERE'S NOT. >> THEY'VE BEEN DEFINED IN ANY
00:22:33CASE OR ANY STATUTE. >> NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF. NO.
00:22:36>> SO THEY'RE NOT A LEGAL TERM OF ART.
00:22:39>> WELL, I THINK THAT THEY,
00:22:41THEY, THE TERMS HAVE BEEN UM
00:22:43USED BY THE LEGAL COMMUNITY AND BY PEOPLE WITHIN GOVERNMENT. BUT
00:22:46NO, I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY'RE IN BLACK'S LAW DICTIONARY.
00:22:50>> SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT COVERS. >> WELL, I THINK IT DEPENDS ON
00:22:54THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE FACTS PRESENTED AS TO WHETHER IT
00:22:57COVERS AS TO WHAT IT COVERS. SORRY.
00:22:59>> THANK YOU >> KLOBUCHAR.
00:23:03>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR.
00:23:05CHAIR. UM, MR. BLANCHE, AFTER
00:23:09BOTH THE ASSASSINATION OF MELISSA HORTMAN, OUR FORMER
00:23:12SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, AND AFTER
00:23:15THE ANNUNCIATION SCHOOL
00:23:18SHOOTING, IN WHICH 20 PEOPLE WERE GUNNED DOWN THROUGH STAINED
00:23:21GLASS WINDOWS, FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, AS YOU AND I DISCUSSED IN MY OFFICE A FEW
00:23:25WEEKS AGO, UH, WORKED
00:23:27COOPERATIVELY WITH STATE AND LOCAL. AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT
00:23:31THEY'VE WORKED TOGETHER ON THE IMPORTANT WORK GOING ON IN THE
00:23:35U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN
00:23:37MINNESOTA WITH REGARD TO FRAUD AND THE ONGOING FRAUD
00:23:40INVESTIGATION. AND I KNOW WE
00:23:41HAVE YOUR COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE
00:23:45GIVING RESOURCES FOR THAT INVESTIGATION, CORRECT? >> ABSOLUTELY.
00:23:48>> THANK YOU. SO, UM, WE ALSO
00:23:52DISCUSSED MY CONCERN ABOUT THE LACK OF COOPERATION WE SAW AFTER
00:23:55THE HORRIFIC KILLINGS OF RENEE
00:23:57GOOD AND ALEX PRETTI, UH, WITH
00:24:00THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REFUSING
00:24:02TO COOPERATE WITH STATE LAW
00:24:04ENFORCEMENT FOR MONTHS, BLOCKING MINNESOTA INVESTIGATORS FROM
00:24:08ACCESSING THE ACCESSING THE SCENE OF ALEX'S DEATH, EVEN
00:24:11THOUGH THEY HAD A JUDICIAL
00:24:13WARRANT. UM, THEY ALSO FAILED TO
00:24:16SECURE. ACCORDING TO NEWS REPORTS, FAILED TO SECURE AND
00:24:19PROCESS THE SCENE, FAILED TO
00:24:22PROCESS RENEE GOOD CAR FOR EVIDENCE. WHEN WE MET A FEW
00:24:25WEEKS AGO, AT LENGTH, I ASKED
00:24:27YOU TO ENSURE FULL COOPERATION,
00:24:29AND I APPRECIATED THAT THE
00:24:32DEPARTMENT SHARED EVIDENCE WITH STATE INVESTIGATORS EARLY THIS
00:24:36WEEK. WILL YOU COMMIT TO
00:24:39CONTINUED INFORMATION SHARING
00:24:41BETWEEN FEDERAL AND STATE
00:24:44INVESTIGATORS? IN THESE CASES, AS WELL AS WITH REGARD TO THE
00:24:47RECENT SHOOTINGS IN TEXAS AND MAINE?
00:24:51>> I EXPECT THAT THESE INVESTIGATIONS SHOULD BE RUN AS
00:24:54EVERY INVESTIGATION OF SIMILAR KINDS. AND SO THAT NECESSARILY
00:24:57INCLUDES, UM, WORKING WITH STATE AND LOCALS IN THE APPROPRIATE
00:25:01WAY. I THINK THAT THE DEFINITION
00:25:03OF FULL COOPERATION CAN BE
00:25:06DISPUTED, BUT I VERY MUCH EXPECT THAT, WHETHER IT'S THE INSPECTOR
00:25:10GENERAL OR THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S
00:25:12OFFICE, OR THE FBI OR WHOEVER ON THE FEDERAL SIDE OF THE
00:25:16INVESTIGATION, WHERE APPROPRIATE, TO, TO WORK WITH STATE AND LOCALS. UM, I THINK A
00:25:20LOT OF THE NEWS REPORTING THAT YOU REFERENCED IS ACTUALLY NOT
00:25:24ACCURATE WITH WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, SOME SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.
00:25:28>> OKAY. BUT THAT ASIDE, WE'VE
00:25:31SEEN THESE RECENT SHOOTINGS IN
00:25:33MAINE. AND THE REACTIONS OF THE COMMUNITIES UNDERSTANDABLY
00:25:36CONCERNED, AS WELL AS TEXAS. UM, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS PEOPLE
00:25:40ARE GOING TO WANT ACCOUNTABILITY IN THESE CASES. AND ONE OF THE
00:25:44THINGS THAT DOESN'T GET AS MUCH
00:25:46ATTENTION IS, UM, THE NON-DEATH
00:25:49CASES THE HMONG ELDER PULLED OUT OF HIS HOUSE IN MINNESOTA IN HIS
00:25:53UNDERWEAR AND CROCS IN TEN BELOW ZERO WEATHER. AND AS THE
00:25:56NATION'S CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL, DO YOU AGREE THAT IT
00:26:00IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR FEDERAL
00:26:02AGENTS TO FORCIBLY ENTER SOMEONE'S HOME WITHOUT A WARRANT
00:26:06AND DRAG THEM ONTO THE STREET WITHOUT EVEN CHECKING THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON?
00:26:10>> WELL, IT DEPENDS ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES. AS YOU JUST AS
00:26:12YOU KNOW. I MEAN, YES, OBVIOUSLY, LAW ENFORCEMENT
00:26:15AGENTS NEED A WARRANT TO ENTER A HOUSE, EXCEPT FOR LIMITED
00:26:19EXCEPTIONS TO THAT. UM, SO, SO
00:26:22YES, WE, WE VERY MUCH BELIEVE IN, UM, THE, THE CONSTITUTIONAL
00:26:26PROTECTIONS AFFORDED AMERICAN CITIZENS THE SAME PROTECTIONS
00:26:29ARE NOT AFFORDED PEOPLE WHO ARE
00:26:31HERE ILLEGALLY. SO IT'S NOT A BLACK AND WHITE ANSWER WHERE I
00:26:35CAN SAY YES OR NO. BUT YES, I
00:26:38VERY MUCH EXPECT THE LAW TO BE FOLLOWED BY OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS.
00:26:41>> SO SINCE THE CIVIL WAR, ALONG
00:26:43THOSE LINES, FEDERAL LAW HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE PRESIDENT
00:26:46DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DEPLOY ARMED FEDERAL OFFICIALS
00:26:50TO ELECTION SITES. UH, WILL YOU
00:26:53COMMIT TO FOLLOWING CLEAR
00:26:58FEDERAL LAW AND NOT DEPLOYING FEDERAL AGENTS TO POLLING LOCATIONS? >> I WILL COMMIT TO FOLLOWING THE LAW, SENATOR. OF COURSE.
00:27:01>> OKAY. BUT DOES THAT INCLUDE
00:27:03NOT DEPLOYING FEDERAL AGENTS TO
00:27:06POLLING PLACES? >> I WILL ABSOLUTELY FOLLOW THE
00:27:09LAW, NO MATTER WHAT IT INCLUDES.
00:27:14SO, YES. >> DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY VOTERS, U.S. CITIZENS, ARE CONCERNED
00:27:16ABOUT ARMED AGENTS AT POLLING PLACES?
00:27:20>> I'M I'M NOT AWARE OF ARMED
00:27:22AGENTS BEING AT POLLING PLACES. SO I DON'T I'M NOT AWARE OF
00:27:26THAT CONCERN. BUT I WILL TELL YOU, WE WILL FOLLOW THE LAW, SENATOR.
00:27:29>> ALL RIGHT. UH, THE DOJ HAS
00:27:32CARRIED OUT A CAMPAIGN TO PUSH
00:27:34STATES TO TURN OVER VOTERS SENSITIVE AND PRIVATE DATA TO
00:27:38THE ADMINISTRATION. 30 STATES, INCLUDING REPUBLICAN LED STATES
00:27:41LIKE GEORGIA AND WEST VIRGINIA, HAVE REFUSED. IN DOING SO, THE
00:27:45WEST VIRGINIA REPUBLICAN SECRETARY OF STATE SAID, QUOTE,
00:27:48I WILL NOT BREAK THE LAW, GIVE UP OUR STATES RIGHTS, OR
00:27:52COMPROMISE THE PRIVACY OF OUR
00:27:55CITIZENS. 15 FEDERAL COURTS IN
00:27:57DECISIONS FROM DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN APPOINTED JUDGES,
00:28:01HAVE ALL FOUND THAT THESE
00:28:05ACTIONS TO FORCE THE STATES TO TURN OVER THIS DATA TO. IS
00:28:09UNLAWFUL. COULD YOU DISCUSS HOW
00:28:12CUTTING OFF ANTI-TERRORISM
00:28:15FUNDING TO STATES THAT REFUSE
00:28:19SOMETHING THAT 15 FEDERAL COURTS HAVE FOUND TO BE ILLEGAL,
00:28:22ENHANCES OUR NATIONAL SECURITY? >> SO THOSE CASES ARE ARE STILL
00:28:26BEING LITIGATED. SO I CAN'T TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE THE CASES
00:28:30THAT YOU MENTIONED, BUT OVERALL, WHAT I WILL SAY, SENATOR, IS
00:28:34THAT, UM, ELECTION INTEGRITY IS
00:28:38EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT TO THIS ADMINISTRATION. IT'S IMPORTANT TO THIS BODY. AND SO
00:28:41TO THE EXTENT THAT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IS TO MAKE SURE
00:28:45THAT WE HAVE FAIR AND HONEST ELECTIONS, THAT THE ONLY PEOPLE
00:28:48VOTING ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE, AND THAT
00:28:50THEY'RE ONLY VOTING ONCE. THAT'S THAT'S IMPORTANT. >> IF SECURE ELECTIONS IS
00:28:54IMPORTANT, HOW DOES STOPPING THE LONG STANDING PRACTICE OF
00:28:58CRITICAL INFORMATION SHARING AND
00:29:00SCENARIO PLANNING BETWEEN THE
00:29:03DOJ, OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES, AND STATE AND LOCAL ELECTION
00:29:05OFFICIALS PROMOTE ELECTION SECURITY? WE'RE NOT. BECAUSE WE
00:29:09HAVE BEEN. WE HAVE HEARD FROM OUR OWN SECRETARY OF STATE THAT
00:29:13STEVE SIMON, THAT THE STANDARD BRIEFINGS, TRAININGS HAVE NOT HAPPENED.
00:29:17>> WE'RE NOT DOING THAT. SO I I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING. >> TO.
00:29:21>> BUT BUT I'M I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR OFFICE ABOUT THAT.
00:29:25>> APPRECIATE THAT, APPRECIATE
00:29:25THAT. SO, UM, YOU AND I TALKED
00:29:29ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THE ANTITRUST
00:29:32CONCERNS I HAVE, THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
00:29:35I WAS VERY CONCERNED BY THE
00:29:37DEPARTMENT'S WEAK SETTLEMENT OF THE MONOPOLIZATION SUIT AGAINST
00:29:41LIVE NATION, TICKETMASTER. UM,
00:29:43DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS
00:29:47SETTLEMENT WAS GOOD FOR CONSUMERS? AND IF SO, THEN WHY
00:29:50DIDN'T. THERE WAS ANOTHER CASE, OF COURSE, THAT THE STATE
00:29:53ATTORNEY GENERALS BROUGHT. THAT IS GOING TO RESULT IN MUCH
00:29:56BETTER PROTECTIONS FOR CONSUMERS. WHY DIDN'T THE DOJ
00:30:00JOIN THEM? STAY IN THAT SUIT. >> I SHARE YOUR CONCERNS. AND
00:30:04YES, I DO BELIEVE THAT SETTLEMENT WAS GOOD FOR CONSUMERS. WE, UM, WE GOT TO THE
00:30:08AMERICAN PEOPLE GOT A LOT OUT OF THAT SETTLEMENT WITH LIVE
00:30:12NATION. AND YOU TALK ABOUT ANOTHER CASE THAT'S SEPARATE.
00:30:15THAT'S ONGOING LITIGATION THAT COULD POTENTIALLY TAKE YEARS TO RESOLVE. AND
00:30:19>> SO WHEN WE MAKE A DECISION AS A DEPARTMENT TO TO SETTLE A
00:30:21CASE, WE ARE ONLY THINKING ABOUT
00:30:25THE AMERICAN CONSUMER AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT WE'RE COMPLYING
00:30:27NOT ONLY WITH THE LAWS, BUT WITH WHAT'S RIGHT FOR.
00:30:30>> THE WHITE HOUSE, HAVE ANY
00:30:32INVOLVEMENT IN THAT DECISION. >> IN THE DECISION REGARDING WHICH.
00:30:36>> CASE TO SETTLE THE TICKETMASTER >> THE. WE WORK AT TIMES CLOSELY
00:30:40WITH WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL ON
00:30:42CERTAIN ISSUES. I AM SURE THAT I
00:30:47WASN'T DIRECTLY PART OF, UM, DISCUSSIONS, BUT SO, SO I CAN'T
00:30:50SPEAK TO THAT, BUT I, I'M CERTAINLY NOT SAYING THEY WERE NOT PART OF IT.
00:30:53>> SO. OKAY. ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT FORMER REPUBLICAN PRINCIPAL
00:30:57DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL ROGER ALFORD, WHO HAS
00:31:01APPEARED BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE
00:31:03AS A REPUBLICAN WITNESS IN THE PAST, HAS SAID THAT IN YOUR
00:31:07DEPARTMENT, ANTITRUST CASES ARE
00:31:09BEING RESOLVED BASED ON
00:31:11POLITICAL CONNECTIONS, NOT THE LEGAL MERITS.
00:31:14>> UM, NO. HIS WORDS DON'T
00:31:16CONCERN ME, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT TRUE.
00:31:19>> WELL, A LOT OF US DISAGREE ON THAT FRONT. SO, UM, I WANT TO
00:31:23TURN TO SOME SORT OF NUMBER OF
00:31:25ISSUES INVOLVING, UM, SECURITY.
00:31:29SO IN THE WAKE OF THE SHOOTING
00:31:30LAST YEAR, ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC
00:31:34SCHOOL WAS APPROVED TO RECEIVE FUNDING THROUGH THE OFFICE FOR
00:31:36VICTIMS OF CRIME FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHER SUPPORT
00:31:40SERVICES. AND I APPRECIATE THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED
00:31:42CLOSELY WITH THE ANNUNCIATION COMMUNITY ON THIS ISSUE. UM, BUT
00:31:46THE DELAYS IN THE RELEASE OF THESE FUNDS ARE CREATING BUDGET
00:31:49CONCERNS. UM, COULD YOU COMMIT TO WORK WITH ME ON GETTING THOSE
00:31:53FUNDS TO THE SCHOOL? >> YES, ABSOLUTELY. >> THANK YOU. UH, THE
00:31:57PRESIDENT'S MOST RECENT BUDGET
00:32:00REDUCES COPS OFFICE FUNDING BY
00:32:02NEARLY 500 MILLION. ELIMINATES THE STOP SCHOOL VIOLENCE PROGRAM
00:32:06THAT I CHAMPIONED WITH SENATOR HATCH. HE WAS THE LEAD ON IT.
00:32:09UM, ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT CUTTING THIS FUNDING WILL IMPACT
00:32:12SCHOOL SAFETY?
00:32:14>> UM, NO, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UM,
00:32:18I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION. I FULLY EXPECT THAT THE GRANTS THAT, THAT ULTIMATELY ARE
00:32:22INCLUDED IN THE, THE BUDGET THAT'S PASSED WILL MAKE SURE
00:32:25THAT WE'RE PROVIDING APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO, TO OUR
00:32:28COMMUNITIES SO THAT THEY CAN
00:32:32CONTINUE THEIR GOOD WORK. >> UM, I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, AND I'VE HEARD THIS FROM
00:32:34SEVERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE GROUPS ABOUT
00:32:38THE DOJ PLAN TO CONSOLIDATE THE
00:32:40COPS PROGRAM, HIDE A PROGRAM
00:32:42OFFICE, AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. UM, AND WHY DO YOU THINK
00:32:46THIS WILL BE HELPFUL? UH,
00:32:48BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE VERY DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS.
00:32:52>> I AGREE WITH YOU. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING. THERE WILL
00:32:54STILL BE THREE SEPARATE FUNCTIONS. WHAT WE'RE DOING IS
00:32:58CONSOLIDATING ABOVE THEM TO ONE GROUP, SO THAT THE APPLICATION
00:33:01PROCESS IS SMOOTHER AND EASIER
00:33:03FOR, FOR GRANTEES TO, TO DO
00:33:06THEIR WORK. AND ALSO SO THAT INTERNALLY, SOME OF THE
00:33:09BUREAUCRACY THAT WAS INVOLVED IN
00:33:10HAVING THREE SEPARATE BUREAUCRATIC STREAMS DOING THE
00:33:14SAME WORK, EVEN THOUGH, YOU'RE RIGHT, THE UNDERLYING PROGRAMS
00:33:18SERVE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS, WAS NOT EFFICIENT. SO WE'RE MAKING THAT EFFICIENT.
00:33:21>> AND I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU WITH SOME OF THE DOMESTIC
00:33:25VIOLENCE GRANTS. UM, AND ALSO
00:33:25JUST WANT TO MENTION THE
00:33:29CONTINUED ENFORCEMENT UNDER THE TAKE IT DOWN ACT THAT SENATOR CRUZ AND I PASSED, AND HOW
00:33:31IMPORTANT THAT IS GOING FORWARD. >> THANK YOU. SENATOR. YES.
00:33:35>> BEFORE I GO TO SENATOR
00:33:37KENNEDY, I'D LIKE TO READ A
00:33:39LETTER SUPPORTING THE NOMINEE
00:33:42FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
00:33:45POLICE ORGANIZATIONS. MORE THAN
00:33:491000 POLICE ORGANIZATIONS AND 250,000 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
00:33:52NATIONWIDE ARE REPRESENTED BY
00:33:54THIS LETTER, QUOTE, MR. BLANCHE
00:33:57HAS PROVEN HIS COMMITMENT TO THE RULE OF LAW AND A FAIR AND
00:34:00IMPARTIAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. AS DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL AND
00:34:04LATER, ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL,
00:34:06HE HAS BUILT A STRONG
00:34:09PARTISANSHIP WITH LAW
00:34:11ENFORCEMENT, UH, ENFORCEMENT,
00:34:15COMMUNITY FROM SUPPORTING THE
00:34:16DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, LAW
00:34:20ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAMS, TO WORKING TO ENSURE
00:34:21ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN THE PUBLIC
00:34:27SAFETY OFFICERS, BENEFITS
00:34:27PROGRAM. HE IS CONSIDERED A HE
00:34:32HAS CONSISTENTLY ENDEAVORED TO
00:34:34MEET THE NEEDS OF STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
00:34:37AND THEIR FAMILIES, END QUOTE. WITHOUT OBJECTION. WILL BE
00:34:41ENTERED IN. SENATOR KENNEDY
00:34:53>> GENERAL, I ASSUME THAT YOU
00:34:56CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE
00:34:58QUALIFIED TO BE THE PERMANENT
00:35:00ATTORNEY GENERAL. IS THAT RIGHT? >> YES, SENATOR.
00:35:04>> I'VE READ YOUR RESUME. WE
00:35:06ALL HAVE, UM, YOU DON'T NEED TO
00:35:09COMMENT ON THIS, BUT IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT NO FAIR MINDED
00:35:12PERSON COULD CONCLUDE THAT
00:35:15YOU'RE NOT QUALIFIED. UM, YOU SPENT A LONG TIME WITH THE
00:35:18DEPARTMENT. SPENT A LONG TIME IN
00:35:23PRIVATE PRACTICE. SO THE
00:35:26OPPOSITION OF MY DEMOCRATIC
00:35:28FRIENDS MUST BE BASED ON
00:35:31SOMETHING ELSE. UM ARE YOU IN
00:35:34PRESIDENT TRUMP? FRIENDS?
00:35:37>> I'M HIS LAWYER. WAS HIS LAWYER, AND NOW I'M THE DEPUTY
00:35:40ATTORNEY GENERAL. SO I MET HIM
00:35:44AS HIS CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY. I'M NOT SURE. THERE'S VERY MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE EVER
00:35:47HAD A CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY
00:35:49WHO CALLS THAT PERSON THEIR
00:35:51FRIEND. UM, I NOW HAVE A WELL. >> LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY. ARE
00:35:55YOU ENEMIES? >> NO, WE'RE NOT ENEMIES AT ALL. NO.
00:35:58>> HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A
00:36:02PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
00:36:07APPOINT AN ENEMY TO BE ATTORNEY
00:36:09GENERAL?
00:36:13>> I HAVE NOT, UM. >> USUALLY, THEY APPOINT THEIR
00:36:16QUALIFIED FRIENDS, DON'T THEY?
00:36:18>> YES.
00:36:20>> I MEAN, ONE PRESIDENT
00:36:22APPOINTED HIS BROTHER, RIGHT? >> HE DID, SENATOR.
00:36:25>> AND I CAN THINK OF ANOTHER PRESIDENT WHO APPOINTED HIS
00:36:28FORMER LAW PARTNER. IS THAT RIGHT? >> IT IS CORRECT.
00:36:32>> OKAY ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR
00:36:39ALL THE PRESIDENT'S DECISIONS?
00:36:42>> NO, SENATOR, I'M NOT.
00:36:46>> I MEAN, DOES THE PRESIDENT
00:36:47GET UP IN THE MORNING AND AND GIVE YOU A CALL FIRST THING AND
00:36:51SAY, TODD, TELL ME WHAT I OUGHT TO DO TODAY.
00:36:53>> HE DOES NOT.
00:36:57>> OKAY. DOES HE EVER ASK YOUR
00:36:58OPINION ON ACTIONS? HE SHOULD
00:37:03TAKE? >> YES. >> DO YOU TELL THEM THE TRUTH?
00:37:06>> EVERY TIME?
00:37:07>> HAVE YOU EVER DISAGREED WITH HIM?
00:37:11>> UH, YES >> AND HAS. HAVE YOU EVER
00:37:13DISAGREED WITH HIM? AND HE DID IT ANYWAY?
00:37:17>> YES. >> AND DID YOU GO CALL A PRESS
00:37:21CONFERENCE AND AND, ANNOUNCE
00:37:23THAT THE PRESIDENT MADE A BAD
00:37:27DECISION? >> NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT. >> THAT'S NOT WHAT ATTORNEY
00:37:31GENERAL ATTORNEYS CORRECT. OKAY.
00:37:37HAS HE EVER ASKED YOU TO DO ANYTHING ILLEGAL? >> NO.
00:37:41>> WOULD YOU DO IT IF HE ASKED YOU?
00:37:42>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
00:37:46>> OKAY HOW MANY? HOW MANY? UH,
00:37:57PAGES OF THE SO-CALLED EPSTEIN FILES? UH, HAS THE DEPARTMENT
00:38:01RELEASED?
00:38:05>> NEARLY 3 MILLION.
00:38:06>> HOW MANY MORE PAGES ARE THERE
00:38:10>> THAT ARE RESPONSIVE? WE'RE NOT AWARE OF ANY.
00:38:12>> HOW ABOUT THAT? IN THE
00:38:15DEPARTMENT'S, UH, OPINION, ARE NOT RESPONSIVE.
00:38:19>> WELL, FROM WHAT WE COLLECTED, ABOUT 3 MILLION THAT WERE JUST
00:38:23NOTHING TO DO WITH JEFFREY EPSTEIN OR OR THE CASE AT ALL.
00:38:26>> OKAY. WHY DON'T YOU JUST RELEASE EVERYTHING? JUST LET IT RIP.
00:38:29>> WELL, THAT WOULD BE AGAINST THE LAW, BECAUSE THE ONLY REASON
00:38:32WE COULD RELEASE THE 3 MILLION WE DID IS BECAUSE OF THE EPSTEIN
00:38:36TRANSPARENCY ACT. THERE ARE FEDERAL LAWS THAT PROHIBIT THE
00:38:40RELEASE OF OF CASE FILES. UM, AND THE EPSTEIN TRANSPARENCY ACT
00:38:44WAS VERY EXPLICIT AND SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT COULD BE AND SHOULD
00:38:47BE RELEASED.
00:38:50>> OTHER THAN TO HIMSELF. WELL,
00:38:53FIRST, WE CAN AGREE, CAN WE NOT, THAT MR. EPSTEIN WAS A PIG.
00:38:57>> YES
00:39:01>> UM, OTHER THAN TO HIMSELF,
00:39:04WHO, IF ANYONE ELSE DID, MR.
00:39:09EPSTEIN TRAFFIC, YOUNG WOMEN TO.
00:39:13>> THERE'S THERE'S FROM WHAT WE
00:39:16LEARNED, FROM WHAT WE KNOW. SO
00:39:18WHEN WE KNOW, I MEAN, WHAT'S IN THE FBI FILES AND WHAT'S IN THE
00:39:22DOJ FILES, UM, WE DID NOT
00:39:25IDENTIFY EVIDENCE. AND BY WE, I
00:39:28MEAN, CAREER PROSECUTORS. NOT,
00:39:30NOT ME, NOT MY LEADERSHIP, BUT CAREER PROSECUTORS IN NEW YORK
00:39:34AND CAREER PROSECUTORS IN FLORIDA WHO WORK THIS CASE HARD.
00:39:37UM, DID IDENTIFY OTHER PARTICIPANTS, SOME OF WHOM, AS
00:39:41HAS BEEN DISCUSSED, UM, WERE
00:39:45ALSO VICTIMS THEMSELVES OF MR.
00:39:46EPSTEIN. BUT WE DID NOT HAVE
00:39:50EVIDENCE, UM, AS OF NOW, OF
00:39:53OTHER MEN WHO WERE, UM, THAT
00:39:56WERE TRAFFICKED, THAT EPSTEIN HELPED TRAFFIC. THAT IS, DOES
00:39:58NOT MEAN IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. IT
00:40:01JUST MEANS THAT WE HAVE EVIDENCE
00:40:04THAT THE FBI GATHERED AND THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE GATHERED. AND THAT'S THE BODY
00:40:07OF, OF WORK THAT THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH, WHICH IS WHY I SAID
00:40:11EARLIER, IF THERE'S ANYBODY OUT THERE, VICTIM OR OTHERWISE, THAT
00:40:15HAS INFORMATION, I BEG THEM TO
00:40:20COME FORWARD.
00:40:21>> OKAY UH, DID JACK SMITH READ
00:40:27MY EMAILS? >> UM, I'M NOT SURE, SENATOR, I DON'T KNOW.
00:40:30>> WOULD YOU CHECK FOR ME?
00:40:32>> WE WILL CHECK. SENATOR. YES.
00:40:35>> UM, I THINK HE READ SENATOR
00:40:42GRASSLEY'S EMAILS. HOW DID HE
00:40:45HOW CAN SOMEONE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE GET
00:40:48SENATOR GRASSLEY'S EMAILS
00:40:52WITHOUT PROBABLE CAUSE? >> THERE ARE CHECKS IN PLACE
00:40:56THAT SHOULD MAKE IT EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT FOR A
00:40:59PROSECUTOR TO, UM, COLLECT AND
00:41:03REVIEW A SENATOR'S EMAILS OR A CONGRESSMAN'S EMAILS OR A LAWYER'S EMAILS OR OTHER FOLKS
00:41:07THAT HAVE PRIVILEGED PROTECTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR
00:41:10COMMUNICATIONS. UM, AND THOSE CHECKS AND BALANCES SHOULD
00:41:13ALWAYS BE USED
00:41:15>> BUT MR. SMITH JUST IGNORED.
00:41:18>> I CANNOT SPEAK FOR MR. SMITH. SENATOR
00:41:22>> WOULD YOU CHECK FOR ME FIRST
00:41:28IF HE IF HE READ MY EMAILS AND CHECK NUMBER TWO, HOW HE GOT
00:41:30THEM. AND NUMBER THREE, LET'S I
00:41:35DON'T MEAN TO TO SINGLE OUT MY FRIEND, SENATOR GRASSLEY. UM,
00:41:39BUT BUT. WHAT SENATOR GRASSLEY?
00:41:46AND, AND I MEAN, WERE THEY WHAT
00:41:49WERE THEY LIMITED TO, IF AT ALL?
00:41:51YOU KNOW, DID HE GET EMAILS FROM
00:41:53SENATOR GRASSLEY TALKING ABOUT
00:41:56HIS CORN HARVEST THAT? AND WHO
00:41:58DID HE SHARE THEM WITH? DO YOU
00:42:01KNOW IF, IF MR. SMITH SHARED MY EMAILS WITH WITH ATTORNEY
00:42:05GENERAL GARLAND. >> I DO NOT I DO NOT KNOW.
00:42:08>> CAN YOU CHECK FOR ME? >> WE ARE INVESTIGATING THAT,
00:42:10SENATOR. YES. >> YEAH. I'D KIND OF LIKE TO
00:42:13KNOW ALL THAT UM, NOW, MAYOR
00:42:20LORI LIGHTFOOT SENT US. SHE SENT
00:42:21THE WORLD A LETTER, UH THAT WE
00:42:27SHOULD NOT CONFIRM YOU AS
00:42:29ATTORNEY GENERAL, WHO IS MAYOR
00:42:32LORI LIGHTFOOT, JUST FOR THE
00:42:34RECORD.
00:42:37>> SHE'S THE FORMER MAYOR OF CHICAGO. UM, I BELIEVE SHE HAD A
00:42:40BRIEF STINT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
00:42:42JUSTICE PRIOR TO HER POLITICAL
00:42:46LIFE.
00:42:46>> RIGHT. UM AND, AND YOU HAD
00:42:52SOME CONFLICTS WITH HER? >> I DO NOT BELIEVE SHE SUPPORTS
00:42:56OUR ADMINISTRATION'S EFFORTS
00:42:58MAKING AMERICA SAFE AGAIN.
00:43:00>> OKAY. RIGHT. SHE THINKS COPS
00:43:03ARE A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN CRIMINALS. WOULD THAT BE A FAIR
00:43:06ASSESSMENT? >> SHE DEFINITELY. HER PUBLIC
00:43:10RHETORIC IS NOT SOMETHING THAT EITHER MYSELF OR THIS ADMINISTRATION SUPPORTS, WHICH
00:43:14IS TO ALWAYS BACK OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
00:43:16>> SHE THINKS IF A COP SHOOTS A
00:43:19CRIMINAL, IT'S AUTOMATICALLY THE COP'S FAULT. BUT IF A
00:43:23CRIMINAL SHOOTS A COP, IT'S AUTOMATICALLY THE GUN'S FAULT.
00:43:26WOULD THAT BE A FAIR ASSESSMENT OF THE MAYOR'S POSITION?
00:43:30>> HER PUBLIC STATEMENTS SUGGEST
00:43:34THAT. >> YEAH. >> WOULD YOU PUT HER EVEN IN
00:43:36CHARGE OF A HAM SANDWICH
00:43:41>> I DON'T BELIEVE SHE SHOULD BE. UM, ANY PART OF THIS ADMINISTRATION.
00:43:44>> WELL, THE. THE PEOPLE OF CHICAGO APPARENTLY AGREED. I
00:43:48THINK SHE, SHE, UH, SHE RAN FOR
00:43:52REELECTION AND GOT 16% OF THE VOTE. IS THAT RIGHT? DO YOU
00:43:56RECALL? >> I'M NOT SURE WHAT PERCENTAGE
00:43:58SHE GOT. SENATOR. >> OKAY.
00:44:01>> UM TELL ME A LITTLE BIT. ONE
00:44:07OF THE THINGS THAT THAT, THAT
00:44:09UNDER YOUR UNDER YOUR AUTHORITY,
00:44:13THE DEPARTMENT HAS CONCENTRATED
00:44:14ON, WHICH I AGREE WITH, UH, IN
00:44:18ADDITION TO, TO PROSECUTING CRIME IS THE PROSECUTING
00:44:22PROSECUTION OF WHITE COLLAR CRIME FRAUD. TELL, TELL ME A
00:44:25LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
00:44:27>> WE IT'S INCREDIBLE. SINCE
00:44:29COVID, THE ABSOLUTE THIEVERY THAT'S HAPPENED FROM THE FISC,
00:44:33UM, BY, BY PEOPLE IN THIS
00:44:36COUNTRY. AND SO WE HAVE FOCUSED TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EFFORTS, NOT ONLY IN THE NEW DIVISION,
00:44:40BUT AT EVERY U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WITH EVERY INSPECTOR
00:44:44GENERAL AND THEIR OFFICES, THE
00:44:45FBI, DHS, AND XAI TO JUST ROOT
00:44:48OUT THIS FRAUD. YOU HAVE
00:44:50EXAMPLES OF, OF RAMPANT OF
00:44:53INDIVIDUALS JUST STEALING. SO SETTING UP ENTIRE CENTERS FOR
00:44:56AUTISM WHEN THERE ARE NO PATIENTS, WHEN THERE IS NO
00:44:59CENTER, AND TAKING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF HARD EARNED TAXPAYERS
00:45:03MONEY. AND SO WE ARE VERY FOCUSED ON THAT. WE'VE ALREADY,
00:45:07LIKE I SAID EARLIER, BILLIONS AND BILLIONS. WE'VE ALREADY COLLECTED IN JUST THE PAST
00:45:10COUPLE OF MONTHS. THAT EFFORT IS
00:45:15GOING TO GO FORWARD FOR AS LONG AS I AM IN THE POSITION THAT
00:45:17I'M IN NOW, NO MATTER WHETHER
00:45:19I'M CONFIRMED OR NOT. AND, UM,
00:45:21AND IT'S EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT TO EVERY AMERICAN THAT
00:45:25THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WHETHER SOMEONE AGREES OR DISAGREES WITH
00:45:29A POLICY. IT'S JUST OUTRIGHT
00:45:32THEFT BY, BY INDIVIDUALS. AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY, MANY STATE
00:45:36GOVERNMENTS, UM, IF, IF THEY DIDN'T ABSOLUTELY KNOW IT WAS
00:45:40HAPPENING AND JUST ENCOURAGE IT, THEY CERTAINLY STOOD IDLY BY WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING, WHICH IS
00:45:43ALSO A PROBLEM. >> OKAY, DON'T, DON'T FORGET TO
00:45:46CHECK ON MY EMAILS FOR ME. >> SENATOR. YES.
00:45:49>> THANK YOU. >> SENATOR WHITE HOUSE. >> MORNING, MR. BLANCHE.
00:45:53>> GOOD MORNING.
00:45:55>> WHY WON'T YOU TELL US WHAT
00:45:58BECAME OF THE $50,000 IN
00:46:01CONFIDENTIAL MONEY THAT THE FBI
00:46:04REPORTED THAT IT GAVE TO TOM
00:46:06HOMAN? >> I I'M NOT AWARE OF WHAT
00:46:09YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT. TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN PUBLIC REPORTING ABOUT AN
00:46:13INVESTIGATION. I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT.
00:46:17>> WELL, THE PUBLIC REPORTING IS
00:46:19THAT THE FBI REPORTED GIVING $50,000 IN THE NATURE OF A BRIBE
00:46:22TO TOM HOMAN, AND THERE'S BEEN
00:46:25NO REPORT OF WHAT BECAME OF THAT $50,000. WILL YOU ANSWER THAT
00:46:28QUESTION? NOT NOW. BUT WILL YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION? BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR A LONG
00:46:32TIME NOW. YOUR DEPARTMENT CERTAINLY KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING.
00:46:35>> I'M I'M NOT AWARE THAT THAT'S TRUE.
00:46:38>> WELL, TAKE A LOOK AT IT. AND
00:46:41IT'S PUBLICLY REPORTED. AND THE
00:46:43FBI REPORTED IT. AND YOU SHOULD
00:46:46ANSWER THE QUESTION. THAT'S NOT
00:46:48THE ONLY ONE. HERE'S A LIST OF
00:46:55UNANSWERED QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE
00:46:55JUST ASKED. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT
00:46:59IS THAT THE CHAIRMAN THINKS THAT YOU'VE COOPERATED WITH THE
00:47:03COMMITTEE, OR THAT YOU'VE BEEN TRANSPARENT WITH THE COMMITTEE.
00:47:05THAT IS NOT MY EXPERIENCE. YOU
00:47:08SAID EARLIER THAT YOU WELCOME
00:47:10OUR QUESTIONS. GREAT. ANSWER OUR
00:47:13QUESTIONS. THAT'S THE REAL
00:47:15POINT WHERE WE'VE FAILED TO GET ANSWERS TO OUR OVERSIGHT
00:47:18QUESTIONS. WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD TO REVERT TO THE FREEDOM OF
00:47:22INFORMATION ACT, THE GENERAL LAW
00:47:24OF GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY, TO
00:47:26TRY TO GET ANSWERS FROM THE
00:47:29DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. HERE'S
00:47:31HOW WE DID NOT WELL, WE HAVE
00:47:39THIS STACK OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVEN'T ANSWERED IN THE NATURE
00:47:42OF OVERSIGHT. WE HAVE THIS STACK
00:47:47OF FOIA REQUESTS THAT YOU
00:47:50HAVEN'T ANSWERED. AND I THINK
00:47:54IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BELIEVE THAT YOU ACTUALLY TAKE
00:47:56SERIOUSLY YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL
00:48:01OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES IN ORDER TO CONFIRM YOU, THAT YOU
00:48:04ACTUALLY TAKE SERIOUSLY YOUR OBLIGATIONS TO THIS COMMITTEE,
00:48:08IRRESPECTIVE OF PARTY, MAJORITY, OR MINORITY, IN ORDER TO CONFIRM
00:48:11YOU. SO I WILL ASK, BEFORE WE GET TO A VOTE ON THIS, THAT YOU
00:48:15TAKE A LOOK AT THESE AND GET US
00:48:18ANSWERS WHERE WE HAVE HAD ANSWERS. MR. BLANCHE. THEY HAVE
00:48:21NOT BEEN INFORMATIVE. THEY HAVE
00:48:24BEEN BLOW OFFS. SO LET'S MOVE ON
00:48:26TO, UM TRUMP VERSUS IRS. UM, OUR
00:48:34RESEARCH INDICATES THAT SENIOR DOJ OFFICIALS HAVE NEVER, IN THE
00:48:38HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT BEFORE
00:48:41FACED A JUDICIAL INQUIRY INTO A
00:48:46FRAUD ON THE COURT, PARTICIPATED
00:48:49IN BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
00:48:53THAT WAS THE INQUIRY OPENED IN FLORIDA. THE QUESTION ABOUT
00:48:56FRAUD ON THE COURT COMMITTED BY
00:48:57THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
00:49:00REMAINS OPEN IN THE JUDGE'S
00:49:04DECISION. HERE'S WHAT SHE DID FIND. SHE FOUND THAT THE
00:49:07DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE COLLUDED
00:49:11WITH THE TRUMP PLAINTIFFS, THAT
00:49:14THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE VIOLATED DOJ POLICIES, AND THAT
00:49:17COLLUSION THAT DEPARTMENT
00:49:19ATTORNEYS WERE DERELICT IN THEIR
00:49:22RESPONSIBILITIES AS DOJ
00:49:26ATTORNEYS, THAT THE DEPARTMENT
00:49:28FAILED TO ZEALOUSLY ADVOCATE ON
00:49:31BEHALF OF THE UNITED STATES OF
00:49:33AMERICA. ITS TRUE CLIENT, AND,
00:49:36AS I SAID, THE FRAUD ON THE
00:49:39COURT QUESTION REMAINS OPEN. AN
00:49:43UNPRECEDENTED. ALLEGATION ABOUT
00:49:44THE DEPARTMENT AS A RESULT OF
00:49:48THAT, THE ORDER WAS TRANSMITTED TO THE NEW YORK STATE BAR FOR
00:49:52POTENTIAL DISCIPLINARY
00:49:55PROCEEDINGS. I WOULD LIKE TO
00:49:58ASK. IN ADDITION, SINCE THIS IS NEW NEWS, THE DECISION WAS,
00:50:00WHAT, TWO DAYS AGO? I WOULD LIKE
00:50:03TO ASK THAT YOU SAY TO US THAT YOU WILL BE WILLING TO PROVIDE
00:50:07ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS AND COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE
00:50:11DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND THE
00:50:12TRUMP PLAINTIFFS IN THAT MATTER?
00:50:17>> I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY COMMUNICATIONS. I DIDN'T HAVE
00:50:19ANY. UM, SO IF YOU PUT A REQUEST IN, WE'LL LOOK AT IT. I MEAN,
00:50:23OBVIOUSLY THAT'S ACTIVE, CONTINUED LITIGATION IN THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA.
00:50:27UM, SO IT.
00:50:32>> DEPENDS, EXPLAIN HOW IT IS ACTIVE, CONTINUED LITIGATION IN THE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA.
00:50:35>> WELL, THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL INDICATIONS THAT THE PARTIES OF.
00:50:39I NEVER ENTERED A NOTICE OF APPEARANCE, BUT THAT THE PARTIES
00:50:43INTEND TO APPEAL THE JUDGE'S.
00:50:45MONDAY, 56 PAGE DECISION.
00:50:50>> WELL, IT'LL BE INTERESTING. DO YOU INTEND TO APPEAL THE
00:50:53DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE? >> WE WEREN'T REALLY EVEN PART
00:50:56OF THAT DECISION. SO TO THE EXTENT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT
00:50:59WE. WE CAN'T APPEAL, I, I VERY VIGOROUSLY WILL ENCOURAGE THE
00:51:03DEPARTMENT TO DO SO.
00:51:05>> WELL, HERE'S THE TELL. IN
00:51:09THAT CASE, THE DEPARTMENT OF
00:51:12JUSTICE FILED NO ANSWER, FILED NO AGREEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE
00:51:15EXTENSION OF TIME FILED, NO
00:51:18RESPONSE TO THE CASE OR
00:51:21CONTROVERSY. DAN MCKEE FILED NOTHING RELATED TO THE
00:51:25WITHDRAWAL OF THE COMPLAINT
00:51:28FILED NO SETTLEMENT, AND FILED NO RESPONSE TO THE FRAUD ON THE
00:51:32COURT INQUIRY. TO ME, AS A ONE
00:51:37TIME LITIGATOR, THAT LOOKS LIKE REALLY WEIRD BEHAVIOR. AND WHEN,
00:51:40FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, THERE'S AN INQUIRY INTO FRAUD UPON THE COURT COMMITTED BY THE
00:51:44DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, THE SILENCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT IN
00:51:47RESPONSE TO THAT IS DEAFENING.
00:51:49MR. BLANCHE DEAFENING. AND IT
00:51:52STRIKES ME THAT THE STRATAGEM
00:51:56HERE WAS TO FILE NO PLEADINGS, TO TRY TO KEEP THE DEPARTMENT
00:52:00OUT OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE
00:52:03COURT WHEN. WHAT THE DEPARTMENT
00:52:08KNEW TO BE A COLLUSIVE AND FALSE
00:52:11ENTERPRISE WAS BLOWN UP IN THAT COURT. NOW, IT DIDN'T WORK,
00:52:15BECAUSE THE COURT FOUND COLLUSION, AND IT TAKES TWO TO
00:52:19COLLUDE. AND THEY ALSO WENT ON
00:52:22AND MADE THE OTHER ADVERSE FINDINGS ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT'S
00:52:25CONDUCT AND THE PROBLEM HERE,
00:52:27MR. BLANCHE, IS THAT IT'S NOT
00:52:31JUST THAT ONE OCCASION BETWEEN JUDGES APPOINTED BY EVERY
00:52:34PRESIDENT, HARSHLY CRITICIZING THE DEPARTMENT'S WORK. IN YOUR
00:52:38TENURE, GRAND JURIES REJECTING INDICTMENTS, JUDICIAL FINDINGS
00:52:42OF OUTRIGHT MISCONDUCT, CAPABLE
00:52:46LAWYERS FLEEING THE SINKING SHIP. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE MOST
00:52:50TROUBLED DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
00:52:51IN HISTORY. HERE ARE SOME OF THE
00:52:56MISCONDUCT FINDINGS AGAINST YOUR
00:52:58U.S. ATTORNEYS, AND I HAVEN'T
00:53:01PUT IT UP YET. HERE'S A WORD,
00:53:02CLOUD OF THE COMMENTARY BY
00:53:06FEDERAL JUDGES ABOUT THE CONDUCT
00:53:07OF YOUR DOJ. THESE ARE RED FLAG
00:53:10WORDS THAT, WHEN I WAS A U.S. ATTORNEY, WOULD HAVE PROVOKED,
00:53:13AT MINIMUM, AN INTERNAL CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THE HELL
00:53:17WENT WRONG, AND VERY LIKELY A
00:53:21CONVERSATION WITH OPR, AND MAYBE
00:53:24OPR PURSUIT. WORDS LIKE PRETEXT
00:53:26MEAN A LOT COMING FROM A JUDGE
00:53:28ABOUT A GOVERNMENT ARGUMENT.
00:53:32USUALLY ENJOYING THE PRESUMPTION OF REGULARITY, WE NEED ANSWERS.
00:53:35I NEED YOU TO BE ABLE TO TELL ME
00:53:38THAT THIS KIND OF MISCONDUCT IS GOING TO STOP. IF YOU'RE
00:53:41CONFIRMED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, CAN YOU SAY THAT. >> THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
00:53:45WORKS HARD? THE PROSECUTORS WORK
00:53:47HARD EVERY DAY, AND I APPRECIATE
00:53:52THE THE HANDPICKED WORDS THAT YOU HAVE BEHIND YOU RIGHT NOW.
00:53:54BUT THAT'S NOT REFLECTIVE OF
00:53:58THE 100,000 INDICTMENTS AND
00:53:59INFORMATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN
00:54:03FILED TO DO THE WORK THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER TODAY. AND SO WHILE CHERRY PICKING A FEW
00:54:07ISOLATED WORDS FROM DISTRICT COURT OR MAGISTRATE JUDGES IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS IS SOMETHING
00:54:11THAT YOU'RE ENTITLED TO DO, IT'S ABSOLUTELY FALSE TO
00:54:15SUGGEST THAT THIS DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS NOT EXECUTING AS WE
00:54:18SHOULD IN DOING THE RIGHT THING. EVERY SINGLE DAY.
00:54:21>> I WILL TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE
00:54:28WRONG, THAT IN THE HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT, THIS KIND OF CRITICISM BY FEDERAL JUDGES IS
00:54:30UNPRECEDENTED. AND IT COMES FROM
00:54:32JUDGES OF EVERY DIFFERENT
00:54:36POLITICAL PERSUASION. UM, LET ME
00:54:40ASK ABOUT THE. FBI. HOW LONG DO
00:54:45YOU INTEND TO PUT UP WITH THAT? KASH PATEL CHARACTER? ARE YOU
00:54:48GOOD WITH HIS AIRPLANE JAUNTS? ARE YOU CONFIDENT HE'S NOT DRINKING ON THE JOB? ARE YOU
00:54:51SURE? NONE OF HIS TRAVEL IS A PRETEXT FOR VACATION ACTIVITIES
00:54:55LIKE SNORKELING, OLYMPICS, AND VISITING GIRLFRIENDS? ARE YOU
00:54:58SURE HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING? DO YOU VOUCH FOR HIM? ARE YOU
00:55:02WILLING TO LOOK AT WHETHER HE
00:55:03LIED TO THIS COMMITTEE?
00:55:07>> THAT'S AN EXTRAORDINARILY OBNOXIOUS QUESTION, SENATOR. AND
00:55:08I HAVE FULL FAITH IN DIRECTOR PATEL AND THE WORK THAT HE'S
00:55:12DOING EVERY DAY. >> YOU'VE GOT TO. >> OWN THE.
00:55:16>> ONE LAST THING, IF I MAY UM,
00:55:21YOU HAVE REFUSED TO EXCLUDE.
00:55:23JANUARY 6th RIOTERS FROM YOUR ANTI WEAPONIZATION FUND. YOU
00:55:26HAVE REFUSED TO PUT IN WRITING THAT THE SLUSH FUND IS DEAD.
00:55:30INDEED, YOU SIGNAL TO ALLIES THAT PAYOUTS ARE STILL ON TRACK.
00:55:33YOU HAVE VACATED SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY CONVICTIONS AGAINST
00:55:37MEMBERS OF THE PROUD BOYS AND
00:55:38OATH KEEPERS. YOU HIRED. JANUARY
00:55:426th WRITER JARED WEISS, WHO WOULD URGE THE MOB TO KILL
00:55:46POLICE OFFICERS. YOU SCRUBBED PRESS RELEASES ABOUT JANUARY
00:55:496th. PROSECUTIONS AND CALLED THE
00:55:52RELEASES PARTIZAN PROPAGANDA.
00:55:53YOU DENIED THAT TRUMP ENCOURAGED
00:55:56ANY VIOLENCE. ON JANUARY 6th.
00:55:58YOU'VE CLEANED HOUSE OF EVERY ATTORNEY WHO WORKED ON A CASE
00:56:02RELATED TO TRUMP, AND YOU BRAGGED THAT BRINGING JUSTICE FOR VIOLENT RIOTERS MEANT THAT
00:56:06EVERY ONE OF THEM WAS EITHER
00:56:08PARDONED OR HAD THEIR SENTENCE COMMUTED. I HOPE THAT OUR
00:56:11COLLEAGUES WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY
00:56:146th, TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT. THANK YOU.
00:56:18>> WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND? >> I WOULD ALMOST EVERYTHING THE
00:56:21SENATOR JUST SAID, AND HE'S PROTECTED. HE'S ALLOWED TO LIE,
00:56:25BUT ALMOST EVERYTHING HE JUST
00:56:27SAID WAS ABSOLUTELY FALSE. OKAY.
00:56:29STARTING WITH THE FACT THAT I
00:56:32HAVE NEVER I HAVE NEVER SAID THAT ANY SORT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT IS
00:56:35APPROPRIATE. I HAVE NEVER SAID THAT PUBLICLY. I HAVE NEVER SAID
00:56:38THAT IN A SPEECH, AND I CERTAINLY DO NOT BELIEVE IT. I
00:56:42DID NOT HIRE THE PERSON REFERENCED. AND THAT. SO THAT IS, AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT JUST
00:56:46HAPPENS NOT TO BE TRUE. WHEN I TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH
00:56:50THE JANUARY. THE CONVICTED
00:56:52JANUARY 6th DEFENDANTS, I TALK
00:56:54ABOUT WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP DID.
00:56:57HE HAS THE ABSOLUTE RIGHT TO PARDON ANYBODY FOR ANY REASON HE
00:57:00SEES FIT. AND EVERY ONE OF THEM GOT PARDONED OR COMMUTED. I AM
00:57:04NOT CELEBRATING THAT. IT IS A FACT. AND THE FACT THAT MY
00:57:07DEPARTMENT HAD TO TAKE ACTION IN
00:57:10RESPONSE TO THOSE PARDONS BY DISMISSING SOME CASES, IS EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE TO DO UNDER
00:57:14THE LAW. AND IT'S WHAT I DID. SO THAT THE NARRATIVE THAT THAT
00:57:17THE SENATOR JUST SUGGESTED AND
00:57:20PUT ON ME AS SOMETHING I BELIEVE
00:57:23IS, IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE.
00:57:24>> SINCE HE ACCUSED ME OF LYING
00:57:27PERSONALLY. MR. CHAIRMAN, LET ME
00:57:30ASK THAT. I PUT THIS SERIES OF
00:57:34CONCERNS INTO A QUESTION, FOR THE RECORD, AND THAT YOU, UNDER
00:57:37OATH, ONE BY ONE, TELL ME WHERE THERE'S A LIE. I'M HAPPY TO DO
00:57:40THAT. I'LL GET THAT TO YOU.
00:57:42>> I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT ABSOLUTELY.
00:57:46>> UH, BEFORE I GO TO SENATOR
00:57:49BLACKBURN, SINCE OVERSIGHT WAS
00:57:51BROUGHT UP AND RESPONSIVENESS TO
00:57:53OF YOUR DEPARTMENT, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT HOW IT WAS WITH THE
00:57:57BIDEN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S
00:58:00NON-RESPONSIVENESS TO MY
00:58:02OVERSIGHT LETTERS. IF THE BIDEN
00:58:05JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WOULD HAVE
00:58:07BEEN REMOTELY RESPONSIVE, UH,
00:58:10THERE WOULDN'T BE SUCH A BACKLOG RIGHT NOW. SO LET'S NOT PRETEND
00:58:13FOR A MINUTE. THE LAST
00:58:16ADMINISTRATION WAS A BENCHMARK
00:58:18OF RESPONSIVENESS. AND THIS ADMINISTRATION, TO ITS CREDIT,
00:58:21HAS BEEN MORE RESPONSIVE. I
00:58:27TALKED ABOUT IN MY OPENING STATEMENT, 43,000 PAGES OF
00:58:29DOCUMENTS THAT YOU HAVE RELEASED COMPARED TO A LOT LESS IN THE
00:58:33PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. SENATOR BLACKBURN. >> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
00:58:37THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY. BEFORE I GET TO MY
00:58:40QUESTIONS, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE
00:58:45YOU AWARE THAT WHEN, UH, RANKING
00:58:48MEMBER DURBIN WAS CHAIRMAN IN THE LAST CONGRESS, I TRIED
00:58:52REPEATEDLY TO SUBPOENA THE EPSTEIN FILES SO THAT WE COULD
00:58:55GET THOSE BANKING RECORDS AND
00:58:57THOSE FLIGHT LOGS, AND
00:59:00REPEATEDLY, THAT WAS BLOCKED. SO THE DEMOCRATS AT THAT POINT
00:59:03DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT WAS IN
00:59:10THE EPSTEIN FILES UNTIL THEY LOST THE MAJORITY. AND THEN THEY
00:59:12WERE HELL BENT TO GET THAT. I
00:59:15ALSO WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE GET ON THE RECORD THAT YOU
00:59:19AND THAT DOJ HAS MET WITH THE
00:59:25FOLLOWING LIST OF ATTORNEYS WHO
00:59:28REPRESENT VICTIMS, INCLUDING MANY WHO HAVE CLAIMED THAT
00:59:32THEY'VE NEVER HAD A MEETING WITH DOJ. NOW, HERE IS THIS
00:59:35LIST. SIGRID MCCAULEY, JORDAN
00:59:38MERSON, GLORIA ALLRED, ERIC DAI
00:59:41DAI, ALAN GOLDFARB, DANIEL
00:59:44KAISER, MIRIAM WANG YI, MIRIAM
00:59:47MEYER, WANG, GLEN NECK, ADAM
00:59:51HOROWITZ JACK SCAROLA, DENNIS
00:59:56ARDAY, KEVIN MENTZER, JILL GREENFIELD, JULIE. KEYES, DAVID
00:59:59H. BRODY, ROBERT GLASSMAN, KATE
01:00:02L DONIGER, ANDREW. VILLACASTIN,
01:00:05BRITTANY. HENDERSON, BRAD.
01:00:08EDWARDS, AVRON RUBIN, NEIL
01:00:10BINDER, DAVID. FLECHSIG,
01:00:13ROBERTA. KAPLAN, TASHA.
01:00:15THOMPSON. FOR THE RECORD, I DO
01:00:19WANT TO TALK WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MEMPHIS AND THE
01:00:22MEMPHIS SAFE TASK FORCE. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
01:00:26A SUCCESS, THE WORK THAT HAS
01:00:28BEEN DONE IN MEMPHIS IN FIGHTING
01:00:32CRIME, THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG PART OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
01:00:36LEGACY. IN HIS COMMITMENT TO
01:00:39MEMPHIS. THE COMMITMENT THAT HAS
01:00:41BEEN MADE BY HIS ADMINISTRATION
01:00:44IS SOMETHING THAT MEMPHIANS AND
01:00:46ALL WEST TENNESSEANS ARE
01:00:48INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR, AND
01:00:52THIS IS SOMETHING, UH, WITH
01:00:54PRESIDENT TRUMP, WITH KASH PATEL, WE STARTED SAYING, PLEASE
01:00:58HELP US. AND THAT CALL WAS ANSWERED. I BROUGHT THE CRIME
01:01:02STATS. UH, WE GET THE DAILY
01:01:07REPORT FROM MEMPHIS, 11,040
01:01:09ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE. AND
01:01:13YESTERDAY THERE WERE 40 ARRESTS.
01:01:16THESE INCLUDED SOMEONE CHARGED WITH SECOND DEGREE MURDER,
01:01:19ANOTHER WITH FIRST DEGREE
01:01:21MURDER, UH, AGGRAVATED CHILD
01:01:24ABUSE, ATTEMPTED RAPE, AND
01:01:27AGGRAVATED ASSAULT. THERE HAVE
01:01:30BEEN NEARLY 2000 FIREARMS THAT
01:01:31HAVE BEEN SEIZED, AND THERE HAVE
01:01:34BEEN 155 CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN
01:01:36RECOVERED. THE STATS HERE TELL
01:01:38THE STORY. YOU, PRESIDENT,
01:01:41DIRECTOR PATEL, AND THE AGENCIES
01:01:44THAT ARE THERE WORKING WITH OUR
01:01:47GOVERNOR, STATE AGENCIES, THE
01:01:49MEMPHIS MAYOR, THE MEMPHIS
01:01:52POLICE CHIEFS, THIS IS THE WAY
01:01:54TO FIGHT CRIME. AND WE ARE EVER
01:01:58SO GRATEFUL. AND WE WANT TO BE
01:02:00ABLE TO SUSTAIN AND BUILD ON
01:02:03THAT. AND I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO TALK JUST A MOMENT ABOUT MEMPHIS
01:02:07AND WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR MEMPHIS,
01:02:12AND, MORE BROADLY, FOR OTHER
01:02:14COUNTRIES, OTHER CITIES AND
01:02:17COUNTIES THAT ARE FOCUSED ON
01:02:20PUBLIC SAFETY. >> THANK YOU. SENATOR. WHAT WE
01:02:24HAVE DONE, AND BY WE I DON'T MEAN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
01:02:28ALONE. I MEAN STATE AND LOCAL PARTNERS. THE NATIONAL GUARD,
01:02:31UM, THE ALL OF OUR FEDERAL
01:02:33AGENCIES, DHS IN MEMPHIS SHOULD
01:02:37BE A POSTER CHILD FOR A LOT OF CITIES IN THIS COUNTRY. YOU HAVE
01:02:40A CITY THAT, THAT HAD SKYROCKETING CRIME AND
01:02:43RESTAURANTS THAT WERE OUT OF BUSINESS, STOREFRONTS THAT, THAT
01:02:46DIDN'T EXIST. THEY WERE BOARDED UP. AND, AND WE CAME TOGETHER.
01:02:49AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IT WAS
01:02:54PRESIDENT TRUMP WORKING WITH, WITH YOU, WORKING WITH THE GOVERNOR, WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS, AND SAID, WE'RE GOING
01:02:57TO FIX THIS. WE'RE GOING TO JUST LIKE WE DID IN DC, WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO THIS CITY, AND
01:03:01WE'RE GOING TO ARREST, I MEAN, AMAZINGLY, A VERY SMALL
01:03:05PERCENTAGE OF MEMPHIS'S
01:03:07POPULATION WAS COMMITTING A VERY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE CRIMES. AND SO IF YOU CAN FOCUS ON THAT
01:03:11SMALL PERCENTAGE, YOU'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO BRING THE CRIME
01:03:15STATS DOWN REMARKABLY, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID. AS FAR AS WHAT HAPPENS GOING FORWARD. WE
01:03:18KEEP ON DOING IT. MEMPHIS.
01:03:22THERE'S RESTAURANTS OPENING IN MEMPHIS. THERE'S STORES OPENING
01:03:25IN MEMPHIS. THERE'S IT'S A IT'S A NEW CITY COMPARED TO WHERE IT
01:03:28WAS ONE YEAR AGO. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T LET UP
01:03:31ON. AND BUT AGAIN, I LOOK AT IT AS A POSTER CHILD OF WHAT WE
01:03:34SHOULD DO IN CITIES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
01:03:38>> AND WE ARE PLEASED TO KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING A MODEL
01:03:42CITY PROGRAM AT DOJ IN ORDER TO
01:03:44HELP WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AND OTHER AREAS.
01:03:47>> YES. AND THAT'S NOT JUST FOR MEMPHIS, BUT FOR SEVERAL CITIES
01:03:50AROUND THE COUNTRY WHERE WE ARE GOING TO GIVE PUT MONEY WHERE
01:03:52OUR MOUTH IS AND PUT PUT A LOT
01:03:55OF RESOURCES INTO THE CITIES TO, TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT CITIES
01:03:58THAT, THAT NEED TO BE SAFER, ARE SAFER. AND IF THEY'RE, THEY'RE
01:04:01ON THE RIGHT TRACK, THAT THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO
01:04:04KEEP DOING IT.
01:04:06>> WHEN YOU WERE IN THE OFFICE,
01:04:08WE TALKED ABOUT MY CARJACKING
01:04:11BILL. THAT WOULD LOWER THE
01:04:14INTENT STANDARD TO A GENERAL
01:04:17KNOWINGLY REQUIREMENT, GIVING
01:04:20THE PROSECUTORS, FEDERAL PROSECUTORS MORE TOOLS SO THAT
01:04:23THEY COULD HOLD SOME OF THESE
01:04:26VIOLENT CARJACKERS ACCOUNTABLE. WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO MOVE
01:04:29WITH THE N, D, A, A, AND, UH,
01:04:31LEADER SCHUMER HAS BLOCKED THAT.
01:04:34AND WE'RE DISAPPOINTED. IT'S A
01:04:37BIPARTISAN BILL. BUT, UH, TALK
01:04:41ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF LOWERING
01:04:44THAT STATUTE SO THAT WE CAN PROSECUTE THESE CRIMES.
01:04:48>> YES, IT'S IT NEEDS TO BE DONE BECAUSE THERE ARE CARJACKING NOT ONLY IN
01:04:51TENNESSEE, BUT AT EVERY CITY IN THIS COUNTRY HAS HAS GOTTEN OUT
01:04:54OF HAND. THE CRIMINALS ARE BETTER AT IT THAN THEY HAVE
01:04:58TOOLS THAT MAKE IT EASIER TO GET INTO CARS. THEY'RE WILLING TO
01:05:02EXACT VIOLENCE. AND SO THE STANDARD THAT EXISTS NOW UNDER
01:05:05THE STATUTE, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF CERTAIN CASES, UM, MAKE IT
01:05:09HIGHER THAN, THAN A REGULAR
01:05:11GENERAL INTENT. CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PROSECUTORS WILL
01:05:14DO THE RIGHT THING. SO WE NEED TO BE EMPOWERED WITH TOOLS TO,
01:05:18TO PROSECUTE THESE CASES. AND IF THERE'S CASES WHERE SOMEBODY WAS IN THE CAR AND DIDN'T KNOW,
01:05:22PROSECUTORS ARE NOT GOING TO MOVE FORWARD, THEY'LL DO THE RIGHT THING. BUT, BUT IT
01:05:25SHOULDN'T BE THE LAW THAT THAT
01:05:29PUTS A DAMPER ON THAT. AND SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER ON
01:05:32THAT. AND THAT, UM, BECAUSE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
01:05:36>> THERE WAS A DEEPLY
01:05:39DISAPPOINTING DECISION FROM THE
01:05:41COURT AND THE TRUMP VERSUS
01:05:44BARBARA CASE THAT IT'S CLEAR THAT CONGRESS AND THE WE'RE
01:05:47GOING TO HAVE TO STEP UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT BIRTHRIGHT
01:05:51CITIZENSHIP. AND THIS IS OUR
01:05:53OPENING. WE KNOW THAT BIRTH,
01:05:57BIRTHRIGHT TOURISM IS SOMETHING THAT IS TAKING PLACE IN OUR
01:06:01COUNTRY. WE KNOW THAT DURING THE FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION,
01:06:04THERE WAS A GOOD BIT OF EVIDENCE
01:06:06ON THIS. I'VE HAD A BAN.
01:06:09BIRTHRIGHT TOURISM BILL THAT
01:06:13WOULD BLOCK THESE 33000 BIRTHS A
01:06:15YEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE
01:06:18CIRCUMVENTING OUR OUR LAWS AND COMING HERE SIMPLY FOR THE
01:06:21PURPOSE OF GIVING BIRTH. IT'S
01:06:23PRIMARILY THE CHINESE, AND IT
01:06:27IS, UH, ALSO THE RUSSIAN
01:06:31OLIGARCHS THAT ARE EXPLOITING
01:06:34THIS. AND MY BILL WOULD MAKE
01:06:36COMING HERE TO GIVE BIRTH
01:06:39INADMISSIBLE AS A, UH, AS A WAY
01:06:43TO OBTAIN A VISA AND DEPORTABLE
01:06:46IMMEDIATELY. DEPORTABLE, UH, AS
01:06:48AN OFFENSE AND TOUCH ON WHY
01:06:52CONGRESS NEEDS TO ACT AND GIVE
01:06:55THE ADMINISTRATION MORE TOOLS TO
01:07:01ENFORCE THIS. >> YES. SO THE VERY DAY OR THE DAY AFTER THE DECISION CAME OUT,
01:07:04THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ISSUED
01:07:05A DIRECTIVE TO PROSECUTORS TO
01:07:08FOCUS ON THE CONDUCT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, USING EXISTING LAWS
01:07:11AND TOOLS THAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS
01:07:13MOSTLY AROUND FALSE STATEMENTS
01:07:17OR FRAUDULENT INFORMATION IN THE VISA APPLICATION PROCESS. WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT. AND THAT'S
01:07:20THAT'S PRETTY MUCH, UM, WHAT WE
01:07:22ARE LIMITED IN HOW WE CAN PROSECUTE, UM, FOLKS THAT ARE
01:07:26COMING HERE FOR, FOR LYING ABOUT WHY THEY'RE COMING HERE, COMING HERE JUST TO GIVE BIRTH. AND
01:07:29ALSO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE
01:07:32FACILITATING THAT, UM, ANY CONGRESSIONAL STATUTORY
01:07:35ADJUSTMENT, UM, THE SUPREME COURT OPINIONS RELIED IN PART ON
01:07:39THE STATUTORY PART OF THIS, UM, THAT, THAT WOULD CONTROL, WOULD
01:07:42GIVE US MORE TOOLS AND WOULD GIVE THE PRESIDENT MORE TOOLS
01:07:45TO, TO KEEP OUT PEOPLE WHO ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT COMING FOR THE
01:07:48RIGHT REASON, ONLY COMING TO GIVE BIRTH.
01:07:51>> AND YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB
01:07:53ON FRAUD AND GOING AFTER FRAUD
01:07:58THAT HAS BEEN COMMITTED. UH, THE FRAUD TASK FORCE SEEMS TO BE
01:08:02WORKING WELL. AND FROM TENNESSEANS, I HEAR A GOOD BIT
01:08:05ABOUT THIS. THEY WANT THE
01:08:08FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY TO STOP.
01:08:10IT'S TAXPAYER MONEY, AND THEY
01:08:12WANT THEIR MONEY TO BE USED
01:08:15WISELY. UM, WE HAVE HAD
01:08:19LEGISLATION THAT WOULD APPLY TO
01:08:24INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE COME INTO THE COUNTRY, EITHER ILLEGALLY,
01:08:27OR MAYBE THEY'VE BEEN
01:08:29NATURALIZED CITIZENS, BUT THE
01:08:32FRAUD ACCOUNTABILITY ACT WOULD
01:08:34PUSH FOR THAT DEPORTATION. AND
01:08:37DENATURALIZATION IF THEY HAVE
01:08:40BEEN FOUND TO BE DEFRAUDING
01:08:42INDIVIDUALS OR LOCAL, STATE OR
01:08:45FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND I WISH I'M OVER TIME, AND I'LL ASK
01:08:49YOU FOR THIS IN WRITING, SINCE
01:08:50I'M OVER MY TIME, BUT I'D LIKE
01:08:54TO HEAR FROM YOU WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO PUT MORE TOOLS IN
01:08:57THAT TOOLBOX FOR YOU ALL TO GO
01:09:01AFTER THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE DEFRAUDING THE U.S. TAXPAYER.
01:09:05THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. >> THANK YOU.
01:09:08>> BEFORE I CALL ON SENATOR SENATOR DURBIN WOULD LIKE TO
01:09:12SPEAK FOR A SHORT TIME. >> VERY SHORT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. BASED ON THE
01:09:16STATEMENTS JUST MADE BY THE SENATOR FROM TENNESSEE, WE'VE
01:09:18CHECKED THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE COMMITTEE DURING THE NOVEMBER
01:09:2130th, 2023 SUPREME COURT ETHICS
01:09:24SUBPOENA, AUTHORIZATION, MARKUP,
01:09:27I CHAIRED AND ATTEMPTED TO
01:09:29RECOGNIZE SENATOR BLACKBURN
01:09:32MULTIPLE TIMES SO THAT SHE COULD OFFER AMENDMENT REGARDING
01:09:35EPSTEIN'S FLIGHT LOGS. BUT HER REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES PREVENTED
01:09:38HER FROM DOING SO BY FILIBUSTERING AND THEN INVOKING
01:09:41THE SENATE RULE ON TWO HOURS TO
01:09:43END THE MARKUP. MANY EPSTEIN
01:09:48RECORDS, INCLUDING FLIGHT LOGS, HAVE BEEN PUBLIC FOR YEARS. MY STAFF SUBSEQUENTLY REACHED OUT TO SENATOR BLACKBURN TO WORK TO
01:09:52IDENTIFY WHICH RECORDS SHE ACTUALLY WANTED, STILL BELIEVES
01:09:54HAD NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC. TO
01:09:56THIS DAY, SHE'S NEVER RESPONDED.
01:10:00>> MR. CHAIRMAN. UM, AS HE
01:10:02MENTIONED MY NAME, I HAVE
01:10:07PREVIOUSLY AND WILL CONTINUE. THERE IS VIDEO, THERE IS A
01:10:11TRANSCRIPT, AND MR. BLANCHE,
01:10:12I'LL BE HAPPY TO FORWARD THAT
01:10:15TO YOU >> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. RANKING MEMBER, ACTING ATTORNEY
01:10:19GENERAL BLANCHE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND FOR APPEARING
01:10:22HERE. THANK YOU TO YOUR FAMILY AND TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE
01:10:24DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WHO WORK TIRELESSLY TO FIGHT CRIME AND TO
01:10:28MAKE OUR NATION SECURE. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THEIR SERVICE. I'M
01:10:31SORRY THAT YOUR SCHEDULE APPARENTLY DIDN'T PERMIT US TO
01:10:34MEET BEFORE THIS CONFIRMATION HEARING, BUT I HOPE AND EXPECT
01:10:37WE'LL FIND TIME TO MEET SOON AFTER TODAY. >> ABSOLUTELY.
01:10:41>> THANK YOU. UH, AS I CONSIDER YOUR NOMINATION, LIKE ALL OTHER
01:10:44NOMINATIONS TO SIMILAR CABINET POSITIONS. I NEED TO KNOW YOU'RE
01:10:48QUALIFIED TO SERVE. YOU DEMONSTRABLY ARE THAT YOU HAVE THE POLICY VIEWS TO SERVE. WELL,
01:10:51WE WILL DISCUSS THAT TODAY. AND
01:10:54MOST IMPORTANTLY, IN THIS ROLE THAT YOU HAVE THE INDEPENDENCE
01:10:58TO SERVE AS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. AND
01:11:01THAT LAST QUESTION HAS TROUBLED ME THE MOST. YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF
01:11:05A DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. I DON'T RECOGNIZE PROSECUTING THE
01:11:08PRESIDENT'S POLITICAL ENEMIES, FIRING RANK AND FILE PROSECUTORS
01:11:12AND FBI AGENTS BECAUSE OF THE CASES THEY WERE ASSIGNED TO
01:11:16SLASHING GRANTS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
01:11:18THESE ARE SOME ACTIONS THAT, IN
01:11:22YOUR PREVIOUS CONFIRMATION HEARING BEFORE US, YOU SAID YOU
01:11:24WOULD NOT TAKE. NOW, I
01:11:26APPRECIATE YOUR STATEMENT.
01:11:29WALKING BACK, THE $1.8 BILLION WEAPONISATION FUND THAT YOU CREATED, BUT I QUESTION HOW IT
01:11:33GOT THAT FAR, AND WE'LL GET INTO
01:11:35THAT. UM, YOU SAT IN
01:11:37APPROPRIATIONS HEARING EARLIER THIS YEAR BEFORE ME AND DEFENDED IT AT THAT TIME. IN FACT, I, IF
01:11:41I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, YOU TOLD ME I WAS WRONG FOR CRITICIZING
01:11:44IT, BUT FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BY SENATORS DURBIN AND CORNYN, I'M
01:11:47CONCERNED IT'S NOT DEAD YET.
01:11:48AND I THINK WE SHOULD TALK THAT THROUGH. OVERALL, THIS IS NOT
01:11:52WHAT I BELIEVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE EXPECT OR DESERVE FROM
01:11:56THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
01:11:57HAVING SPENT CRITICAL PARTS OF
01:12:00JANUARY 6th IN THIS ROOM, TAKING SHELTER FROM THE MOB. UM, I JUST
01:12:04WANTED TO OPEN WITH SOME
01:12:06QUESTIONS. HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE CONVICTED OF ASSAULTING LAW
01:12:09ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ON JANUARY
01:12:116th?
01:12:13>> I BELIEVE AROUND 120. UM,
01:12:17APPROXIMATELY. BUT I COULD BE OFF A FEW MORE IF YOU.
01:12:20>> IF YOU ARE, THE ANSWER IS MORE THAN 200. AND HOW MANY OF
01:12:24THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAD THEIR
01:12:26SENTENCES COMMUTED OR WERE PARDONED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP?
01:12:29>> PRESIDENT TRUMP EITHER COMMUTED OR PARDONED EVERY
01:12:32DEFENDANT FROM THE JANUARY 6th EVENTS. >> THAT'S CORRECT. AND IN THIS
01:12:35ROOM RIGHT NOW, AND OUTSIDE THIS
01:12:37ROOM ARE CAPITOL POLICE OFFICERS PROTECTING US IN THIS HEARING
01:12:40ROOM. HOW MANY OF THEM DO YOU
01:12:42THINK MIGHT HAVE FRIENDS OR COLLEAGUES WHO WERE ATTACKED BY
01:12:46SUPPORTERS OF THE PRESIDENT ON JANUARY 6th?
01:12:50>> I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBERS, BUT I'M SURE MANY OF THE CAPITOL
01:12:52POLICE OFFICERS WHO ARE HERE TODAY WORKED EITHER WERE WORKING
01:12:56IN JANUARY 6th, OR KNEW PEOPLE WHO WERE.
01:12:59>> I'LL JUST SAY THAT I CONSIDER IT A SHAMEFUL SLAP IN THE FACE OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF
01:13:03LAW ENFORCEMENT. FOR THOSE CONVICTED OF ASSAULTING POLICE OFFICERS TO HAVE BEEN PARDONED,
01:13:07I KNOW YOU WERE NOT SERVING AS DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL WHEN
01:13:11PRESIDENT TRUMP PARDONED THOSE FOLKS. BUT YOU SAID JUST A FEW MOMENTS AGO THAT YOU WERE NOT
01:13:15CELEBRATING THIS DECISION BY THE PRESIDENT. HE WAS EXERCISING HIS
01:13:18CONSTITUTIONAL POWER. BUT EARLIER THIS YEAR, IN FRONT OF
01:13:22CPAC, A CONSERVATIVE EVENT, UM, I WOULD SAY FROM THE TRANSCRIPT,
01:13:26YOU ACTUALLY TRUMPETED IT AS AN ACHIEVEMENT. AND I QUOTE SAYING,
01:13:30IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MEN AND WOMEN CONVICTED
01:13:32BECAUSE OF JANUARY 6th, BY 5 P.M. ON JANUARY 20th, EVERY ONE
01:13:35OF THEM WAS EITHER PARDONED OR
01:13:38HAD THEIR SENTENCE COMMUTED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP. SO WHEN FOLKS
01:13:41SAY, YOU'VE DONE NOTHING, I SAY YOU HAVE A VERY SHORT MEMORY.
01:13:44WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE PROUD OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S DECISION TO
01:13:48PARDON INDIVIDUALS WHO ASSAULTED LAW ENFORCEMENT? >> NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS
01:13:52SAYING THERE AT ALL, SENATOR. SO I WAS RESPONDING TO INQUIRIES
01:13:55AROUND WHY MORE HADN'T BEEN DONE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
01:13:59WITH RESPECT TO JANUARY 6th DEFENDANTS. AND SO MY ANSWER WAS
01:14:03THAT THEY. JANUARY 6th
01:14:05DEFENDANTS AND SOME OF THEIR LAWYERS HAD A SHORT MEMORY,
01:14:08BECAUSE A LOT HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE. INDEED, BY THE END OF THE
01:14:11DAY, ON JANUARY 20th, THEY HAD ALL BEEN PARDONED OR COMMUTED.
01:14:15SO I WASN'T CELEBRATING IT. I
01:14:17WAS MERELY STATING A FACT, WHICH IS THAT THE JANUARY 6th
01:14:21DEFENDANTS DID RECEIVE A A VERY
01:14:23GENEROUS, UM, PARDON OR COMMUTATION FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP. EVERY ONE OF THEM ON JANUARY.
01:14:27>> A GENEROUS AND IN MY VIEW, FOR THOSE WHO HAD ASSAULTED
01:14:31POLICE OFFICERS, UNWARRANTED, UNJUSTIFIED, AHISTORICAL, AND A
01:14:35TERRIBLE PRECEDENT. LET ME MOVE
01:14:36ON TO QUESTIONS I'VE ASKED IN
01:14:39PREVIOUS HEARINGS. IS PRESIDENT TRUMP JUST AS A SIMPLE MATTER OF
01:14:42CONSTITUTIONAL LAW ELIGIBLE TO RUN FOR ANOTHER TERM AS
01:14:45PRESIDENT IN 2028? >> I DON'T BELIEVE HE IS. NO.
01:14:48>> UM, THAT IS CORRECT. IN MY VIEW, READING OF THE PLAIN
01:14:52LANGUAGE OF THE 22nd AMENDMENT. UM, WHY DO YOU THINK SEVERAL OF
01:14:55THE JUDICIAL NOMINEES OF THIS ADMINISTRATION HAVE REFUSED
01:14:58REPEATEDLY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION SIMPLY AND CLEARLY, AS
01:15:01YOU JUST DID? WHEN I PUT IT TO THEM.
01:15:03>> I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THEY ANSWER QUESTIONS. >> ME NEITHER.
01:15:07>> I MEAN, I WAS ASKED TO
01:15:09SPECULATE ABOUT SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW. >> IS THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
01:15:12THAT YOU ARE RUNNING INDEPENDENT FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. >> THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
01:15:16LIKE EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT IN THE EXECUTIVE, IS PART OF THE
01:15:19EXECUTIVE. I MEAN, ARTICLE TWO OF THE CONSTITUTION, UM, GIVES
01:15:23THE POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP. SO WE CERTAINLY
01:15:26OPERATE WITH INTEGRITY. WE
01:15:30CERTAINLY OPERATE IN THE SINGLE MINDSET TO SERVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND DO THE RIGHT THING.
01:15:33UM, BUT, BUT I'M A MEMBER, IF
01:15:36CONFIRMED, I WILL BE A MEMBER OF THE CABINET. I'M SERVING IN THE
01:15:39ACTING CAPACITY THAT WAY. NOW, JUST LIKE THE OTHER CABINET
01:15:42MEMBERS. AND PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN FIRE ME WHENEVER HE WANTS.
01:15:46>> SO DO YOU HAVE A SENSE WHY HE FIRED YOUR PREDECESSOR?
01:15:49>> I HAVE NO IDEA. PRESIDENT TRUMP, WE ALL SERVE AT THE
01:15:53PLEASURE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THIS ADMINISTRATION.
01:15:56>> AND PRESIDENT TRUMP EVER POST
01:15:58ON TRUTH SOCIAL, DIRECTING YOUR
01:16:00PREDECESSOR TO GET AT IT, TO PROSECUTE HIS PERCEIVED
01:16:04POLITICAL ENEMIES. >> I DON'T THINK THOSE WERE HIS EXACT WORDS, BUT. >> THOSE WERE NOT HIS EXACT
01:16:07WORDS. BUT CLEARLY, THAT WAS THE INTENTION. UM, IT IS MY
01:16:11IMPRESSION, SIR, THAT YOU ARE HERE RATHER THAN YOUR
01:16:14PREDECESSOR, BECAUSE THE
01:16:16PRESIDENT WAS UNHAPPY WITH HER
01:16:19FAILURES TO ACTUALLY SECURE CONVICTIONS OF FOLKS LIKE ATTORNEY GENERAL TISH JAMES OR
01:16:22FORMER FBI DIRECTOR JIM COMEY.
01:16:26IF YOU'RE CONFIRMED AND YOU'RE ASKED TO TAKE AN ACTION YOU BELIEVE TO BE ILLEGAL OR
01:16:29UNETHICAL, WOULD YOU RESIGN. >> I THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. BUT
01:16:32YES, IF IT WERE TO HAPPEN, I'M NOT GOING TO VIOLATE MY OATH TO
01:16:36THE CONSTITUTION. >> I APPRECIATE THAT ANSWER. UM, YOU DID ANSWER A QUESTION BY A
01:16:40COLLEAGUE ABOUT INPUT THAT YOU GAVE TO THE PRESIDENT. DID YOU
01:16:44EVER SAY NO TO THE PRESIDENT ON
01:16:46THE SLUSH FUND, THE ANTI WEAPONIZATION FUND? DID YOU ADVISE HIM AGAINST THIS?
01:16:51>> UM, I AM NOT WILL NOT TALK
01:16:54ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS I HAVE WITH THE PRESIDENT. I SERVED AS HIS
01:16:57LAWYER FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE HE WAS ELECTED. I'M THE
01:17:01DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL. SO I'M
01:17:03NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS THAT I HAVE WITH
01:17:06HIM. BUT, SENATOR, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, PRESIDENT TRUMP TRUSTS
01:17:09ME TO GIVE HIM COUNSEL. UM,
01:17:12COUNSEL DOES NOT MEAN YES, MAN. AND SO THAT'S AND THAT'S TRUE
01:17:16IN MY CASE, LIKE IT SHOULD BE IN ANY ATTORNEYS GENERAL CASE.
01:17:18>> LET ME JUST FOR A MINUTE,
01:17:22BEAR DOWN ON THE ANTI WEAPONIZATION FUND. YOU'VE
01:17:23TESTIFIED TO THE HOUSE. WE ARE NOT MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT
01:17:27FUND PERIOD. BUT YOU'VE REPEATEDLY REFUSED TO PUT THAT COMMITMENT IN WRITING OR TO SUBMIT A DECLARATION TO THE
01:17:30COURT. YOU'RE AN OFFICER OF THE COURT, A MEMBER OF THE BAR. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT
01:17:33ASSERTION IN A COURT FILING, OR
01:17:35EVEN IN A LETTER SUBMITTED TO
01:17:38THIS BODY ON MAY 19th. YOU
01:17:41TESTIFIED BEFORE THE THE JUSTICE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE, SINCE THE CASE HAD BEEN
01:17:44DISMISSED, THERE WAS NO JUDGE AND NO MECHANISM FOR JUDICIAL
01:17:48REVIEW. BUT IN AN OPINION THIS
01:17:49WEEK, A FEDERAL JUDGE WROTE, AND
01:17:52I'M QUOTING THAT YOUR TESTIMONY WAS AT BEST MISLEADING AND AT
01:17:56WORST, DISINGENUOUS, EXPLAINING THE COURT REMAINED AVAILABLE TO
01:17:59REVIEW THIS AGREEMENT. HAD YOU SOUGHT RELIEF, WHY NOT SEEK
01:18:02REVIEW OF THE SETTLEMENT
01:18:04AGREEMENT OR SUBMIT SOME RECORD,
01:18:07SOME WRITING? GIVEN THAT THE
01:18:09PRESIDENT CONTINUES TO PUBLICLY CHAMPION THIS WEAPONIZATION
01:18:12FUND, AND GIVEN YOUR PREVIOUS ANSWER TO ME IN ANOTHER HEARING,
01:18:16THAT YOU WOULDN'T SAY WHETHER OR
01:18:17NOT THOSE WHO ASSAULTED COPS ON
01:18:20JANUARY 6th WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR MULTIMILLION DOLLAR PAYOUTS.
01:18:24>> SO THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS THERE. FIRST OF ALL,
01:18:27WE HAVE PUT IT IN WRITING. IT'S
01:18:28IN REPEATED COURT FILINGS IN
01:18:31EDVA. AND, UM, AND D.C. SO THIS NARRATIVE THAT YOU WON'T PUT IT
01:18:35IN WRITING HAPPENS NOT TO BE
01:18:38TRUE. THE REASON WHY NEITHER MYSELF NOR SECRETARY BESSENT
01:18:41AGREED TO PUT A DECLARATION IN IS BECAUSE THERE'S LONG
01:18:45STANDING PRECEDENT THAT JUDGES CANNOT ASK CABINET SECRETARIES
01:18:49OR PEOPLE LIKE ME TO PUT IN DECLARATIONS. THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE THE WHETHER THE
01:18:52FUND IS ALIVE. I'M UNDER OATH TODAY, AND I'VE SAID IT'S DEAD
01:18:56REPEATEDLY. I SAID IT TO THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, AND
01:19:00I'M HAPPY TO SAY AS MANY TIMES
01:19:03AS NECESSARY, UM, AS FAR AS WHAT
01:19:05THE JUDGE SAID IN FLORIDA, JUST THE LAST QUESTION YOU ASKED
01:19:08ABOUT FLORIDA, UM, DID THAT JUDGE DISAGREED WITH WHAT I
01:19:11SAID? I STILL BELIEVE THAT 11th CIRCUIT PRECEDENT, WHICH I'VE
01:19:14STUDIED. UM, I AM RIGHT. SO WE'LL SEE.
01:19:18>> YOU DID SAY EARLIER, THIS IS THE MOST TRANSPARENT DEPARTMENT
01:19:22OF JUSTICE IN AMERICAN HISTORY. WE HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE. AND YOU
01:19:24STARTED BY SAYING, WE'RE HERE
01:19:28TO REBUILD TRUST, TWO DECISIONS
01:19:31OR TWO OLC OPINIONS. I'M VERY INTERESTED IN. I'M THE SENIOR DEMOCRAT ON DEFENSE AND
01:19:34INTELLIGENCE APPROACH. I'M THE MOST SENIOR MEMBER OF THE
01:19:37FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE ON MY SIDE, WHO'S CURRENTLY SERVING ON THIS COMMITTEE. UM,
01:19:41I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY THE MOST
01:19:43TRANSPARENT DEPARTMENT HAS
01:19:45REFUSED TO RELEASE THE OLC OPINION THAT JUSTIFIES THE 66
01:19:49STRIKES THE MILITARY HAS CONDUCTED ON BOATS IN THE CARIBBEAN, WHICH HAVE KILLED
01:19:51MORE THAN 220 PEOPLE, EITHER A
01:19:54REDACTED VERSION OR IN A
01:19:56CLASSIFIED SETTING. TO ME AND
01:19:59OTHERS WHO ARE IN RELEVANT DECISION MAKING POSITIONS.
01:20:02>> WELL. >> SENATOR, WE MADE THE HEAD OF
01:20:05OLC AVAILABLE ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS TO EXPLAIN THAT TO TO YOU AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE
01:20:09COMMITTEE. UM, AND THAT IS
01:20:12EXTRAORDINARILY TRANSPARENT AND UNPRECEDENTED THAT WE'VE DONE
01:20:14THAT, WHETHER AN ALL KEY OPINION
01:20:17IS RELEASED. THERE'S A LOT OF PROCESS THAT GOES INTO THAT. BUT THE IDEA THAT WE WERE NOT
01:20:21TRANSPARENT ABOUT OUR LEGAL BASIS THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOT
01:20:25TRUE. >> OKAY. ANOTHER CHANCE TO BE TRANSPARENT. UM, THE FISA COURT
01:20:28IN MARCH CERTIFIED YOUR SECTION
01:20:30OF SECTION 702 PROCEEDINGS, BUT
01:20:34FOUND COMPLIANCE DEFICIENCIES. UM, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POWER OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT WILL SOON BE UP AGAIN FOR A
01:20:38VOTE. AND YOU HAVE NOT
01:20:40DECLASSIFIED THAT OPINION. SENATORS COTTON AND WARNER,
01:20:44REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT, LEADS
01:20:46ON INTELLIGENCE IN APRIL, WROTE THE ADMINISTRATION, SAYING THAT THEY EXPECTED DECLASSIFICATION
01:20:50OF THIS MARCH OPINION WITHIN TWO WEEKS. YET IT REMAINS
01:20:54CLASSIFIED. YOU HAVE A BIPARTISAN REQUEST FROM THE LEADERSHIP OF INTEL. WILL YOU
01:20:58DECLASSIFY IT OR MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO US? >> UM, WE'LL. >> WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT
01:21:02THAT. I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
01:21:04AND WE NEED 702. UM, REAUTHORIZED.
01:21:07>> THANK YOU. LAST QUESTION, IF I COULD. THE SAFER, THE SAFER
01:21:11SUPERVISION ACT IS CO-SPONSORED BY SENATORS LEE CORNYN TILLIS
01:21:15AND LANKFORD, AND IT GIVES A PATH FORWARD TO MAKING SURE THAT
01:21:19FEDERAL PROBATION AND PAROLE IS MORE EFFECTIVE. WE'VE DISCUSSED
01:21:22IT BEFORE. WILL YOU MEET WITH ME TO TALK ABOUT WAYS THAT THIS
01:21:26IMPORTANT CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, SUPPORTED BY FEDERAL LAW
01:21:29ENFORCEMENT, COULD MOVE FORWARD?
01:21:31>> I THINK THAT THAT >> THAT.
01:21:34>> I THINK. >> IT'S YES, I VERY MUCH AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO THERE, SENATOR.
01:21:38>> THANK YOU.
01:21:41>> BEFORE I CALL ON SENATOR
01:21:44SCHMITT AND AFTER SCHMITT GETS DONE, SPEAKING, QUESTIONING, UH,
01:21:47WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A 15 MINUTE
01:21:50BREAK. AND THAT 15 MINUTE BREAK STARTS WHEN YOU LEAVE THE CHAIR
01:21:53AND BE BACK IN AT THE 15th
01:21:55MINUTE. BEFORE THEN, I'D LIKE TO
01:21:58ENTER INTO THE RECORD, UH, FOR YOUR SUPPORTING YOUR NOMINATION
01:22:02FROM 382, 000 MEMBERS OF THE
01:22:07NATIONAL FRATERNAL PEACE,
01:22:09FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE. THE LETTER EMPHASIZED. MR.
01:22:13BLANCHE'S DISTINGUISHED RECORD OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND HIS
01:22:16COMMITMENT TO WORK CLOSELY WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT ACROSS THE
01:22:19NATION, THE LETTER STATES,
01:22:21QUOTE, WE BELIEVE MR. BLANCHE'S
01:22:24LEADERSHIP WILL HELP ENSURE THAT
01:22:26THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REMAINS FOCUSED ON PUBLIC
01:22:30SAFETY. THE RULE OF LAW, AND PROVIDING UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR
01:22:34THE LAW ENFORCEMENT
01:22:38PROFESSIONALS WHO RISKED THEIR LIVES DAILY TO PROTECT OUR
01:22:41FAMILIES, END QUOTE. WITHOUT OBJECTION, IT WILL BE ENTERED.
01:22:45SENATOR SCHMITT. >> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. UM,
01:22:48MR. BLANCHE, WELCOME. UM, YOU
01:22:53ARE YOU'RE ENTERING THIS ARENA IN THIS CONFIRMATION HEARING. AS
01:22:56THE NATION'S CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, AT A VERY
01:23:00INTERESTING TIME IN OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY, WHERE THE
01:23:02FOLKS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DAIS, THE DEMOCRATS, IN MY VIEW,
01:23:06HAVE JUST TAKEN AN ALL OUT ASSAULT ON THE MEN AND WOMEN OF
01:23:09THIS COUNTRY WHO SERVE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT CAPACITY. WE JUST A
01:23:13COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, GOT THROUGH A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
01:23:17WHERE I WAS ON THE SENATE FLOOR LISTENING TO THINGS THAT I NEVER
01:23:21HEARD. CERTAINLY AN ELECTED OFFICIAL SAY IN CHARACTERIZING
01:23:24THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE THIS COUNTRY TO ENFORCE ITS LAWS,
01:23:27CALLING THEM THE GESTAPO.
01:23:29PRESIDENT TRUMP'S SECRET POLICE,
01:23:32UH, MASKED MERCENARIES. THIS IS
01:23:36INSANE. THESE CALLS TO DEFUND
01:23:38ICE, THIS HAMMER AND SICKLE WAVE
01:23:42THAT CAME THROUGH NEW YORK JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, THAT'S NOW DOMINATING THE DISCUSSION ON THE
01:23:45OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE, THE CENTRAL PLANK, OF COURSE, IS
01:23:49DEFUNDING THE POLICE,
01:23:51ASSAULTING, OVERTHROWING WESTERN
01:23:54CIVILIZATION. THIS IS NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER'S DEMOCRAT PARTY.
01:23:57AND YOU'RE YOU'RE FIELDING
01:24:00QUESTIONS. UM, THAT I THINK ARE TOTALLY UNFAIR, BUT IT'S ALL
01:24:03MEANT, I THINK, TO UNDERMINE AND
01:24:06DEMORALIZE. I SAW IT IN MY TIME
01:24:09AS ATTORNEY GENERAL IN MISSOURI, WHERE WE HAD A SOROS FUNDED
01:24:13PROSECUTOR WHO REFUSED TO
01:24:14PROSECUTE CRIME. UH, AND POLICE
01:24:17OFFICERS, MANY RETIRED EARLY,
01:24:19UM, FEWER CAME INTO THE RANKS TO
01:24:22PROTECT AND SERVE. AND SO, UH, YOU'RE COMING AT AN IMPORTANT
01:24:25TIME. I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP, LIKE HE HAS WITH THE MILITARY, HAS INSPIRED, UM, THE MEN AND
01:24:29WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINES TO SERVE. UM, YOU'RE HELPING, I
01:24:33THINK, RESTORE THAT WITH YOUR FOCUS ON VIOLENT CRIME, YOUR
01:24:36FOCUS ON FRAUD. UM, I HEARD ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES SAY THAT THIS
01:24:39IS THE MOST TROUBLED DEPARTMENT
01:24:41OF JUSTICE IN HISTORY. UH, I,
01:24:44UH, I HAPPEN TO LIVE THROUGH THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION WHERE
01:24:48YOU HAD A DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
01:24:52COMPLETELY WEAPONIZED AGAINST POLITICAL OPPONENTS. THEY TRIED TO TRY TO THROW THEIR CHIEF
01:24:55POLITICAL OPPONENT IN JAIL, RUIN
01:24:56HIS FAMILY'S LIVES. YOU WERE
01:25:00HIS LAWYER TO SEE SOME OF THAT. AND I WAS WITH YOU IN A COURTROOM IN NEW YORK TO WITNESS
01:25:04THAT DEFENSE. AND ONE OF THOSE
01:25:07CASES, UM, WERE AIMED AGAINST
01:25:09CATHOLICS IN THIS COUNTRY WHO HAPPEN TO ATTEND A TRADITIONAL
01:25:12CATHOLIC LATIN MASS, WENT AFTER
01:25:14PARENTS UNDER THE PATRIOT ACT
01:25:17FOR SHOWING UP TO SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS, TO OBJECT TO CRITICAL
01:25:21RACE THEORY, OR THE MASKING OF
01:25:23THEIR KIDS WE LIVED THROUGH JACK
01:25:26SMITH, AND THE CHAIRMAN HAS JUST REVEALED NEW REVELATIONS, OF
01:25:29COURSE, THAT HE WAS READING TEXT
01:25:31MESSAGES. BY THE WAY, JACK SMITH
01:25:33TESTIFIED UNDER OATH. HE DIDN'T
01:25:37DO THAT. HE TESTIFIED THAT THEY JUST HAD THE PHONE LOGS. WE KNOW
01:25:40THAT'S NOT TRUE. NOW, JACK
01:25:43SMITH SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO PROSECUTION FOR LYING TO
01:25:47CONGRESS. SO THIS WEAPONIZATION,
01:25:50LET'S DRAW A DISTINCTION. WHEN YOU GO AFTER YOUR POLITICAL
01:25:53OPPONENTS, THAT IS A WEAPONIZATION. WHEN YOU HOLD
01:25:56PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE, WHO WEAPONIZE THE JUSTICE SYSTEM,
01:25:58THAT'S NOT THE SAME THING. SO YOU HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT JOB. I
01:26:01WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS
01:26:05THAT YOU'VE DONE IN YOUR, IN
01:26:06YOUR TIME AS, AS, AS ACTING
01:26:09ATTORNEY GENERAL, HOPEFULLY AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, YOU'RE
01:26:13CONFIRMED. YOU CREATED THE NATIONAL FRAUD ENFORCEMENT DIVISION. I THINK THIS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. I THINK IT'S
01:26:17THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN MINNEAPOLIS,
01:26:21UH, IN CALIFORNIA AND PLACES
01:26:22THAT THAT I THINK THE WORK WILL
01:26:25CONTINUE, CARRIED OUT THE, THE
01:26:27LARGEST HEALTH CARE FRAUD
01:26:30TAKEDOWN IN DEPARTMENT HISTORY, EXPANDED THE FIGHT AGAINST
01:26:33MEDICAID FRAUD AFTER THE $90 MILLION MINNESOTA FRAUD
01:26:36TAKEDOWN, YOU SECURED SIX FRAUD
01:26:41CONVICTIONS INVOLVING MORE THAN 1.1 BILLION IN LESS THAN THREE
01:26:43WEEKS, CLEARED THE BACKLOG OF
01:26:46IMMIGRATION CASES, ALLOWING FOR
01:26:48DEPORTATIONS, MORE DEPORTATIONS.
01:26:50YOU FILED A HISTORIC NUMBER OF DENATURALIZATION CASES. YOU
01:26:54SECURED MAJOR ANTI DAI DAI WINS
01:26:56AGAINST IBM AND PAYPAL. UH, YOU
01:27:01ENDED THE EEOC RACIST, DISPARATE
01:27:04IMPACT REGIME. YOU SECURED 450 YEARS OF PRISON TIME FOR ANTIFA
01:27:08MEMBERS INVOLVED IN THE
01:27:09TERRORIST ATTACKS AGAINST ICE.
01:27:12YOU PROSECUTED THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER FOR SECRETLY FUNNELING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO
01:27:17THE KKK AND NEO-NAZIS. UM,
01:27:22THAT'S A PRETTY THAT'S A HELL OF
01:27:24A RECORD. IN 100 DAYS. UM, BUT,
01:27:27UH, MORE WORK CONTINUES. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A FEW THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO. AND I'M GOING TO
01:27:31ALLOW YOU TO ANSWER, UM, TO, TO
01:27:35FOCUS ON. UM, FIRST, I THINK WE
01:27:36HAVE TO BREAK THIS SANCTUARY
01:27:40CITY SCAM. THE SYSTEM TO THE, TO
01:27:44THE PEOPLE WATCHING OR LISTENING AT HOME. WHAT IS A SANCTUARY
01:27:46JURISDICTION? HERE'S WHAT IT
01:27:48MEANS. IT MEANS THAT IF YOU ARE
01:27:52A CRIMINAL CHILD RAPIST AND YOU'RE HERE ILLEGALLY, AND
01:27:56YOU'VE BEEN RELEASED FROM
01:27:58PRISON, THEY WILL NOT TELL
01:28:01FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES THAT YOU'RE BEING THAT THAT
01:28:05PERSON IS BEING RELEASED. THEY WOULD RATHER HAVE THAT
01:28:06INDIVIDUAL, THAT MONSTER,
01:28:09RELEASED INTO THE COMMUNITY THAN
01:28:11BE DEPORTED. THAT'S HOW SICK
01:28:14THIS REGIME IS. AND SO, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE IN THE ICE FUNDING. I WAS ABLE TO SECURE IN
01:28:18THE ICE FUNDING, $350 MILLION TO
01:28:22CLEAN UP THIS MESS, TO ALLOW ICE IN THOSE SANCTUARY JURISDICTIONS
01:28:25TO ACTUALLY CARRY OUT THOSE DEPORTATIONS. SANCTUARY CITIES
01:28:29BE UM, WILL YOU USE EVERY TOOL
01:28:32THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR TOOLBOX TO GO AFTER THESE SANCTUARY JURISDICTIONS?
01:28:36>> I MEAN, ABSOLUTELY, YOU JUST HIT THE NAIL ON THE, ON THE HEAD
01:28:38WHEN YOU DESCRIBED ONE EXAMPLE. BUT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF
01:28:42EXAMPLES OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS BEING PUT AT RISK, BECAUSE INSTEAD OF GOING INTO A
01:28:46JAIL TO ARREST SOMEBODY OR TAKE SOMEBODY WHO'S HERE ILLEGALLY,
01:28:50EVEN WITH A FINAL ORDER OF DEPORTATION, THAT INDIVIDUAL
01:28:53GETS RELEASED INTO THE COMMUNITY, AND IT PUTS EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY AT RISK. IT
01:28:57PUTS LAW ENFORCEMENT, ENFORCEMENT AT RISK. IT'S NOT
01:29:01CONSISTENT WITH THE LAW. AND SO, YES, I DEFINITELY PLEDGE TO YOU
01:29:04THAT WE WILL DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN AT THE DEPARTMENT TO, TO COMBAT THAT.
01:29:07>> THE SECOND ONE IS TO CRUSH THE MACHINERY THAT CONVERTS
01:29:11ILLEGAL CONDUCT INTO POLITICAL
01:29:13POWER FOR THE LEFT. AND I'M TALKING ABOUT THE RACIAL
01:29:16GERRYMANDERING. UM, THE STRAW
01:29:18DONATIONS, >> FOREIGN MONEY, IDENTITY
01:29:21THEFT, FRAUDULENT ONLINE
01:29:24CONTRIBUTIONS. THE NONPROFITS THAT FINANCE EXTREMISM WHILE
01:29:28LYING TO THEIR DONORS. WILL YOU
01:29:29ENFORCE THE CONSTITUTION AND VOTING RIGHTS ACT AGAINST
01:29:32UNLAWFUL RACIAL. AND INVESTIGATE
01:29:36CREDIBLE EVIDENCE OF STRAW DONATIONS, FOREIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, IDENTITY FRAUD, AND OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITY
01:29:40THROUGH ACTBLUE OR OTHER FUNDRAISING PLATFORMS? >> YES. >> OF COURSE. SENATOR. YES.
01:29:44>> THANK YOU.
01:29:45>> THIRD, PROTECT FREE SPEECH
01:29:48FROM THE NEW CENSORSHIP MACHINE. SEARCH ENGINES DETERMINE WHAT
01:29:52INFORMATION AMERICANS FIND WERE MORE AND MORE RELIANT ON THESE THINGS. APP STORES DETERMINE
01:29:56WHICH PLATFORMS CAN REACH THE PUBLIC. AI SYSTEMS INCREASINGLY
01:30:00DETERMINE WHICH CLAIMS ARE TREATED AS TRUE, FALSE,
01:30:03RESPECTABLE, EXTREME, OR BEYOND DISCUSSION. WILL YOU ENFORCE A
01:30:05ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR FEDERAL OFFICIALS WHO PRESSURE
01:30:09TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES TO SUPPRESS LAWFUL SPEECH AND WORK WITH
01:30:13CONGRESS TO EXPOSE COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN FEDERAL AGENCIES AND THE COMPANIES
01:30:17CONTROLLING SEARCH, SOCIAL MEDIA, APP DISTRIBUTION, AND AI?
01:30:21>> ABSOLUTELY. YES, SENATOR. >> THANK YOU. I WANT TO JUST
01:30:25GIVE, FOR THE 2.5 MINUTES I HAVE LEFT WITH MY TIME, I GUESS, GIVE
01:30:27YOU AN OPPORTUNITY. YOU SAW, UM,
01:30:32WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DEPARTMENT
01:30:35OF JUSTICE UNDER MERRICK GARLAND
01:30:37AND THE DIRTBAG JACK SMITH, AND
01:30:40UNDER JOE BIDEN'S REGIME, WHAT
01:30:44WHAT LESSONS DO YOU DRAW FROM THAT?
01:30:46>> THE BIGGEST ONE IS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE BELONGS IN
01:30:50THE BUSINESS OF PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES. AND SO WHEN I
01:30:54TALKED ABOUT DURING MY OPENING STATEMENT ABOUT BRINGING THE
01:30:57VIOLENT CRIME RATES DOWN AND
01:31:00COMBATING FRAUD AND GOING AFTER
01:31:04THE FENTANYL CRISIS IN THIS COUNTRY, THAT'S THAT'S THE LESSON I LEARNED, IS THAT WE DO
01:31:06NOT NEED TO BE SPENDING MILLIONS
01:31:09AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BRINGING HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS, IF NOT
01:31:12THOUSANDS OF PROSECUTORS TO D.C. TO GO AFTER, UM, LITERALLY AN
01:31:15ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION. YES. THE PRESIDENT, YES, HIS FAMILY, BUT
01:31:19ALSO ANYBODY THAT KNEW HIM, ANYBODY THAT WORKED WITH HIM,
01:31:23HIS GARDENER AT MAR-A-LAGO WAS TARGETED. UH, WE WE SHOULD NOT
01:31:25BE DOING THAT. WE SHOULD BE ARRESTING BAD GUYS. WE SHOULD BE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE
01:31:29DOING. SO WE'RE EMPOWERING ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEYS AROUND
01:31:32THE COUNTRY, FBI, ATF, MARSHALS,
01:31:36DEA AGENTS, TO GO OUT AND MAKE COMMUNITIES SAFE. AND IN MY
01:31:39MIND, WHEN IT COMES TO THE
01:31:41FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT'S
01:31:47COMBATING DRUG DEALING, UM, COMBATING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, UM, NARCO TERRORISM, USING OUR
01:31:51HSF TASK FORCES. UM, AND, AND ABOVE ALL, AND JUST AS
01:31:54IMPORTANTLY, IS FRAUD AND
01:31:56BRINGING MONEY THAT IS STOLEN FROM THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER AND
01:32:00GETTING IT BACK AND PUTTING THE GUYS RESPONSIBLE IN PRISON.
01:32:03THAT'S WHAT I'VE LEARNED, IS THAT WE CAN JUST GO OUT AND DO
01:32:07OUR JOBS, AND WE CAN DO IT.
01:32:09THERE'LL BE NOISE IN DC. LIKE I
01:32:11SAID, WE PROSECUTED NEARLY
01:32:15100,000 INFORMATIONS AND INDICTMENTS SINCE JANUARY 20th.
01:32:17WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 3 OR 4. UM, AND THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT,
01:32:21THAT I TAKE TO, TO PROSECUTORS AROUND THE COUNTRY. >> THANK YOU. AND I, AND I ALSO
01:32:24WANT TO THANK YOU. UM, EARLY ON
01:32:28WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION IN KANSAS CITY, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN
01:32:30SAINT LOUIS, WORKING WITH THE
01:32:33DEPARTMENT. KASH PATEL OTHERS, SAINT LOUIS GOT THE LARGEST
01:32:36INFUSION OF PERMANENT FBI AGENTS ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, AND THEY'RE HELPING CLEAN UP THE
01:32:40STREETS. PEOPLE FEEL SAFER. UH, IT'S A GREAT AMERICAN
01:32:43TURNAROUND AS RELATES TO CRIME. THOSE NUMBERS HOPEFULLY WILL CONTINUE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO
01:32:47WORKING WITH YOU ON THOSE EFFORTS AS WELL. >> THANK YOU. WE WILL. THANK
01:32:49YOU, SENATOR. >> UH.
01:32:52>> BEFORE WE TAKE THIS 15 MINUTE
01:32:53BREAK, I WANTED TO SAY THAT FROM
01:32:591230 TO 1, I'LL BE IN THE CAPITOL TO VOTE. ANOTHER REPUBLICAN WILL CHAIR THE
01:33:02MEETING. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO ON
01:33:04THROUGH THE NOON HOUR. AND, UH, SO WE'LL TAKE A BREAK NOW, AND
01:33:08WE'LL BE BACK AT 1145. AND
01:33:10SENATOR BLUMENTHAL WILL BE THE
01:33:13FIRST PERSON TO ASK QUESTIONS
01:34:24>> THANK YOU. >> UH, WELCOME BACK, MR. BLANCHE. THANK YOU FOR BEING
01:34:28HERE. THANK YOU TO YOUR FAMILY. AND I WANT TO JOIN IN THANKING
01:34:32THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE
01:34:35DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, UH, FOR
01:34:39THEIR SERVICE. UM, I WANT TO
01:34:42BEGIN WHERE? MAYBE WE HAVE SOME COMMON GROUND. YOU WOULD AGREE
01:34:46THAT THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF
01:34:51IRAN IS WELL KNOWN TO DETAIN,
01:34:55TORTURE, EVEN KILL POLITICAL
01:34:58DISSIDENTS INCLUDING EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS. WOULD YOU NOT
01:35:02>> UM, YES, SENATOR. THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE DONE THAT. YES.
01:35:06>> AND LAST WEEK, THE IRANIAN
01:35:08AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
01:35:11FILED A LAWSUIT ALLEGING THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
01:35:15ADOPTED A POLICY OF
01:35:16COLLABORATING WITH THE ISLAMIC
01:35:21REPUBLIC OF IRAN TO PROVIDE DETAILS ABOUT ASYLUM APPLICANTS.
01:35:24THIS IS THE UNITED STATES
01:35:26GOVERNMENT PROVIDING INFORMATION
01:35:29REGULARLY AND FREQUENTLY TO THE
01:35:32IRANIAN GOVERNMENT ABOUT IRANIAN
01:35:35NATIONALS WHO ARE SEEKING ASYLUM
01:35:38HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE
01:35:42ARE DECLARATIONS MADE UNDER OATH
01:35:45BEFORE THE COURT ABOUT HIGH OFFICIALS STATIONED HERE WITH
01:35:49IRAN GETTING INFORMATION FROM
01:35:52THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT,
01:35:54AND THEN THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
01:35:57DEPORTING HUNDREDS OF
01:35:59INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING
01:36:02EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN. BACK TO
01:36:04IRAN, WHERE THEY FACE TORTURE,
01:36:07IMPRISONMENT, POTENTIAL DEATH,
01:36:10WERE YOU OR THE DEPARTMENT OF
01:36:12JUSTICE CONSULTED ABOUT THIS POLICY?
01:36:16>> WELL, I THAT'S NOT OUR POLICY, SENATOR. WE WOULD NEVER
01:36:19SEND SOMEBODY HOME TO BE TORTURED. THAT'S NOT WHAT THE
01:36:22AMERICAN PEOPLE WOULD EXPECT OF US. THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT WHAT
01:36:25PRESIDENT TRUMP DOES. SO I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE LAWSUIT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. BUT THERE'S NO SUCH POLICY.
01:36:29>> WILL YOU COMMIT TO INVESTIGATE THESE ALLEGATIONS?
01:36:33>> I HAVEN'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE LAWSUIT. I WILL, UH, WHEN I
01:36:35SAY YOU, SAY COMMIT TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS. WE
01:36:38DON'T DO THAT. BUT CERTAINLY, IF THE LAWSUIT NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED, AND PART OF THAT
01:36:42INCLUDES INVESTIGATION. ABSOLUTELY. >> WELL, YOU DO INVESTIGATE
01:36:46ALLEGATIONS OF ILLEGALITY. THIS POLICY WOULD CLEARLY BE NOT ONLY ILLEGAL.
01:36:50>> THERE IS. >> NO SUCH MORALLY REPUGNANT,
01:36:52WOULD IT NOT? YOU AGREED WITH ME
01:36:54THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE THE POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES TO DO IT.
01:36:57>> BUT IN YOUR QUESTION, YOU'RE SUGGESTING THERE IS SUCH A POLICY. I'M TELLING YOU, THERE
01:37:01IS NO SUCH POLICY. >> WELL, IF THERE IS NO SUCH
01:37:04POLICY, THEN I PRESUME YOU WOULD
01:37:08INVESTIGATE IT. >> UM, WHEN I SEE THE LAWSUIT,
01:37:11I'M JUST NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT. WE WILL, OF COURSE, DO WHAT'S APPROPRIATE.
01:37:14>> YOU. YOU'D AGREE WITH ME THAT IT WOULD BE WRONG., >> THAT IT WOULD BE WRONG,
01:37:18MEANING IT WOULD BE WRONG TO SEND SOMEBODY HOME TO BE
01:37:21TORTURED. YES.
01:37:22>> LET ME ASK YOU, UH ABOUT
01:37:29ALLEGATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH
01:37:30DAVID GENTILI. I THINK WE TALKED
01:37:33ABOUT THE THESE ALLEGATIONS WHEN YOU VISITED ME. THANK YOU FOR
01:37:36COMING TO MY OFFICE IN MAY OF
01:37:392025. DAVID GENTILI WAS
01:37:41SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN
01:37:44PRISON FOR HIS ROLE IN AN ALMOST
01:37:48$1.8 BILLION PONZI LIKE SCHEME.
01:37:52THAT DEFRAUDED OVER 10,000
01:37:54INVESTORS, MANY OF THEM MIDDLE
01:37:57CLASS RETIREES OF THEIR HARD
01:37:59EARNED SAVINGS. AND HE WAS
01:38:03IMPRISONED, HE BOASTED TO FELLOW
01:38:06INMATES AND OTHERS THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE RELEASED BECAUSE HE
01:38:09PAID $2.5 MILLION FOR CLEMENCY.
01:38:14EVIDENCE COLLECTED BY THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
01:38:18SUPPORTED THOSE ALLEGATIONS. UH,
01:38:22AND REPORTEDLY ALSO INCLUDED
01:38:26STATEMENTS BY FATHER FRANK MANN
01:38:31THAT HE SPOKE TO THE PRESIDENT
01:38:33ABOUT DAVID GENTILI, THE EASTERN
01:38:36DISTRICT OF NEW YORK WAS INVESTIGATING THESE ALLEGATIONS
01:38:40AND REPORTEDLY RECEIVED A CALL
01:38:41FROM ONE OF YOUR TOP DEPUTIES
01:38:47INSTRUCTING THEM ABOUT THE
01:38:49CONCERNS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
01:38:51JUSTICE. THE INVESTIGATION WAS
01:38:55STOPPED BY THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK. I WROTE TO YOU ON
01:38:57JUNE 23rd AND UNITED STATES
01:39:00ATTORNEY JOSEPH NOCELLA ABOUT
01:39:03THESE ALLEGATIONS, THAT
01:39:06INVESTIGATION INTO THIS
01:39:08IMPROPRIETY WAS SHUT DOWN AT THE
01:39:10REQUEST OF YOUR OFFICE. DID YOU
01:39:15HAVE ANY INVOLVEMENT OR
01:39:18KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE COMMUTATION
01:39:22OF MR. GENTILI SENTENCE? >> PRESIDENT TRUMP, UM, AS I'VE
01:39:26SAID A COUPLE OF TIMES TODAY,
01:39:27HAS FULL AUTHORITY TO PARDON OR COMMUTE ANYBODY CONVICTED OF FEDERAL CRIMES.
01:39:31>> THAT'S NOT MY QUESTION. >> SO I'M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, SENATOR.
01:39:34>> DID YOU. >> ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? UM, SO,
01:39:37UM, WHAT MY COMMUNICATIONS WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, I WILL NOT TALK
01:39:41ABOUT, UM, HE DOES NOT, NOR
01:39:42SHOULD HE. HE HAS NO OBLIGATION
01:39:45TO DISCUSS, UM, PARDON OR COMMUTATION DECISIONS WITH ME.
01:39:48AND HE HAS NOT AS FAR AS THE,
01:39:50THE, UM, WHAT YOU JUST SUGGESTED ABOUT AN INVESTIGATION, I
01:39:54BELIEVE YOU'RE REFERRING TO A
01:39:57NEWS ARTICLE THAT WAS THE RESULT
01:39:59OF, UM, APPARENT LEAKS. AND I, I
01:40:03WOULD CAUTION THAT THERE'S FALSEHOODS IN THOSE NEWS ARTICLES.
01:40:06>> I'M ASKING YOU WHETHER YOU HAD ANY INVOLVEMENT IN COMMUTING
01:40:09THAT SENTENCE OR IN STOPPING THE
01:40:12INVESTIGATION INTO THE
01:40:15ALLEGATIONS OF IMPROPRIETY,
01:40:19PAYMENT TO POSSIBLY PAYMENT TO FATHER FRANK MANN.
01:40:22>> AND I ANSWERED THE FIRST QUESTION. BUT WHEN YOU SAY STOPPING AN INVESTIGATION,
01:40:25THERE'S AN ASSUMPTION BUILT INTO YOUR QUESTION THAT I WILL
01:40:27NOT CONCEDE. WE WILL NOT TALK
01:40:32ABOUT WHETHER INVESTIGATIONS EXIST OR DON'T EXIST. AND CERTAINLY SOME LEAK ABOUT
01:40:34SOMETHING THAT WE SUPPOSEDLY DID DOESN'T WARRANT AN ANSWER, EITHER.
01:40:38>> THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION, CORRECT?
01:40:41>> I AM NO, I THAT'S MY WHOLE POINT IN SAYING IS THAT THERE'S AN ASSUMPTION BAKED INTO YOUR
01:40:45QUESTION THAT I DON'T THINK IS
01:40:46TRUE, MEANING THAT WE CANNOT
01:40:49COMMENT ON EVEN THE EXISTENCE OF INVESTIGATIONS. >> YOU COMMENTED THIS MORNING TO
01:40:53REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES ABOUT SEVERAL INVESTIGATIONS.
01:40:56>> NO, I HAVEN'T. >> WELL, YOU COMMENTED IN
01:40:59RESPONSE TO THE CHAIRMAN ABOUT THE FISA INVESTIGATION. >> ABOUT THE WHAT?
01:41:02>> EXCUSE ME, THE INVESTIGATION THAT HE ASKED YOU ABOUT.
01:41:05>> SO, SENATOR, MY POINT IS THAT YOU'RE ASKING ME QUESTIONS
01:41:08ABOUT A NEWS ARTICLE, THE SOURCE OF WHICH WAS APPARENTLY LEAKS.
01:41:11UM, IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR ME AS THE ACTING ATTORNEY
01:41:15GENERAL, TO COMMENT ON SUCH
01:41:17LEAKS OR NEWS ARTICLES THAT
01:41:21YOU'RE REFERENCING. >> BUT WHEN IT GOES, I, I ACCEPT THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ANSWER
01:41:24MY QUESTION, BUT I THINK THERE IS A NEED FOR THE INSPECTOR
01:41:27GENERAL TO LOOK INTO THE INVESTIGATION. THAT WAS
01:41:30APPARENTLY, ACCORDING TO THESE
01:41:33ARTICLES AND OTHER INFORMATION, STOPPED AS A RESULT OF YOUR
01:41:36INTERVENTION. LET ME LET ME MOVE
01:41:37ON. UH, IN 2017, MORE THAN
01:41:4510,009/11 VICTIMS FILED SUIT AGAINST THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI
01:41:49ARABIA. UH, THAT LAWSUIT IS
01:41:50HEADING TO TRIAL INFORMATION.
01:41:55UH, WAS PROMISED BY PRESIDENT
01:41:57TRUMP IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019. THAT
01:42:02INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED. WILL YOU COMMIT TO
01:42:04MEET WITH THOSE FAMILIES AND PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THEY
01:42:08NEED FOR THEIR LAWSUIT?
01:42:09>> UM, UH, FOLKS FROM MY OFFICE
01:42:13HAVE MET WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THOSE
01:42:14FAMILIES. WE WILL COMMIT TO CONTINUING TO, TO HAVE
01:42:18COMMUNICATIONS, OF COURSE. >> AND PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THEY'RE SEEKING. >> WELL, YOU'RE SAYING I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE INFORMATION IS
01:42:22YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO OBVIOUSLY, I CAN'T JUST COMMIT TO PROVIDING THE INFORMATION.
01:42:26>> WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT OTHER
01:42:27INFORMATION. INFORMATION ABOUT
01:42:32THE EPSTEIN ABUSES. YOUR
01:42:36PREDECESSOR APOLOGIZED TO THE EPSTEIN SURVIVORS WITH GOOD
01:42:39REASON, BECAUSE, AS YOU'VE SAID
01:42:41TODAY, MISTAKES WERE MADE. I'M
01:42:46ASKING YOU TODAY WITH EPSTEIN
01:42:48SURVIVORS IN THIS ROOM TO
01:42:52APOLOGIZE THEM.
01:42:53>> WELL, SO MY HEART BREAKS FOR
01:42:58EVERY VICTIM OF ANY SEXUAL CRIME, WHETHER IT'S INVOLVING
01:43:02MR. EPSTEIN OR SOMEBODY ELSE. AND SO IF YOU'RE ASKING ME TO APOLOGIZE THAT THIS HAPPENED TO
01:43:06THEM. OF COURSE. ABSOLUTELY. THIS IS A HORRIBLE THING, WHICH
01:43:09IS WHY THIS DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, THIS ADMINISTRATION, IS
01:43:13FOCUSED VERY HEAVILY ON GOING AFTER THESE PREDATORS. AND SO,
01:43:16YES, OF COURSE, THAT'S PART OF MY JOB AS BEING EMPATHETIC TO
01:43:20THE VICTIMS. >> APOLOGIZE TO THEM FOR THE MISHANDLING AND MISTAKES THAT
01:43:23WERE MADE BY THE UNITED STATES
01:43:27DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. >> I WILL, I WILL ABSOLUTELY SAY
01:43:31THAT ANY MISTAKE THAT WE MADE
01:43:33SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE. AND I VERY MUCH I VERY MUCH HOPE I CAN
01:43:36ANSWER THE QUESTION, OR YOU CAN JUST INTERRUPT ME, SENATOR, BUT
01:43:40I AM ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION. I
01:43:43VERY MUCH, AND I HAVE SAID THIS TO ANYBODY THAT ASKS AND
01:43:45PUBLICLY, BEFORE ANY MISTAKE
01:43:47THAT WAS MADE IS NOT APPROPRIATE. AND SO, YES, I AM
01:43:50SORRY THAT IN ABOUT 1% OF THE OF
01:43:54THE DOCUMENTS, MISTAKES WERE MADE. BUT WHAT I WILL SAY ON TOP
01:43:56OF THAT IS WE PUT TONS OF
01:43:59RESOURCES TO RECTIFYING THOSE MISTAKES IMMEDIATELY, INCLUDING
01:44:03PULLING DOWN DOCUMENTS WITHIN MINUTES OF BEING INFORMED THAT
01:44:06THEY WERE. THERE WERE MISTAKES, POTENTIAL MISTAKES MADE, AND
01:44:08WORKING 24/7 TO RECTIFY ANY MISTAKES. AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I
01:44:12WOULD EXPECT. THE VICTIMS WOULD WANT US TO DO. AND THEIR COUNSEL
01:44:15AND THIS BODY AS WELL.
01:44:17>> AND YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME,
01:44:20WOULDN'T YOU, THAT YOU CAN WELL
01:44:23MEET WITH ANY OF THE SURVIVORS OR VICTIMS WITH THEIR COUNSEL
01:44:26PRESENT. YOU SAID YOU CAN'T MEET WITH THEM, BUT YOU COULD MEET WITH THEM.
01:44:30>> I NEVER SAID I CAN'T MEET WITH THEM. I SAID, IF THEY WERE REPRESENTED, I HAD TO MEET
01:44:33THROUGH, THROUGH COUNSEL. BUT OF
01:44:36COURSE I CAN MEET WITH THEM. I'M THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL
01:44:39OF THE UNITED STATES, SO YES, I CAN. I VERY STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT IF FOR THESE VICTIMS TO
01:44:43TELL THEIR STORIES AND THE EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE, THEY
01:44:45SHOULD MEET, LIKE ANY VICTIM OF
01:44:48A CRIME WITH THE FBI OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENT, AND THAT WE
01:44:52WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO
01:44:54PROSECUTE IF WE CAN.
01:44:59>> THE JUDGE IN FLORIDA YOUR
01:45:03MISCONDUCT. SHE CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS MISCONDUCT AND
01:45:05MISREPRESENTATION AND IMPROPER
01:45:08PURPOSE IN THAT LEGAL ACTION TO
01:45:11THE BAR OF NEW YORK FOR
01:45:14POTENTIAL DISCIPLINE, INCLUDING
01:45:17LOSING YOUR LAW LICENSE. I KNOW YOU DISAGREE WITH THE RESULT OF
01:45:21THE RULING. HAS THAT KIND OF
01:45:22REFERRAL EVER HAPPENED BY A
01:45:25FEDERAL JUDGE FOR AN ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES?
01:45:28>> CAN YOU. >> I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'LL TELL
01:45:31YOU SOMETHING. UM, THAT JUDGE NEVER ASKED US TO RESPOND. SHE
01:45:33NEVER GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO ANYTHING. AND SHE DIDN'T REFER ME. SHE JUST ASKED
01:45:37THAT A COPY OF THE ORDER BE PROVIDED TO THE NEW YORK BAR,
01:45:41BECAUSE THERE'S SEVERAL ACTIVIST GROUPS THAT HAVE FILED
01:45:43COMPLAINTS AGAINST ME. SO. SO LISTEN, I, AS I'VE SAID
01:45:46EARLIER, I THINK ANYBODY ON THIS COMMITTEE, ESPECIALLY THE
01:45:49LAWYERS THAT HAVE PRACTICED, CAN READ THAT OPINION AND REACH
01:45:51THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS. BUT I
01:45:53VERY MUCH DISAGREE, UM, WITH,
01:45:56WITH THE JUDGE'S INSINUATIONS
01:45:58ABOUT ME. UM, AND, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE
01:46:01THAT RIGHT. >> ONE, ONE LAST QUESTION. WOULD
01:46:03YOU AGREE WITH ME THAT AGENTS OF
01:46:06THE UNITED STATES SHOULD NOT FIRE INTO CARS UNLESS THERE'S
01:46:09FIRE THEIR WEAPONS INTO CARS, UNLESS THERE IS AN IMMINENT
01:46:13THREAT? >> GIVE A SHORT ANSWER TO THAT.
01:46:17>> THERE'S A WELL ESTABLISHED STANDARD AS TO WHEN AN AGENT CAN DISCHARGE THEIR FIREARM. AND I
01:46:21THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT THAT SHOULD BE FOLLOWED IN EVERY CASE.
01:46:24>> AND THAT INCLUDES NOT FIRING
01:46:28WEAPONS INTO CARS >> MR. CHAIRMAN.
01:46:31>> BEFORE I WELL, DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT?
01:46:33>> I MEAN, THERE'S NOT REALLY A
01:46:36RESPONSE. IT IT REQUIRES FEDERAL AGENTS TO FOLLOW THE RULES.
01:46:39>> THEN LET'S MOVE ON. BEFORE I
01:46:41CALL ON SENATOR BRITT, I WANT TO
01:46:43ANOTHER LETTER SUPPORTING THE
01:46:47NOMINEE FROM THE AMERICAN BORDER
01:46:49STORY, A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION
01:46:52REPRESENTING 300 ANGEL FAMILIES.
01:46:55QUOTING FROM THE LETTER, THE
01:46:56FAMILIES WE WORK WITH ARE NOT
01:47:00FOCUSED ON POLITICS. THEY WANT
01:47:02LEADERS WHO TAKE CRIME
01:47:04SERIOUSLY, WHO UNDERSTAND THE NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS
01:47:08OF OPEN BORDER, CRIMINAL, OPEN
01:47:11BORDER, CRIMINAL NETWORKS, AND
01:47:14WHO WILL PRIORITIZE VICTIMS OVER
01:47:18IDEOLOGY. WE BELIEVE TODD BLANCHE UNDERSTANDS THAT
01:47:22RESPONSIBILITY AND WOULD
01:47:26APPROACH THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL WITH SERIOUSNESS. IT DEMANDS, END QUOTE, WITHOUT
01:47:30OBJECTION, THAT WILL BE ENTERED IN THE RECORD. SENATOR BRITT. >> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, AND
01:47:34I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT SEGUE. I APPRECIATE YOUR
01:47:38COMMITMENT TO ALL OF THE VICTIMS. THE EPSTEIN VICTIMS,
01:47:42YOUR COMMITMENT TO HEAR FROM THEM AND FIGHT FOR THEM. THANK
01:47:45YOU FOR SAYING THAT. TODAY. I
01:47:48ONLY WISH THAT MY DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES HAD THAT SAME LEVEL
01:47:51OF CONVICTION WHEN IT CAME TO
01:47:54MEETING WITH THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES
01:47:57AT THE HANDS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT LETTER.
01:48:01THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT. I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THEY WILL
01:48:04ANSWER THE CALL AND MEET WITH
01:48:07THEIR OWN CONSTITUENCIES, WHO, UNFORTUNATELY, HAVE LOST, UM,
01:48:11ONES THAT THEY HOLD DEAR. MR. BLANCHE, I WANT TO APPLAUD THE
01:48:14WORK THAT YOU AND DOJ HAVE DONE
01:48:17TO REDUCE CRIME AND VIOLENT CRIME ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE'VE
01:48:21HEARD IT A NUMBER OF TIMES HERE
01:48:22TODAY, BOTH IN THE CHAIRMAN'S OPENING TO SENATOR MOODY,
01:48:26TALKING ABOUT IT TO YOU, TALKING
01:48:28ABOUT IT. WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE LOWEST MURDER RATE THAT WE'VE
01:48:32HAD SINCE 1900. WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT VIOLENT CRIME
01:48:34ARRESTS, WE ARE UP 184%. THIS IS
01:48:38REAL RESULTS. THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING,
01:48:42KEEPING AMERICANS SAFE. WE KNOW THAT YOU'VE DONE THAT THROUGH A
01:48:44NUMBER OF WAYS. UM, TASK FORCE
01:48:47AND JOINT OPERATIONS,
01:48:51INTERAGENCY COOPERATION. WE'VE SEEN THE FORCES, THOSE TASK
01:48:54FORCES SUCCESSFULLY PURSUE
01:48:56NUMEROUS CASES IN OUR STATE RELATED TO MAJOR DRUG
01:49:00TRAFFICKING RELATED TO FIREARMS TRAFFICKING, UM, ALL OF WHICH
01:49:04HAS BEEN LINKED TO, IN MANY CASES, YOU KNOW, BROADER
01:49:07CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES. SO WE'RE
01:49:09GLAD THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE SAFER AND THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE
01:49:13SAFER. WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW
01:49:15FROM YOU, BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN IN ALABAMA THIS HAVE TREMENDOUS
01:49:18RESULTS. WE'VE EVEN SEEN, IN
01:49:21ONE CASE, A CORRUPT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN THE
01:49:24SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA,
01:49:25WHO HAD ENGAGED IN A RANGE OF
01:49:29CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES IN HIS CAPACITY AS AN OFFICER, BEING
01:49:31HELD ACCOUNTABLE THROUGH THIS
01:49:33WORK, UM, BASED ON WHAT I'VE
01:49:36SEEN IN ALABAMA, I HOPE THAT YOU CONTINUE THIS ALL ACROSS THE
01:49:39COUNTRY. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE WORK OF THESE TASK FORCES AND
01:49:42THE SUCCESS THAT YOU'VE SEEN,
01:49:44AND HOW YOU INTEND TO BUILD UPON
01:49:47THIS WORK MOVING FORWARD? IF AND
01:49:48WHEN CONFIRMED?
01:49:51>> YES. SO THE HOMELAND SECURITY TASK FORCE REGIME THAT WE'VE
01:49:54SET UP IN EVERY SINGLE STATE AND EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT IN THIS
01:49:57COUNTRY, IS DESIGNED TO DO WHAT JUST WHAT YOU WERE DESCRIBING.
01:50:01SO WORK, NOT JUST WITH THE
01:50:02FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, NOT JUST
01:50:05DOJ, BUT TO WORK WITH DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, SHERIFFS,
01:50:09COPS, LOCAL PROSECUTORS, UM, LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND
01:50:13ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEYS TO GO INTO THAT COMMUNITY AND
01:50:16ERADICATE IT OF HUMAN
01:50:18TRAFFICKING, DRUG DEALERS, NARCO TERRORISM. AND THE RESULTS,
01:50:22IT'S BEEN SET UP FOR ALMOST A YEAR, AND MOST IN MOST PLACES.
01:50:25AND, AND THE RESULTS ARE EVIDENT IN THE STATISTICS THAT WE SHOW,
01:50:28BUT THEY'RE REALLY MORE EVIDENT WHEN, WHEN I GO OUT TO U.S.
01:50:31ATTORNEY'S OFFICES AND MEET WITH HSF, UM, GROUPS LIKE I DO ALL
01:50:35THE TIME, UM, TO A PERSON, THEY SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE NEEDED
01:50:39FOREVER. THIS IS WHAT WORKS. HAVING LAW ENFORCEMENT GET TOGETHER IN A ROOM AND SAY, WE
01:50:43NEED TO TACKLE THIS GANG OR THIS
01:50:46APARTMENT BUILDING HAS A DRUG PROBLEM, OR EVEN THIS INDIVIDUAL
01:50:50NEEDS TO BE TARGETED BECAUSE HE'S A VIOLENT FELON, AND HE NEEDS TO GO OFF THE STREETS.
01:50:53IT'S, IT'S BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT, THAT I'VE DONE
01:50:56FOR A LONG TIME, THAT, THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP ECHOES AND
01:51:00TRUMPETS AND HAS DONE SINCE JANUARY 20th. AND, AND THAT'S
01:51:02WHY I THINK THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEING THE SUCCESS THAT WE'RE
01:51:06SEEING. AND WE'RE NOT SLOWING
01:51:08DOWN. HSF ARE UP AND RUNNING
01:51:11FULL SPEED AHEAD. AND, AND I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO STILL
01:51:15SEE THE RESULTS THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST TEN MONTHS OR SO.
01:51:18>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THAT AND ALL THE WORK THAT
01:51:21YOU'VE DONE. UM, I WANT TO TAKE
01:51:22A BRIEF MOMENT. OUR, UM,
01:51:26DISTINGUISHED AND LATE COLLEAGUE, SENATOR GRAHAM, WAS
01:51:28EXCITED ABOUT YOUR NOMINATION.
01:51:32HE WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT MANY THINGS, UM, WHICH WE SAW HERE IN
01:51:36THIS COMMITTEE. UM, JUST AN
01:51:41AMAZING WAYS. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE WAS A CHAMPION OF
01:51:44WAS THE UNBORN. AND THAT IS A
01:51:48DEEPLY HELD CONVICTION THAT WE
01:51:49BOTH HAVE. AND I WANT TO TALK TO
01:51:53YOU AND ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF THE
01:51:55CHEMICAL ABORTION DRUG THAT WE
01:51:57HAVE SEEN JUST SPREAD COAST TO
01:52:00COAST, AS YOU KNOW, PURSUANT TO
01:52:03A BIDEN ERA ADMINISTRATION, ADMINISTRATIVE, ADMINISTRATIVE
01:52:06ACTION, THE FDA, THERE IS NO
01:52:08LONGER AN IN-PERSON DISPENSING
01:52:11REQUIREMENT IN PLACE FOR THE
01:52:15DRUG FOR MIFEPRISTONE. IT ALLOWS
01:52:16IT TO LITERALLY BE DISPERSED
01:52:19ACROSS STATE LINES ALL ACROSS
01:52:24THE COUNTRY, WE ARE LOSING
01:52:30CHILDREN, AND WE ARE PUTTING
01:52:32WOMEN IN HARM'S WAY LOOK, IT
01:52:36HAS NO OVERSIGHT, NO SAFEGUARD.
01:52:40I GOT TO HEAR THE STORY OF JONNA
01:52:43AFFOLTER, WHO'S HERE WITH US
01:52:44TODAY, AND I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR HER WILLINGNESS TO BE HERE. BUT
01:52:48I GOT TO HEAR IT FIRSTHAND YESTERDAY. I KNOW MANY PEOPLE
01:52:51HAVE READ HER STORY IN RECENT
01:52:54NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT HER THEN BOYFRIEND, NOW EX-BOYFRIEND, A
01:52:58DOCTOR, NO LESS, ACTUALLY
01:53:01FORCING A CRUSHED ABORTION PILL
01:53:05INTO HER MOUTH IN THE MIDDLE OF
01:53:07THE NIGHT. THEN TAKING HER KEYS,
01:53:10HOLDING HER HOSTAGE SO THAT SHE
01:53:12COULD NOT GO GET HELP. THIS IS
01:53:16SICK AND TWISTED AND MUST STOP.
01:53:21HE USED HIS EX-WIFE'S INFORMATION TO BUY THOSE DRUGS
01:53:25ONLINE, TO KILL HIS OWN CHILD,
01:53:29AND TO ENDANGER DONNA'S LIFE.
01:53:31AND SADLY, HER STORY IS ONE OF MANY. AND SO, CAN YOU COMMIT TO
01:53:35ME TODAY THAT THIS
01:53:37ADMINISTRATION AND DOJ WILL PRIORITIZE TAKING MEANINGFUL AND
01:53:40THOUGHTFUL ACTION TO ADDRESS THE DANGERS THAT OCCURRED IN THE
01:53:44CURRENT STATUS QUO TO WOMEN ALL
01:53:47OVER THIS COUNTRY?
01:53:51>> UH, ABSOLUTELY, SENATOR. >> AND IT'S NOT ONLY WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CAN DO, BUT IT'S WHAT THE FDA IS DOING
01:53:55RIGHT NOW. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
01:53:57A DECADE, ACTUALLY DOING REAL STUDIES ABOUT THE SAFETY AND THE
01:54:01APPROPRIATENESS OF THESE DRUGS. AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN VIDEO
01:54:04MYSELF OF, OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE
01:54:08PILLS COMING EVEN FROM OVERSEAS,
01:54:10UM, TO, TO YOUNG WOMEN. AND DOESN'T MATTER WHO APPLIES FOR
01:54:13IT, ANYBODY CAN GET IT. THERE'S NO INSTRUCTIONS, THEY JUST COME
01:54:16DUMPED OUT OF A LITTLE PLASTIC BAG AND, AND IT'S, UM, IT'S
01:54:20WRONG. AND I VERY MUCH COMMIT OUR RESOURCES TO, TO STOPPING THIS.
01:54:24>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WANT TO TURN TO AN ISSUE THAT I ALSO
01:54:28RAISED WITH FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL BONDI. AND THAT'S
01:54:31ILLEGAL OFFSHORE GAMING. AND THE CONCERN AND THE RISE OF ILLEGAL
01:54:35GAMING AMONGST MINORS. IN 2024, A STUDY FOUND THAT INDIVIDUALS
01:54:39WHO BEGAN GAMBLING BEFORE THE
01:54:40AGE OF 18 ARE 50% MORE LIKELY TO
01:54:46DEVELOP AN ADDICTION TO GAMBLING. THIS HAS BECOME A MAJOR ISSUE AMONG AMERICA'S
01:54:49YOUTH, IN PARTICULAR, AMERICA'S
01:54:51YOUNG MEN. JUST LAST YEAR, IN THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF
01:54:55ALABAMA, WE SAW A CASE WHERE TEN
01:54:57MEN PLEADED GUILTY TO MANAGING A
01:54:59SPORTS BETTING OPERATION AND
01:55:02ACCEPTED OVER $2 BILLION IN WAGERS VIA AN OFFSHORE SERVER
01:55:06LOCATED IN COSTA RICA. SENATOR BLUMENTHAL AND I HAVE WORKED
01:55:09TOGETHER ON THIS ISSUE AND RECENTLY INTRODUCED THE GAME
01:55:12ACT, WHICH WOULD PROHIBIT SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES AND ADVERTISING
01:55:16WEBSITES FROM TARGETING MINORS
01:55:18WITH SPORTS BETTING, ADVERTISING
01:55:20ONLINE. WE ALSO SENT A LETTER TO DOJ ENCOURAGING THE DEPARTMENT
01:55:24TO USE ITS EXISTING STATUTORY AUTHORITIES TO PURSUE INJUNCTIVE
01:55:28RELIEF AND TO BLOCK ILLEGAL OFFSHORE GAMING OPERATIONS. I
01:55:32WANT TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH I
01:55:33APPRECIATE THE RESPONSE. IT WAS
01:55:36VERY SUBSTANTIVE, UM, THAT I GOT TO THAT LETTER, BUT CAN YOU ALSO COMMIT TO ME TODAY THAT YOU'RE
01:55:40GOING TO MAKE THIS ISSUE A PRIORITY AND TAKE ROBUST ACTION
01:55:43TO COMBAT THE REACH OF ILLEGAL
01:55:48GAMING OPERATIONS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES? AND THEN, IN PARTICULAR, THE TARGETING OF
01:55:51MINORS THROUGH THIS.? >> YES, SENATOR. ABSOLUTELY.
01:55:54>> THANK YOU. THE U.S. CENSUS
01:55:56BUREAU REPORTED OVER A DECADE,
01:55:59BETWEEN 2010 AND 2020, THAT THE
01:56:01OVER 65 POPULATION IN THE UNITED
01:56:03STATES EXPERIENCED THE LARGEST EVER TEN YEAR NUMERIC GAIN IN
01:56:07PERCENTAGE POINT INCREASE IN TERMS OF SHARE OF THE OVERALL
01:56:10POPULATION. IN ITS ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS LAST DECEMBER, THE
01:56:14FTC NOTED THAT TOTAL FRAUD
01:56:16LOSSES BY OLDER AMERICANS,
01:56:19DEFINED AS AGE OF 60 AND OLDER,
01:56:22INCREASED ALMOST FOURFOLD FROM
01:56:252020 TO 2024, SHOOTING UP FROM
01:56:28600,000,000 IN 20 20 TO 2 POINT
01:56:334,000,000,000 IN 2024. AS OUR
01:56:35SOCIETY AGES AND WE CAN, IT WILL
01:56:37CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM THAT WE MUST TAKE ROBUST ACTION TO
01:56:40ADDRESS, PARTICULARLY GIVEN
01:56:43TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES AND OTHER WAYS THAT THIS FRAUD IS OCCURRING. I INTRODUCED THE
01:56:47GUARD ACT WITH SENATOR GILLIBRAND, AND IT WOULD ALLOW
01:56:50STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
01:56:53AGENCIES AND TO USE CERTAIN FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING TO UTILIZE
01:56:56BLOCKCHAIN FOR INVESTIGATING
01:56:59FINANCIAL FRAUD. IT ALSO PERMIT FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO
01:57:03ASSIST STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH TRACING TOOLS
01:57:06FOR BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY. I'M THRILLED IT WAS REPORTED OUT OF
01:57:08THIS COMMITTEE BY VOICE VOTE
01:57:11EARLIER THIS YEAR. I KNOW THAT
01:57:13DOJ HAS PROGRAMS IN PLACE LIKE ELDER JUSTICE INITIATIVE, BUT
01:57:17CAN YOU SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO DOJ'S EFFORTS WITH RESPECT TO
01:57:21ELDER FINANCIAL FRAUD AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE WILL WORK TO
01:57:24CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS A PRIORITY UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE
01:57:28IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION WITH
01:57:30STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, AS WE WORK TO BRING
01:57:33JUSTICE TO THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ABUSED. >> YES,
01:57:36>> SENATOR, WE ARE VERY FOCUSED, NOT ONLY AT MAIN JUSTICE, BUT AT EVERY U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
01:57:40UM, ON, ON PROTECTING OUR
01:57:45ELDERLY WHO ARE ABSOLUTELY VICTIMS OF SCAMS OF ANY SORT. AND MANY OF THE SCAMS ARE COMING
01:57:49FROM, UM, OVERSEAS, FROM BURMA
01:57:51AND FROM, OF THESE, OF THESE
01:57:55LITERALLY ENTIRE BUILDINGS FILLED WITH, UM, WITH INDIVIDUALS COLD CALLING OUR SENIOR CITIZENS, TRYING TO GET
01:57:59THEM TO GIVE THEM MONEY OR SEND THEM, SEND THEM MONEY. AND SO WE
01:58:01ARE, WE'VE, WE'VE CHARGED, I
01:58:03THINK OVER 300 THIS YEAR ALONE.
01:58:07UM, WE'LL KEEP ON DOING THAT. AND IT IS A, IT HAS BEEN A
01:58:09PRIORITY, AS IT SHOULD BE, AND IT WILL REMAIN A PRIORITY OF THE
01:58:13DEPARTMENT TO, TO TARGET THESE, UM, THESE CRIMINALS, AGAIN, MANY
01:58:16OF WHOM ARE NOT EVEN IN THIS COUNTRY, GOING AFTER OUR SENIOR CITIZENS.
01:58:19>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO
01:58:21SUPPORTING YOUR NOMINATION. >> THANK YOU. SENATOR. >> BEFORE I CALL ON SENATOR
01:58:25RONA, I HAVE ANOTHER LETTER, UH,
01:58:30FOR THE NOMINEE SUPPORTING MR. BLANCHE. UH, FROM THE AMERICANS
01:58:34UNITED FOR LIFE, A PRO-LIFE
01:58:38ORGANIZATION. I QUOTE MR.
01:58:41BLANCHE. HIS COMMITMENT TO
01:58:43RESPECTING HUMAN LIFE IS EVIDENT
01:58:45IN HIS ACT AS ACTING ATTORNEY
01:58:49GENERAL. WE AT AMERICANS UNITED
01:58:51FOR LIFE ARE CONFIDENT IN MR.
01:58:53BLANCHE COMMITMENT TO A FAIR AND
01:58:56EVEN APPLICATION OF LAW. END OF
01:58:59QUOTE. WITHOUT OBJECTION, IT
01:59:03WILL BE ENTERED IN THE RECORD. SENATOR HIRONO. >> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
01:59:06WELCOME. MR. BLANCHE TO ENSURE
01:59:09THE FITNESS TO SERVE, UH, OF OF
01:59:12ALL NOMINEES WHO COME BEFORE ANY OF MY COMMITTEES, I ASK THE
01:59:15FOLLOWING TWO INITIAL QUESTIONS. SINCE YOU BECAME A LEGAL ADULT,
01:59:18HAVE YOU EVER MADE UNWANTED
01:59:22REQUESTS FOR SEXUAL FAVORS, OR
01:59:23COMMITTED ANY VERBAL OR PHYSICAL
01:59:26HARASSMENT OR ASSAULT OF A SEXUAL NATURE? >> NO. SENATOR.
01:59:30>> HAVE YOU EVER FACED DISCIPLINE OR ENTERED INTO A
01:59:33SETTLEMENT RELATING TO THIS KIND
01:59:34OF CONDUCT? >> NO, SENATOR.
01:59:37>> MR. BLANCHE, OVER THE COURSE
01:59:39OF THE PAST FIVE MONTHS, THE NEW
01:59:42MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS
01:59:45TALKED TO YOUR STAFF ABOUT GETTING ACCESS TO INFORMATION
01:59:49FOR ITS INVESTIGATION INTO
01:59:52ALLEGED CRIME AT JEFFREY
01:59:55EPSTEIN'S ZORRO RANCH. WILL YOU
01:59:57AND YOUR TEAM CONTINUE TO
02:00:00COOPERATE WITH THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND HELP
02:00:04IT GET THE INFORMATION IT NEEDS?
02:00:06>> YES, WE'RE CONTINUING TO
02:00:08WORK WITH WITH THEM. AND, YES. >> THANK YOU, MR. BLANCHE. AT AN
02:00:12APRIL 8th PRESS CONFERENCE, A
02:00:15REPORTER ASKED YOU A QUESTION
02:00:16ABOUT PRESIDENT DESIRE TO SEE
02:00:19HIS PERCEIVED POLITICAL ENEMIES
02:00:22PROSECUTED. YOU ANSWERED, QUOTE,
02:00:24THAT IS HIS RIGHT, AND
02:00:34INDEED, IT IS HIS DUTY TO DO
02:00:35THAT TO.
02:13:35.
02:15:19THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE MAJORITY LEADER. MR. THUNE: MR. PRESIDENT, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT
02:15:23NOTWITHSTANDING RULE 22, THE
02:15:24SENATE VOTE ON THE CLOTURE
02:15:27MOTION WITH RESPECT TO MOTION TO
02:15:30PROCEED TO S. 4668 AT A TIME TO
02:15:35BE DETERMINED BY THE MAJORITY LEADER IN CONSULTATION WITH THE
02:15:36DEMOCRATIC LEADER NO LATER THAN
02:15:40SEPTEMBER 23. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: IS THERE OBJECTION? WITHOUT OBJECTION.
02:15:44MR. THUNE: THE ONLY AMENDMENTS REMAINING IN ORDER BE THE
02:15:46FOLLOWING TO BE OFFERED BY THE
02:15:50SPONSOR OR THEIR DESIGNEE,
02:15:54COLLINS, 6732, COLLINS 6750, AND BUD 6747.
02:15:58FURTHER, UPON THE USE OR
02:15:59YIELDING BACK OF THAT TIME, THE
02:16:03SENATE VOTE ON IN RELATION TO
02:16:05THE BUDD AMENDMENT AND COLLINS
02:16:08AMENDMENT -- THE BILL, AS AMENDED, BE READ A THIRD TIME
02:16:10AND THE SENATE VOTE ON THE
02:16:13PASSAGE OF THE BILL WITH 60
02:16:17AFFIRMATIVE VOTES FOR PASSAGE.
02:16:20THE TITLE, AS AMENDED, BE AGREED
02:16:22TO, AND THE MOTIONS TO RECONSIDER BE CONSIDERED MADE
02:16:25AND LAID UPON THE TABLE WITH NO INTERVENING ACTION OR DEBATE. FURTHER, THAT FOLLOWING
02:16:29DISPOSITION OF H.R. 6500, THE
02:16:32CLOTURE MOTION WITH RESPECT TO THE BLANCHE NOMINATION RIPEN AND
02:16:36IF CLOTURE IS INVOKED, ALL TIME IS EXPIRED AND THE SENATE VOTE ON THE CONFIRMATION OF THE
02:16:39NOMINATION AND IF CONFIRMED, CONSIDERED MADE AND LAID UPON THE TABLE, AND THE PRESIDENT BE
02:16:43IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED OF THE SENATE'S ACTION.
02:16:45AND THAT THE SENATE RESUME LEGISLATIVE SESSION PROVIDED
02:16:48THAT IT THEN BE IN ORDER FOR THE
02:16:52SENATOR FROM OHIO, MR. HUSTED OR
02:16:55HIS DESIGNEES TO MOVE TO HIS
02:16:57MOTION AND -- ON THE MOTION TO
02:16:59PROCEED AND THE MOTION RIPEN IMMEDIATELY AND THE SENATE VOTE
02:17:03ON THE CLOTURE MOTION WITHOUT WITH NO INTERVENING ACTION OR
02:17:06DEBATE AND IF AGREED TO, THE
02:17:09MOTION BE AGREED TO UPON THE USE
02:17:11OR YIELDING BACK OF THAT TIME, THE BILL WILL BE READ A THIRD
02:17:14TIME AND THE SENATE VOTE ON THE
02:17:17BILL WITH 60 AFFIRMATIVE VOTES
02:17:19REQUIRED FOR PASSAGE. FURTHER, IF CLOTURE ON THE
02:17:23MOTION TO PROCEED IS NOT AGREED TO, THE THE MAJORITY LEADER MAKE
02:17:26A MOTION TO ADJOURNED PURSUANT TO THIS ORDER.
02:17:29IF THE SENATE HAS AGREED TO THE
02:17:31MOTION PURSUANT TO THIS ORDER,
02:17:34WHEN THE SENATE COMPLETES THE
02:17:36BUSINESS ON AUGUST 8 TO DISPENSE
02:17:38WITH WRAP-UP ITEM, PRO FORMA
02:17:44SESSIONS ONLY. 10:00 A.M. ON MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2026. 8:00 A.M. ON THURSDAY,
02:17:48AUGUST 13, 2026. 1:30 P.M. ON MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026.
02:17:4911:30 A.M. ON THURSDAY,
02:17:53AUGUST 20, 2026. 12:30 P.M. ON MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2026. 8:00 A.M. ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2026. 11:30 A.M. ON MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2026.
02:17:5712:30 P.M. ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026. 10:00 A.M. ON FRIDAY,
02:18:01SEPTEMBER 4, 2026. 1:15 P.M. ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2026. 3:00 P.M. ON THURSDAY,
02:18:02SEPTEMBER 10, 2026.
02:18:08THE PRESIDING OFFICER: IS THERE OBJECTION? WITHOUT OBJECTION. MR. THUNE: MR. PRESIDENT, I
02:18:11SUGGEST THE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CLERK
02:18:13WILL CALL THE ROLL.
02:18:19QUORUM CALL:
02:18:23THE CLERK: MS. ALSOBROOKS.
02:30:35QUORUM CALL:
02:31:02THE PRESIDING OFFICER: I RECOGNIZE THE SENATOR FROM NORTH CAROLINA. MR. BUDD: I ASK TO VITIATE THE
02:31:06QUORUM CALL. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION. UNDER THE PREVIOUS ORDER, ALL
02:31:09PENDING AMENDMENTS AND MOTIONS ARE WITHDRAWN WITH THE EXCEPTION
02:31:12OF AMENDMENT NUMBER 6732.
02:31:15MR. BUDD: MR. PRESIDENT, I CALL
02:31:16UP MY AMENDMENT 6747 AND ASK
02:31:20THAT IT BE REPORTED BY NUMBER. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CLERK
02:31:23WILL REPORT. THE CLERK: MR. BUDD PROPOSES
02:31:27AMENDMENT NUMBERED 6747 TO
02:31:30AMENDMENT 6732. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THERE ARE
02:31:33NOW TWO MINUTES OF DEBATE
02:31:36EQUALLY DIVIDED. MR. BUDD: MR. PRESIDENT.
02:31:40THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM NORTH CAROLINA. MR. BUDD: MR. PRESIDENT, NINE
02:31:44MONTHS AGO BOTH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS, THEY OVERWHELMINGLY
02:31:46VOTED TO CLOSE THE HEMP
02:31:52LOOPHOLE. IT HAPPENED RIGHT HERE.
02:31:54THEY WANTED TO STOP INTOXICATED
02:31:57HEMP PRODUCTS FROM BEING SOLD AND MARKETED TO KIDS.
02:32:00THESE PRODUCTS ARE MADE TO LOOK EXACTLY LIKE SOMETHING A KID WOULD WANT.
02:32:04EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS HAVE SEEN
02:32:06A 461% INCREASE IN CASES OF
02:32:14PEDIATRIC CANNABIS POISONING.
02:32:15MOST OF THOSE WERE CHILDREN FOUR
02:32:18YEARS OLD OR YOUNGER. THIS BODY AGREED RIGHT HERE NINE
02:32:21MONTHS AGO THAT WE WOULDN'T COMPROMISE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
02:32:25ESPECIALLY OUR KIDS. SO TODAY I'M SIMPLY ASKING MY
02:32:28COLLEAGUES JUST TO REAFFIRM A
02:32:31DECISION WE MADE NINE MONTHS AGO
02:32:35RIGHT HERE. MY OPPONENTS HAVE ASKED, WELL,
02:32:37WHAT'S THE HARM IN A MONTH-LONG DELAY?
02:32:40I'M GOING TO TELL YOU. THE GOAL IS NOT AN EXTRA MONTH
02:32:44TO WORK ON POLICY, AS MANY HAVE SAID.
02:32:47THE WELL-OILED HEMP LOBBYING
02:32:50MACHINE, IT'S ALREADY HAD NINE MONTHS TO DO THAT. THE REAL GOAL IS TO GENTLELADY
02:32:54US IN DECEMBER -- -- THE REAL
02:32:56GOAL IS TO JAM US IN DECEMBER ON
02:32:59A MUCH MORE PERMANENT PACKAGE.
02:33:03OPPONENTS SAY THAT THIS WOULD STOP RESEARCH INTO HETCH-DERIVED
02:33:07PRODU PRODUCTS SENIORS, VETERANS AND
02:33:11PEOPLE WHO RELY ON MEDICARE. BUT WHAT DOES ALLOWING AN
02:33:14UNREGULATED, INTOCK INDICATING HE HADABLES ON GAS STATION
02:33:18SHELVES HAVE TO DO WITH CMS
02:33:20ABILITY TO STUDY HEMP-DERIVED
02:33:23PRODUCTS FOR PAIN RELIEF? NOT A THING. NOT A THING AT ALL.
02:33:26SO ONCE AGAIN I ASK MY
02:33:29COLLEAGUES TO JOIN ME IN DOING WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE NINE
02:33:33MONTHS AGO -- SUPPORT MY AMENDMENT.
02:33:36JUST VOTE NO TO TABLE THIS.
02:33:39AND CLOSE THIS DANGEROUS LOOPHOLE.
02:33:43JUST AS 76 OF US, REPUBLICANS
02:33:45AND DEMOCRATS, DID JUST NINE
02:33:47MONTHS AGO.
02:33:54THE PRESIDING OFFICER: I RECOGNIZE THE SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA.
02:33:57MS. KLOBUCHAR: MR. PRESIDENT, I RISE THIS EVENING ON BEHALF OF
02:34:00MYSELF AND SENATOR SHEEHY AND
02:34:03SEVERAL OTHERS, DEMOCRATS AND
02:34:07REPUBLICANS. I REPRESENT FARMERS, SMALL
02:34:10BUSINESSES, BREWERS, AND CONSUMERS IN MY STATE, AND I
02:34:14URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO TABLE
02:34:16SENATOR BUDD'S AMENDMENT AND
02:34:19GIVE THIS BODY FOUR MORE WEEKS
02:34:21TO WORK TOWARDS LEGISLATION THAT
02:34:25SUPPORTS A THRIVING HEMP
02:34:28INDUSTRY, ENSURES PROPER REGULATION, AND PROTECT KIDS
02:34:32FROM DANGEROUS PRODUCTS.
02:34:35AS IS THE BIPARTISAN CONTINUING
02:34:38RESOLUTION THAT IS BEFORE US DELAYS A BAN ON NATURALLY
02:34:42PRODUCED HEMP PRODUCTS FOR FOUR
02:34:44WEEKS, WHILE TAKING SYNTHETIC
02:34:50HEMP DERIFFIVES OFF THE MARKET.
02:34:53THAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS CONTINUING RESOLUTION.
02:34:57THE ORIGINAL BAN, THE BROAD BAN,
02:34:59THE ENTIRE BAN -- AND I NOTE IN MY STATE WE HAVE SAFETY RULES IN
02:35:03PLACE THAT HAVE WORKED VERY
02:35:06WELL; THE PRODUCT IS TAXED.
02:35:07WE HAVE NOT HAD ISSUES WITH IT SINCE WE PUT THOSE RULES IN
02:35:11PLACE. THE ORIGINAL BAN WAS TUCKED INTO
02:35:15A BILL TO REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT LAST NOVEMBER.
02:35:18MANY MEMBERS DIDN'T HAVE THE CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT IT.
02:35:22THERE HAD BEEN NO HEARINGS.
02:35:24NOW THEY LEARN MORE. BILLS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED IN
02:35:27THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE,
02:35:30BIPARTISAN BILLS, TO REGULATE THIS MARKET.
02:35:33AND BACK THEN, THAT BAN MOVED
02:35:36FORWARD WITHOUT INPUT FROM THE
02:35:38PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE IMPACTED.
02:35:40IN MY STATE ALONE, HETCH
02:35:45PRODUCTS -- HEMP PRODUCTS
02:35:47BROUGHT IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN 2025.
02:35:51SENATOR BUDD HAS RAISED
02:35:53CONCERNS, AND I AGREE WITH HIM. THAT'S WHY BAD ACTORS WHO SELL
02:35:57THE PRODUCTS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED
02:35:59TO SELL THEM IN THIS CONTINUING
02:36:03RESOLUTION. I URGE MY COLLEAGUES IN VOTING
02:36:05TO TABLE THIS AMENDMENT AND MAINTAINING THE BATTALION
02:36:09AGREEMENT IN THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION. I MOVE TO TABLE AMENDMENT NUMBER
02:36:1367847 AND I ASK FOR THE YEAS AND NAYS.
02:36:16THE PRESIDING OFFICER: IS THERE A SUFFICIENT SECOND?
02:36:20BUD .
02:36:23MR. BUDD: DO I STILL HAVE TIME? THE PRESIDING OFFICER:NESS NO REMAINING TIME.
02:36:26THERE APPEARS TO BE. THE CLERK WILL CALL THE ROLL.
02:36:33VOTE: THE CLERK: MS. ALSOBROOKS.
02:36:36MR. ARMSTRONG. MS. BALDWIN. MR. BANKS. MR. BARRASSO.
02:36:40MR. BENNET. MRS. BLACKBURN.
02:36:43MR. BLUMENTHAL. MS. BLUNT ROCHESTER. MR. BOOKER.
02:36:46MR. BOOZMAN. MRS. BRITT.
02:36:49MR. BUDD.
02:37:14MS. CANTWELL.
02:37:18MRS. CAPITO.
02:37:33MR. CASSIDY.
02:37:43MS. COLLINS. MR. COONS. MR. CORNYN.
02:37:47MS. CORTEZ MASTO.
02:37:53MR. COTTON. MR. CRAMER.
02:37:55MR. CRAPO.
02:38:02MR. CRUZ.
02:38:02MR. CURTIS.
02:38:11MR. DAINES.
02:38:55MS. DUCKWORTH.
02:38:58MR. DURBIN.
02:39:29MS. ERNST.
02:39:29MR. FETTERMAN.
02:39:35MRS. FISCHER. MR. GALLEGO.
02:39:38MRS. GILLIBRAND.
02:39:41MS. GRAHAM.
02:39:43MR. GRASSLEY.
02:39:45MR. HAGERTY.
02:39:51MS. HASSAN.
02:39:59MR. HAWLEY.
02:40:06MR. HEINRICH. MR. HICKENLOOPER.
02:40:09MS. HIRONO.
02:40:11MR. HOEVEN.
02:40:14MR. HUSTED.
02:40:16MRS. HYDE-SMITH.
02:40:18MR. JOHNSON.
02:40:21MR. JUSTICE.
02:40:30MR. KAINE. MR. KELLY. MR. KENNEDY.
02:40:34MR. KIM.
02:40:35MR. KING.
02:40:39MS. KLOBUCHAR.
02:40:40MR. LANKFORD.
02:41:03MR. LEE. MR. LUJAN.
02:41:07MS. LUMMIS. MR. MARKEY. MR. MARSHALL.
02:41:10MR. McCONNELL. MR. McCORMICK.
02:41:12MR. MERKLEY.
02:41:15MRS. MOODY.
02:41:18MR. MORAN.
02:41:28MR. MORENO.
02:41:31MS. MURKOWSKI.
02:41:34MR. MURPHY. MRS. MURRAY.
02:41:37MR. OSSOFF.
02:41:41MR. PADILLA.
02:41:44MR. PAUL. MR. PETERS.
02:41:48MR. REED. MR. RICKETTS. MR. RISCH.
02:41:52MS. ROSEN.
02:41:59MR. ROUNDS.
02:42:01MR. SANDERS.
02:42:04MR. SCHATZ.
02:42:05MR. SCHIFF.
02:42:27MR. SCHMITT. MR. SCHUMER.
02:42:30MR. SCOTT OF FLORIDA.
02:42:33MR. SCOTT OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
02:42:37MRS. SHAHEEN. MR. SHEEHY. MS. SLOTKIN.
02:42:40MS. SMITH. MR. SULLIVAN. MR. THUNE.
02:42:43MR. TILLIS. MR. TUBERVILLE. MR. VAN HOLLEN.
02:42:47MR. WARNER. MR. WARNOCK. MS. WARREN. MR. WELCH.
02:42:51MR. WHITEHOUSE.
02:42:55MR. WICKER.
02:42:57MR. WYDEN.
02:43:02MR. YOUNG.
02:46:04VOTE:
02:46:18SENATORS VOTING IN THE
02:46:22AFFIRMATIVE -- CANTWELL,
02:46:26HICKENLOOPER, HUSTED, KAINE,
02:46:29KLOBUCHAR, LEE, MARSHALL,
02:46:33McCORMICK, SCHATZ, SHAHEEN.
02:46:36SENATORS VOTING IN THE
02:46:38NEGATIVE -- ARMSTRONG, BUDD,
02:46:41COLLINS, CORNYN, DURBIN, ERNST,
02:46:46HAWLEY, LUMMIS, MURKOWSKI,
02:46:49PADILLA, ROUNDS.
02:46:54MR. REED, AYE.
02:47:02MR. BENNET, AYE.
02:47:11MR. BANKS, NO.
02:47:14MR. WELCH, AYE.
02:48:02MR. SHEEHY, AYE.
02:48:22MR. JOHNSON, AYE.
02:48:24MR. SCOTT OF FLORIDA, AYE.
02:48:32MS. HIRONO, NO.
02:50:05MS. GRAHAM, AYE.
02:50:27MS. BALDWIN, AYE.
02:51:10MRS. MURRAY, AYE.
02:52:09MR. TUBERVILLE, AYE.
02:52:43MR. MORAN, NO.
02:52:48MRS. MOODY, AYE.
02:53:00MR. WHITEHOUSE, AYE.
02:53:03MRS. FISCHER, NO.
02:53:10MRS. HYDE-SMITH, NO.
02:53:22MRS. HYDE-SMITH, AYE.
02:53:27MRS. CAPITO, NO.
02:53:46MR. RISCH, AYE.
02:53:47MR. RICKETTS, NO.
02:54:18MRS. BLACKBURN, NO.
02:54:19MS. DUCKWORTH, AYE.
02:54:36MS. WARREN, AYE.
02:55:24MR. GALLEGO, AYE.
02:55:28MR. MURPHY, AYE.
02:55:47MR. PETERS, AYE.
02:58:31MS. HASSAN, NO.
02:58:43MR. LUJAN, AYE.
02:58:48MS. SMITH, AYE.
02:59:21MRS. BRITT, NO.
02:59:59MR. WYDEN, AYE.
03:00:03VOTE:
03:00:07MR. OSSOFF, AYE.
03:00:46MR. COONS, AYE.
03:01:37MR. KELLY, AYE.
03:02:01MR. SULLIVAN, AYE.
03:02:33MR. HOEVEN, AYE.
03:02:45MR. MERKLEY, NO.
03:03:00MR. SANDERS, AYE.
03:03:53MR. HEINRICH, NO.
03:04:02MS. CORTEZ MASTO, NO.
03:05:02MS. ALSOBROOKS, AYE.
03:05:23MS. BLUNT ROCHESTER, NO.
03:05:35MS. ROSEN, NO.
03:06:12MR. YOUNG, NO.
03:07:58MR. WARNER, AYE.
03:08:38MR. SCHIFF, NO.
03:08:59MR. WICKER, AYE.
03:09:07MS. SLOTKIN, NO.
03:09:12MR. JUSTICE, AYE.
03:09:55MR. CRAPO, AYE.
03:10:06MR. MARKEY, AYE.
03:10:55MS. SLOTKIN, AYE.
03:11:46MR. SCHMITT, AYE.
03:12:13MR. CRUZ, AYE.
03:12:16MR. PAUL, AYE.
03:13:26MR. DAINES, AYE.
03:13:46MR. CASSIDY, NO.
03:14:17MR. GRASSLEY, NO.
03:14:52VOTE:
03:15:43MR. BOOKER, AYE.
03:16:35MR. CURTIS, AYE.
03:16:47MR. SCOTT OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
03:16:48AYE.
03:17:48MR. MORENO, AYE.
03:17:56MR. WARNOCK, AYE.
03:18:17MR. THUNE, AYE.
03:19:39MR. VAN HOLLEN, AYE.
03:20:11MR. SCHUMER, AYE.
03:20:27MRS. GILLIBRAND, AYE.
03:20:35MRS. GILLIBRAND, NO.
03:20:55MR. BARRASSO, AYE.
03:22:01MR. KIM, AYE.
03:22:03MR. FETTERMAN, AYE.
03:24:11MR. BLUMENTHAL, AYE.
03:27:56MR. HAGERTY, NO.
03:29:39VOTE:
03:33:08MR. KENNEDY, NO.
03:36:21THE PRESIDING IDING OFFICER: ON VOTE, THE YEAS ARE 61.
03:36:25THE NAYS ARE 32.
03:36:25AND THE MOTION IS AGREED TO.
03:36:30UNDER THE PREVIOUS ORDER, AMENDMENT 6732 IS AGREED TO, AND
03:36:33THE CLERK WILL READ THE TITLE OF THE BILL A THIRD TIME.
03:36:37THE CLERK: CALENDAR 320, H
03:36:43HH
03:36:47HH. H.R. 6500, AN ACT TO EXTEND DUTY-FREE TREATMENT PROVIDED WITH RESPECT TO IMPORTS AND SO
03:36:50FORTH AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
03:36:53MS. COLLINS: MR. PRESIDENT. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM MAINE. MS. COLLINS: MR. PRESIDENT.
03:36:57THE PRESIDING OFFICER: ORDER. MS. COLLINS: I URGE MY
03:37:01COLLEAGUES TO PASS THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION IN ORDER TO PREVENT A GOVERNMENT
03:37:04SHUTDOWN, AND I YIELD BACK ALL
03:37:05TIME.
03:37:09THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE QUESTION IS ON THE PASSAGE OF
03:37:11THE BILL, AS AMENDED.
03:37:23IS THERE A SUFFICIENT SECOND? THERE APPEARS TO BE. THE CLERK WILL CALL THE ROLL.
03:37:28VOTE:
03:37:32THE CLERK: MS. ALSOBROOKS. MR. ARMSTRONG.
03:37:34MS. BALDWIN. MR. BANKS.
03:37:37MR. BARRASSO.
03:37:39MR. BENNET.
03:37:42MRS. BLACKBURN.
03:37:45MR. BLUMENTHAL.
03:37:47MS. BLUNT ROCHESTER.
03:37:50MR. BOOKER.
03:37:56MR. BOOZMAN.
03:38:01MRS. BRITT.
03:38:23MR. BUDD.
03:38:40MS. CANTWELL.
03:38:41MRS. CAPITO.
03:38:51MR. CASSIDY.
03:38:52MS. COLLINS.
03:38:56MR. COONS.
03:40:00MR. CORNYN.
03:40:01MS. CORTEZ MASTO.
03:40:05MR. COTTON.
03:40:07MR. CRAMER.
03:40:11MR. CRAPO. MR. CRUZ.
03:40:13MR. CURTIS.
03:40:22MR. DAINES.
03:40:23MS. DUCKWORTH.
03:40:30MR. DURBIN.
03:40:32MS. ERNST.
03:40:43MR. FETTERMAN.
03:40:47MRS. FISCHER.
03:40:51MR. GALLEGO.
03:40:52MRS. GILLIBRAND.
03:40:57MS. GRAHAM.
03:40:59MR. GRASSLEY.
03:41:06MR. HAGERTY.
03:41:08MS. HASSAN.
03:41:13MR. HAWLEY.
03:41:17MR. HEINRICH. MR. HICKENLOOPER.
03:41:19MS. HIRONO.
03:41:35MR. HOEVEN. MR. HUSTED.
03:41:37MRS. HYDE-SMITH.
03:41:42MR. JOHNSON.
03:41:43MR. JUSTICE.
03:41:47MR. KAINE. MR. KELLY.
03:41:49MR. KENNEDY.
03:41:52MR. KIM. MR. KING.
03:41:56MS. KLOBUCHAR. MR. LANKFORD.
03:41:59MR. LEE.
03:42:04MR. LUJAN.
03:42:04MS. LUMMIS. MR. MARKEY.
03:42:08MR. MARSHALL. MR. McCONNELL.
03:42:11MR. McCORMICK.
03:42:20MR. MERKLEY.
03:42:23MRS. MOODY.
03:42:25MR. MORAN.
03:42:44MR. MORENO. MS. MURKOWSKI.
03:42:47MR. MURPHY. MRS. MURRAY.
03:42:51MR. OSSOFF.
03:42:58MR. PADILLA. MR. PAUL.
03:42:58MR. PETERS.
03:43:03MR. REED. MR. RICKETTS. MR. RISCH.
03:43:05MS. ROSEN. MR. ROUNDS.
03:43:09MR. SANDERS. MR. SCHATZ.
03:43:13MR. SCHIFF.
03:43:13MR. SCHMITT.
03:43:20MR. SCHUMER.
03:43:21MR. SCOTT OF FLORIDA.
03:43:28MR. SCOTT OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
03:43:31MRS. SHAHEEN. MR. SHEEHY.
03:43:34MS. SLOTKIN. MS. SMITH. MR. SULLIVAN.
03:43:38MR. THUNE.
03:43:49MR. TILLIS.
03:43:50MR. TUBERVILLE.
03:43:55MR. VAN HOLLEN.
03:43:59MR. WARNER. MR. WARNOCK. MS. WARREN. MR. WELCH. MR. WHITEHOUSE.
03:44:03MR. WICKER. MR. WYDEN.
03:44:05MR. YOUNG.
03:44:16SENATORS VOTING IN THE
03:44:16AFFIRMATIVE -- ARMSTRONG,
03:44:20BALDWIN, BARRASSO, BENNET,
03:44:23BLACKBURN, BLUMENTHAL, BLUNT
03:44:25ROCHESTER, BOOKER, BRITT, BUDD,
03:44:29CANTWELL, CAPITO, COLLINS,
03:44:33COONS, CORNYN, CORTEZ MASTO,
03:44:36CRAMER, CRAPO, CRUZ, CURTIS,
03:44:41DAINES, DUCKWORTH, DURBIN,
03:44:43ERNST, FETTERMAN, FISCHER,
03:44:47GALLEGO, GRASSLEY, HAGERTY,
03:44:50HASSAN, HEINRICH, HICKENLOOPER,
03:44:52HOEVEN, HUSTED, JOHNSON, KELLY,
03:44:56KENNEDY, KIM, KLOBUCHAR, LEE,
03:45:00LUJAN, LUMMIS, MARSHALL,
03:45:02MCCORMICK, MERKLEY, MOODY,
03:45:05MORAN, MORENO, MURRAY, OSSOFF,
03:45:09PADILLA, PETERS, REED, RICKETTS,
03:45:12RISCH, ROSEN, ROUNDS, SCHATZ,
03:45:16SCHIFF, SCHMITT, SCHUMER, SCOTT
03:45:19OF FLORIDA, SHAHEEN, SHEEHY,
03:45:21SLOTKIN, SMITH, SULLIVAN,
03:45:26TUBERVILLE, WARNER, WARNOCK,
03:45:32WHITEHOUSE, WICKER, YOUNG.
03:45:35MR. COTTON, AYE.
03:45:37MR. KING, AYE.
03:45:46MRS. HYDE-SMITH, AYE.
03:45:48MRS. GILLIBRAND, AYE. SENATORS VOTING IN THE
03:45:52NEGATIVE --
03:45:54CASSIDY, KAINE, MARKEY, PAUL,
03:45:58SANDERS, AND WARREN.
03:46:03MR. THUNE, AYE.
03:46:44MR. MURPHY, AYE.
03:47:49MS. HIRONO, AYE.
03:47:56MR. JUSTICE, AYE. MR. SCOTT OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA,
03:47:59AYE.
03:48:07MR. BANKS, AYE. MR. WELCH, AYE.
03:48:11MR. WYDEN, AYE.
03:48:14MS. MURKOWSKI, AYE.
03:48:34MR. HAWLEY, AYE.
03:49:10MS. ALSOBROOKS, AYE.
03:50:42MR. BOOZMAN, AYE.
03:53:16MR. VAN HOLLEN, AYE.
03:58:57THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE YEAS ARE 90, THE NAYS ARE 6.
03:59:00THE 60-VOTE THRESHOLD HAVING ACHIEVED, THE BILL IS SPASSED.
03:59:04ONE SENATOR RESPONDED PRESENT.
03:59:07UNDER THE PREVIOUS ORDER, THE COLLINS AMENDMENT, NUMBER 6750,
03:59:10TO THE TITLE IS AGREED TO. THE TITLE, AS AMENDED, IS AGREED
03:59:13TO, AND THE MOTIONS TO RECONSIDER BE CONSIDERED MADE
03:59:16AND LAID UPON THE TABLE.
03:59:19MR. THUNE: MR. PRESIDENT. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE MAJORITY LEADER. MR. THUNE: MADAM PRESIDENT, I
03:59:22ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT TO WAIVE
03:59:24THE MANDATORY QUORUM CALLS WITH RESPECT TO THE BLANCHE NUCLEAR
03:59:27OPTION AND THE CLOTURE MOTION ON
03:59:28THE MOTION TO PROCEED TO
03:59:31S. 5271. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
03:59:35THE CLERK WILL REPORT THE MOTION TO INVOKE CLOTURE.
03:59:37THE CLERK: CLOTURE MOTION --
03:59:39WE, THE UNDERSIGNED SENATORS, IN
03:59:43ACCORDANCE 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 OF TODD BLANCHE OF
03:59:47FLORIDA TO BE ATTORNEY GENERAL,
03:59:48SIGNED BY 17 SENATORS. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: ORDER IN
03:59:51THE CHAMBER, PLEASE. UNDER THE PREVIOUS ORDER, THE MANDATORY QUORUM CALL UNDER
03:59:56RULE 22 HAS BEEN WAIVED. THE QUESTION IS, IS IT THE SENSE
03:59:58OF THE SENATE THAT DEBATE ON THE NOMINATION OF TODD BLANCHE OF
04:00:02FLORIDA TO BE ATTORNEY GENERAL SHALL BE BROUGHT TO A CLOSE.
04:00:05THE YEAS AND NAYS ARE MANDATORY UNDER THE RULE.
04:00:07THE CLERK WILL CALL THE ROLL.
04:00:14VOTE:
04:00:20THS. ALSOBROOKS.
04:00:22MR. ARMSTRONG.
04:00:26MS. BALDWIN.
04:00:26MR. BANKS.
04:00:36MR. BARRASSO.
04:00:41MR. BENNET.
04:01:01MRS. BLACKBURN.
04:01:13MR. BLUMENTHAL.
04:02:01MS. BLUNT ROCHESTER.
04:02:29MR. BOOKER.
04:02:31MR. BOOZMAN.
04:02:51MRS. BRITT.
04:02:56MR. BUDD.
04:03:03MS. CANTWELL.
04:03:24MRS. CAPITO. MR. CASSIDY.
04:03:26MS. COLLINS.
04:03:31MR. COONS.
04:03:40MR. CORNYN.
04:03:41MS. CORTEZ MASTO.
04:03:49MR. COTTON.
04:03:56MR. CRAMER.
04:04:03MR. CRAPO.
04:04:08MR. CRUZ.
04:04:11MR. CURTIS.
04:04:12MR. DAINES.
04:04:23MS. DUCKWORTH. MR. DURBIN.
04:04:26MS. ERNST.
04:04:27MR. FETTERMAN.
04:04:38MRS. FISCHER. MR. GALLEGO.
04:04:41MRS. GILLIBRAND.
04:04:51MS. GRAHAM.
04:04:51MR. GRASSLEY.
04:04:58MR. HAGERTY.
04:05:02MS. HASSAN. MR. HAWLEY.
04:05:05MR. HEINRICH.
04:05:14MR. HICKENLOOPER.
04:05:16MS. HIRONO.
04:05:20MR. HOEVEN.
04:05:23MR. HUSTED.
04:05:35MRS. HYDE-SMITH.
04:05:39MR. JOHNSON.
04:05:47MR. JUSTICE. MR. KAINE.
04:05:48MR. KELLY.
04:06:04MR. KENNEDY. MR. KIM.
04:06:06MR. KING.
04:06:11MS. KLOBUCHAR. MR. LANKFORD.
04:06:13MR. LEE.
04:06:19MR. LUJAN.
04:06:23MS. LUMMIS.
04:06:26MR. MARKEY.
04:06:30MR. MARSHALL. MR. McCONNELL.
04:06:33MR. McCORMICK.
04:06:35MR. MERKLEY. MRS. MOODY.
04:06:39MR. MORAN. MR. MORENO.
04:06:42MS. MURKOWSKI.
04:06:44MR. MURPHY.
04:06:46MRS. MURRAY. MR. OSSOFF.
04:06:50MR. PADILLA. MR. PAUL. MR. PETERS. MR. REED.
04:06:54MR. RICKETTS.
04:07:00MR. RISCH.
04:07:01MS. ROSEN.
04:07:04MR. ROUNDS. MR. SANDERS. MR. SCHATZ.
04:07:07MR. SCHIFF.
04:07:09MR. SCHMITT.
04:07:24MR. SCHUMER.
04:07:33MR. SCOTT OF FLORIDA.
04:07:34MR. SCOTT OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
04:07:39MRS. SHAHEEN.
04:07:41MR. SHEEHY.
04:07:45MS. SLOTKIN.
04:07:50MS. SMITH. MR. SULLIVAN. MR. THUNE.
04:07:53MR. TILLIS. MR. TUBERVILLE.
04:07:57MR. VAN HOLLEN.
04:08:03MR. WARNER.
04:08:04MR. WARNOCK.
04:08:09MS. WARREN. MR. WELCH. MR. WHITEHOUSE. MR. WICKER.
04:08:12MR. WYDEN.
04:08:14MR. YOUNG.
04:08:22SENATORS VOTING IN THE AFFIRMATIVE -- ARMSTRONG, BARRASSO, BLACKBURN,
04:08:26BOOZMAN, BRITT, CAPITO, CORNYN,
04:08:29COTTON, CRAMER, CURTIS, DAINES,
04:08:32ERNST, FISCHER GRAHAM, GRASSLEY,
04:08:37HAGERTY, HAWLEY, JOHNSON,
04:08:39JUSTICE, KENNEDY, LEE, LUMMIS,
04:08:42MARSHALL, McCORMICK, MOODY,
04:08:44MORENO, PAUL, RISCH, ROUNDS,
04:08:46SCOTT OF FLORIDA, SULLIVAN,
04:08:49THUNE, TILLIS, TUBERVILLE,
04:08:50WICKER, AND YOUNG.
04:08:54SENATORS VOTING IN THE NEGATIVE -- ALSOBROOKS, BALDWIN, BENNET,
04:08:58BLUMENTHAL, BLUNT ROCHESTER,
04:09:00CANTWELL, COLLINS, DUCKWORTH,
04:09:02DURBIN, FETTERMAN, GALLEGO,
04:09:04HASSAN, HEINRICH, HICKENLOOPER,
04:09:07KAINE, KELLY, KIM, KING, LUJAN,
04:09:11MERKLEY, MURKOWSKI, MURPHY,
04:09:13MURRAY, OSSOFF, PADILLA, PETERS,
04:09:16REED, ROSEN, SANDERS, SCHATZ,
04:09:19SCHIFF, SHAHEEN, SLOTKIN, SMITH,
04:09:24VAN HOLLEN, WARNER, WARREN,
04:09:26WELCH, WHITEHOUSE, AND WYDEN.
04:09:39MS. KLOBUCHAR, NO.
04:09:48MR. CRUZ, AYE.
04:09:54MR. BANKS, AYE.
04:10:08MR. MARKEY, NO.
04:10:12MR. WARNOCK, NO.
04:10:27MR. LANKFORD, AYE.
04:10:33MR. SCHUMER, NO.
04:10:52MR. BOOKER, NO.
04:10:54MR. CASSIDY, AYE.
04:10:58MR. SHEEHY, AYE.
04:11:45MR. MORAN, AYE.
04:12:19MR. HOEVEN, AYE.
04:12:44MS. HIRONO, NO.
04:12:51MR. BUDD, AYE.
04:12:55MRS. GILLIBRAND, NO.
04:13:07MR. RICKETTS, AYE.
04:13:21MR. SCHMITT, AYE.
04:14:00MR. SCOTT OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
04:14:03AYE.
04:15:03MS. CORTEZ MASTO, NO.
04:15:46VOTE:
04:15:49VOTE:
04:16:36MR. CRAPO, AYE.
04:17:13MR. COONS, NO.
04:17:33THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE AYES ARE 50, THE NAYS ARE 49.
04:17:36THE MOTION IS AGREED TO. THE CLERK WILL REPORT THE
04:17:39NOMINATION. THE CLERK: NOMINATION,
04:17:42DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, TODD BLANCHE, OF FLORIDA, TO BE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
04:17:46THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE QUESTION OCCURS ON THE NOMINATION.
04:17:49IS THERE A SUFFICIENT SECOND? THERE APPEARS TO BE. THE CLERK WILL CALL THE ROLL.
04:17:55VOTE:
04:17:57THE CLERK: MS. ALSOBROOKS.
04:18:00MR. ARMSTRONG.
04:19:06MS. BALDWIN.
04:19:21MR. BANKS. MR. BARRASSO. MR. BENNET.
04:19:24MRS. BLACKBURN.
04:19:29MR. BLUMENTHAL.
04:19:31MS. BLUNT ROCHESTER.
04:19:35MR. BOOKER.
04:19:36MR. BOOZMAN.
04:19:40MRS. BRITT. MR. BUDD.
04:19:43MS. CANTWELL. MRS. CAPITO.
04:19:46MR. CASSIDY.
04:19:48MS. COLLINS.
04:19:52MR. COONS. MR. CORNYN.
04:19:55MS. CORTEZ MASTO.
04:19:59MR. COTTON. MR. CRAMER. MR. CRAPO.
04:20:03MR. CRUZ.
04:20:40MR. CURTIS.
04:20:41MR. DAINES.
04:20:44MS. DUCKWORTH.
04:20:48MR. DURBIN. MS. ERNST.
04:20:51MR. FETTERMAN.
04:20:55MRS. FISCHER.
04:20:57MR. GALLEGO.
04:21:17MRS. GILLIBRAND. MR. GRAHAM.
04:21:19MR. GRASSLEY.
04:21:27-- MRS. GRAHAM.
04:21:30MR. GRASSLEY. MR. HAGERTY.
04:21:33MS. HASSAN. MR. HAWLEY. MR. HEINRICH. MR. HICKENLOOPER.
04:21:37MS. HIRONO. MR. HOEVEN. MR. HUSTED. MRS. HYDE-SMITH.
04:21:41MR. JOHNSON.
04:21:56MR. JUSTICE.
04:21:57MR. KAINE.
04:22:03MR. KELLY. MR. KENNEDY.
04:22:06MR. KIM.
04:22:07MR. KING.
04:22:20MS. KLOBUCHAR. MR. LANKFORD.
04:22:22MR. LEE. MR. LUJAN. MS. LUMMIS.
04:22:26MR. MARKEY.
04:22:34MR. MARSHALL. MR. McCONNELL.
04:22:36MR. McCORMICK.
04:22:53MR. MERKLEY.
04:22:55MRS. MOODY.
04:22:59MR. MORAN. MR. MORENO.
04:23:01MS. MURKOWSKI.
04:23:07MR. MURPHY.
04:23:08MRS. MURRAY.
04:23:29MR. OSSOFF. MR. PADILLA. MR. PAUL.
04:23:32MR. PETERS.
04:23:33MR. REED.
04:23:57MR. RICKETTS. MR. RISCH. MS. ROSEN.
04:23:59MR. ROUNDS.
04:24:04MR. SANDERS.
04:24:09MR. SCHATZ. MR. SCHIFF. MR. SCHMITT. MR. SCHUMER.
04:24:12MR. SCOTT OF FLORIDA. MR. SCOTT OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
04:24:15MRS. SHAHEEN. MR. SHEEHY.
04:24:19MS. SLOTKIN.
04:24:24MS. SMITH. MR. SULLIVAN. MR. THUNE.
04:24:26MR. TILLIS.
04:24:33MR. TUBERVILLE. MR. VAN HOLLEN. MR. WARNER.
04:24:36MR. WARNOCK.
04:24:42MS. WARREN. MR. WELCH. MR. WHITEHOUSE.
04:24:45MR. WICKER. MR. WYDEN.
04:24:48MR. YOUNG.
04:25:19SENATORS VOTING IN THE AFFIRMATIVE -- ARMSTRONG, BANKS,
04:25:22BARRASSO, BLACKBURN, BOOZMAN,
04:25:24BRITT, CAPITO, CASSIDY, CORNYN,
04:25:28COTTON, CRAMER, CRAPO, CURTIS,
04:25:31DAINES, ERNST, FISCHER, GRAHAM,
04:25:35GRASSLEY, HAGERTY, HAWLEY,
04:25:37HUSTED, HYDE-SMITH, JOHNSON,
04:25:39JUSTICE, KENNEDY, LANKFORD, LEE,
04:25:42LUMMIS, MARSHALL, McCORMICK,
04:25:45MOODY, MORENO, MORAN, PAUL,
04:25:48RICKETTS, RISCH, ROUNDS,
04:25:50SCHMITT, SCOTT OF FLORIDA, SCOTT
04:25:52OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THUNE AND
04:26:01TUBERVILLE.
04:26:03MR. WICKER, AYE.
04:26:14SENATORS VOTING IN THE NEGATIVE -- ALSOBROOKS, BALDWIN,
04:26:16BENNET, BLUMENTHAL, BLUNT
04:26:18ROCHESTER, COLLINS, COONS,
04:26:21CORTEZ MASTO, DUCKWORTH,
04:26:23FETTERMAN, GALLEGO, HASSAN,
04:26:26HICKENLOOPER, KAINE, KELLY, KIM,
04:26:30KING, KLOBUCHAR, LUJAN, MERKLEY,
04:26:33MURRAY, OSSOFF, PADILLA, PETERS,
04:26:35REED, ROSEN, SCHATZ, SCHIFF,
04:26:38SHAHEEN, SLOTKIN, SMITH, WARNER,
04:26:41WARREN, WELCH, WHITEHOUSE, AND
04:26:43WYDEN.
04:26:56MR. SHEEHY, AYE.
04:26:58MR. DURBIN, NO.
04:27:02MR. KOOUZ, AYE.
04:27:06-- MR. CRUZ, AYE.
04:27:23MR. HOEVEN, AYE.
04:27:31MS. MURKOWSKI, NO.
04:27:45MR. BUDD, AYE.
04:27:50MR. TILLIS, AYE.
04:27:57MRS. GILLIBRAND, NO. MS. CANTWELL, NO.
04:28:00MR. YOUNG, AYE.
04:28:06MR. VAN HOLLEN, NO.
04:28:27MS. HIRONO, NO.
04:28:57MR. SCHATZ -- MR. SANDERS, NO.
04:29:03MR. MURPHY, NO.
04:29:37MR. SCHUMER, NO.
04:29:56MR. MARKEY, NO.
04:30:29MR. BOOKER, NO.
04:31:24MR. WARNOCK, NO.
04:31:43THE PRESIDING OFFICER: ON THIS
04:31:46VOTE, THE YEAS ARE 50, THE NAYS ARE 49.
04:31:49THE NOMINATION IS CONFIRMED.
04:32:05UNDER THE PREVIOUS ORDER, THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER IS CONSIDERED MADE AND LAID UPON
04:32:09THE TABLE, AND THE PRESIDENT WILL BE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED OF
04:32:12THE SENATE'S ACTION.
04:32:13THE SENATE WILL RESUME
04:32:17LEGISLATIVE SESSION. THE MAJORITY LEADER. MR. THUNE: MADAM PRESIDENT, I
04:32:20MOVE TO PROCEED TO CALENDAR
04:32:21NUMBER 547, S. 5271. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CLERK
04:32:25WILL REPORT.
04:32:27THE CLERK: MOTION TO PROCEED TO
04:32:30CALENDAR NUMBER 547, S. 5271, TO
04:32:35REQUIRE VOTERS PROVIDE PHOTO IDENTIFICATION. MR. THUNE: MADAM PRESIDENT, I
04:32:38SEND A CLOTURE MOTION TO THE DESK. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CLERK
04:32:42WILL REPORT THE MOTION.
04:32:45THE CLERK: CLOTURE THE UNDERSIGNED SENATORS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF RULE 22 OF THE STANDING RULES
04:32:49OF THE SENATE DO HEREBY MOVE TO BRING TO A CLOSE DEBATE ON THE MOTION TO PROCEED TO CALENDAR
04:32:52NUMBER 547, S. 5271, A BILL TO
04:32:55AMEND THE HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT OF 2002 TO REQUIRE VOTERS
04:32:59PROVIDE PHOTO IDENTIFICATION, SIGNED BY 17 SENATORS.
04:33:02MR. THUNE: I ASK CONSENT THE READING OF THE NAMES BE WAIVED.
04:33:05THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT
04:33:06OBJECTION.
04:33:22MR. HUSTED: MADAM PRESIDENT. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE GENTLEMAN FROM OHIO IS RECOGNIZED.
04:33:25MR. HUSTED: MADAM PRESIDENT,
04:33:26USING A PHOTO I.D. TO VOTE IS
04:33:30COMMON SENSE. IT'S AN ISSUE AMERICANS BROADLY
04:33:33SUPPORT. SO TONIGHT, THIS EARLY MORNING,
04:33:36I'M OFFERING A CLEAN, SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD BILL TO REQUIRE
04:33:39A PHOTO I.D. TO VOTE IN AMERICA.
04:33:43VOTERS CAN USE A DRIVER'S
04:33:45LICENSE, A STATE-ISSUED I.D.,
04:33:48PASSPORT, MILITARY OR VETERAN'S I.D., OR TRIBAL I.D.
04:33:51NO ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS. NO TRICKS. NO GAMES.
04:33:55NO PROBICSES ON -- PROHIBITIONS
04:33:58ON ABSENTEE VOTING.
04:34:0036 STATES REQUIRE SOME FORM OF PHOTO I.D.
04:34:04THESE HAVE BEEN TESTED IN ELECTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND THEY WORK.
04:34:07SO TONIGHT, I'M ASKING MY COLLEAGUES TO ANSWER ONE SIMPLE
04:34:11QUESTION -- SHOULD YOU HAVE TO
04:34:13PROVE WHO YOU ARE WHEN YOU VOTE?
04:34:17AMERICANS THINK WE SHOULD, AND TONIGHT WE'LL FIND OUT IF THEIR
04:34:20SENATORS AGREE. I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE YES
04:34:23ON THIS BILL TO ESTABLISH A
04:34:27NATIONWIDE PHOTO I.D. STANDARDS AND GIVE AMERICANS BETTER-RUN
04:34:30AND HONEST AND FAIR ELECTIONS.
04:34:33I YIELD THE FLOOR.
04:34:47THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CLERK WILL REPORT THE MOTION TO INVOKE CLOTURE.
04:34:50MR. PADILLA: MADAM PRESIDENT.
04:34:53THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE GENTLEMAN FROM CALIFORNIA. MR. PADILLA: THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.
04:34:56COLLEAGUES, HERE WE ARE, AFTER MONTHS AND MONTHS OF CONTINUING
04:34:58TO DEBATES THIS BILL, WHICH STILL HASN'T PASSED.
04:35:02WE SHOULD BE DEBATING HOW TO BRING COSTS DOWN FOR WORKING
04:35:05FAMILIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES HOW WE'RE GOING TO
04:35:09GET OUT OF THIS WAR IN IRAN.
04:35:11INSTEAD, HERE'S THIS MEASURE AGAIN, WHICH IS NOT A SIMPLE VOTER I.D. BILL.
04:35:15AS WRITTEN, IS STRICTER THAN
04:35:18MOST VOTER I.D. IN STATES THAT ALREADY HAVE A VOTER I.D. LAW IN PLACE.
04:35:22THIS GOES FURTHER. REQUIRING VOTERS TO INCLUDE A
04:35:26COPY OF THEIR I.D. WHEN THEY VOTE BY MAIL.
04:35:28AS YOU KNOW, TENS OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS VOTE BY MAIL.
04:35:32THIS BILL WOULD DO AWAY WITH SECRET BALLOTS AS WE KNOW IT.
04:35:35SO COLLEAGUES, I URGE YOU TO
04:35:37VOTE NO ON THIS MEASURE.
04:35:45THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CLERK
04:35:46WILL REPORT THE MOTION TO INVOKE
04:35:50CLOTURE. THE CLERK: CLOTURE MOTION,
04:35:53THE 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
04:35:58MOTION TO PROCEED TO CALENDAR
04:35:59NUMBER 547, S. 5271, TO AMEND
04:36:03THE HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT OF 2002 TO REQUIRE VOTERS PROVIDE
04:36:06PHOTO IDENTIFICATION, SIGNED BY 17 SENATORS. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: UNDER THE
04:36:09PREVIOUS ORDER, THE MANDATORY QUORUM CALL UNDER RULE 22 HAS
04:36:13BEEN WAIVED.
04:36:14THE QUESTION IS, IS IT THE SENSE
04:36:17OF THE SENATE THAT DEBATE ON THE
04:36:20MOTION TO PROCEED TO S. 5271, A
04:36:24BILL TO AMEND THE HELP AMERICA
04:36:27VOTE ACT OF 2002, TO REQUIRE
04:36:30VOTERS TO PROVIDE PHOTO
04:36:32IDENTIFICATION, SHALL BE BROUGHT TO A CLOSE.
04:36:35THE YEAS AND NAYS ARE MANDATORY UNDER THE RULE.
04:36:38THE CLERK WILL CALL THE ROLL.
04:36:42VOTE:
04:36:44THE CLERK: MS. ALSOBROOKS.
04:41:15MR. ARMSTRONG.
04:41:21MS. BALDWIN.
04:41:38MR. BANKS.
04:41:50MR. BARRASSO.
04:41:51MR. BENNET.
04:41:55MRS. BLACKBURN.
04:42:01MR. BLUMENTHAL.
04:42:15MS. BLUNT ROCHESTER. MR. BOOKER.
04:42:16MR. BOOZMAN.
04:42:31MRS. BRITT. MR. BUDD. MS. CANTWELL.
04:42:33MRS. CAPITO.
04:42:36MR. CASSIDY.
04:42:45MS. COLLINS.
04:42:51MR. COONS. MR. CORNYN. MS. CORTEZ MASTO.
04:42:54MR. COTTON. MR. CRAMER.
04:42:57MR. CRAPO.
04:43:07MR. CRUZ.
04:43:22MR. CURTIS.
04:43:23MR. DAINES.
04:43:30MS. DUCKWORTH. MR. DURBIN. MS. ERNST.
04:43:34MR. FETTERMAN.
04:43:38MRS. FISCHER.
04:43:39MR. GALLEGO.
04:43:43MRS. GILLIBRAND. MS. GRAHAM. MR. GRASSLEY.
04:43:47MR. HAGERTY.
04:43:52MS. HASSAN. MR. HAWLEY. MR. HEINRICH.
04:43:56MR. HICKENLOOPER. MS. HIRONO.
04:44:00MR. HOEVEN. MR. HUSTED.
04:44:04MRS. HYDE-SMITH.
04:44:07MR. JOHNSON.
04:44:08MR. JUSTICE. MR. KAINE.
04:44:12MR. KELLY. MR. KENNEDY.
04:44:15MR. KIM. MR. KING.
04:44:18MS. KLOBUCHAR. MR. LANKFORD.
04:44:22MR. LEE. MR. LUJAN.
04:44:25MS. LUMMIS.
04:44:35MR. MARKEY. MR. MARSHALL. MR. McCONNELL.
04:44:37MR. McCORMICK. MR. MERKLEY. MRS. MOODY.
04:44:41MR. MORAN. MR. MORENO.
04:44:44MS. MURKOWSKI.
04:44:46MR. MURPHY.
04:44:50MRS. MURRAY. MR. OSSOFF. MR. PADILLA.
04:44:54MR. PAUL. MR. PETERS. MR. REED. MR. RICKETTS.
04:44:58MR. RISCH. MS. ROSEN.
04:45:00MR. ROUNDS. MR. SANDERS. MR. SCHATZ.
04:45:04MR. SCHIFF.
04:45:07MR. SCHMITT. MR. SCHUMER.
04:45:10MR. SCOTT OF FLORIDA.
04:45:12MR. SCOTT OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
04:45:18MRS. SHAHEEN. MR. SHEEHY. MS. SLOTKIN. MS. SMITH.
04:45:21MR. SULLIVAN. MR. THUNE.
04:45:24MR. TILLIS.
04:45:27MR. TUBERVILLE. MR. VAN HOLLEN.
04:45:29MR. WARNER. MR. WARNOCK.
04:45:32MS. WARREN.
04:45:35MR. WELCH.
04:45:38MR. WHITEHOUSE.
04:45:40MR. WICKER.
04:45:42MR. WYDEN.
04:45:44MR. YOUNG.
04:46:15SENATORS VOTING IN THE
04:46:18AFFIRMATIVE -- ARMSTRONG, BANKS,
04:46:21BARRASSO, BLACKBURN, BOOZMAN,
04:46:23BRITT, BUDD, CAPITO, CASSIDY,
04:46:27COLLINS, CORNYN, COTTON, CRAMER,
04:46:30CRAPO, CRUZ, CURTIS, DAINES,
04:46:33ERNST, FISCHER, GRAHAM,
04:46:35GRASSLEY, HAGERTY, HAWLEY,
04:46:38HOEVEN, HUSTED, HYDE-SMITH,
04:46:41JOHNSON, JUSTICE, KENNEDY,
04:46:43LANKFORD, LEE, LUMMIS, MARSHALL,
04:46:47MCCORMICK, MOODY, MORAN, MORENO,
04:46:53MURKOWSKI, PAUL, RICKETTS,
04:46:54RISCH, ROUNDS, SCHMITT, SCOTT OF FLORIDA, SCOTT OF SOUTH
04:46:59CAROLINA, SHEEHY, SULLIVAN,
04:47:01THUNE, TILLIS, TUBERVILLE,
04:47:04WICKER, AND YOUNG.
04:47:09SENATORS VOTING IN THE NEGATIVE
04:47:10-- ALSOBROOKS, BALDWIN, BENNET,
04:47:14BLUMENTHAL, BLUNT ROCHESTER, BOOKER, CANTWELL, COONS, CORTEZ
04:47:17MASTO, DUCKWORTH, DURBIN,
04:47:19FETTERMAN, GALLEGO, GILLIBRAND,
04:47:22HASSAN, HEINRICH, HICKENLOOPER,
04:47:25HIRONO, KAINE, KELLY, KIM, KING,
04:47:29KLOBUCHAR, LUJAN, MARKEY,
04:47:32MERKLEY, MURRAY, OSSOFF,
04:47:35PADILLA, PETERS, REED, ROSEN,
04:47:38SANDERS, SCHATZ, SCHIFF,
04:47:40SCHUMER, SHAHEEN, SLOTKIN,
04:47:44SMITH, VAN HOLLEN, WARNER,
04:47:47WARREN, WARNOCK, AND WYDEN.
04:48:15MR. MURPHY, NO.
04:48:39MR. WHITEHOUSE, NO.
04:52:13THE PRESIDING OFFICER: ON THIS
04:52:16VOTE, THE YEAS ARE 52.
04:52:21THE NAYS ARE 46. THREE-FIFTHS OF THE SENATORS DULY CHOSEN AND SWORN, NOT
04:52:25HAVING VOTED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE,
04:52:26THE MOTION IS NOT AGREED TO.
04:52:31THE MAJORITY LEADER. MR. THUNE: MADAM PRESIDENT, I
04:52:33MOVE TO ADJOURNED PURSUANT TO THE UNDER THE PREVIOUS ORDER.
04:52:36THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE QUESTION IS ON THE MOTION.
04:52:40ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. ALL OPPOS
04:52:43ALL OPPOSED SAY NO. THE AYES DO HAVE IT.
04:52:47THE MOTION IS AGREED TO. THE
04:53:55JUDICIARY, MATTHEW R. BYRNE, OF OHIO, TO BE UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO.
04:53:58MR. THUNE: MADAM PRESIDENT, SEND A CLOTURE MOTION TO THE DESK. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CLERK WILL
04:54:01THE CLERK: CLOTURE THE UNDERSIGNED SENATORS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF RULE 22 OF THE STANDING RULES
04:54:05OF THE SENATE, DO HEREBY MOVE TO BRING TO A CLOSE DEBATE ON THE
04:54:07NOMINATION OF MATTHEW R. BYRNE,
04:54:11OF OHIO, TO BE UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO. SIGNED BY 17 SENATORS AS FOLLOWS.
04:54:14MR. THUNE: MADAM PRESIDENT, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THE
04:54:17READING OF THE NAMES BE WAIVED. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION. MR. THUNE: I ASK UNANIMOUS
04:54:20CONSENT THE SENATE RESUME LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
04:54:24THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
04:54:25MR. THUNE: MADAM PRESIDENT, I
04:54:29MOVE TO PROCEED TO CALENDAR NUMBER -- THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CLERK
04:54:33WILL REPORT. THE CLERK: MOTION TO PROCEED TO CALENDAR 423, H.R. 3633, AN ACT
04:54:36TO PROVIDE FOR A SYSTEM OF
04:54:39REGULATION FOR THE OFFER AND
04:54:41SALE OF DIGITAL COMMODITIES BY
04:54:45THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION AND SO FORTH AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
04:54:48MR. THUNE: MADAM PRESIDENT, SEND A CLOTURE MOTION TO THE DESK. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CLERK WILL
04:54:52THE CLERK: CLOTURE MOTION, WE, THE UNDERSIGNED SENATORS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF RULE 22 OF THE STANDING RULES
04:54:54OF THE SENATE, DO HEREBY MOVE TO
04:54:59BRING TO A CLOSE DEBATE ON THE MOTION TO PROCEED TO CALENDAR
04:55:01NUMBER 423, H.R. 3633, AN ACT TO
04:55:05PROVIDE FOR A SYSTEM OF REGULATION FOR THE OFFER AND
04:55:08SALE OF DIGITAL COMMODITIES BY
04:55:09THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION AND THE COMMODITY
04:55:13FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION AND SO FORTH AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. SIGNED BY 17 SENATORS AS FOLLOWS.
04:55:17MR. THUNE: MADAM PRESIDENT, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THE READING OF THE NAMES BE WAIVED.
04:55:21THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION. MR. THUNE: I ASK UNANIMOUS
04:55:22CONSENT THAT NOTWITHSTANDING
04:55:27RULE 22, AT A TIME TO BE DETERMINED BY THE MAJORITY
04:55:31LEADER IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER,
04:55:34H. CON. RES. BE DISCHARGED FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION --
04:55:37FURTHER, THAT THERE BE SIX HOURS ONLY TO BE DETERMINED BY THE
04:55:41LEADERS THAT FOLLOWING THE USE
04:55:43OR YIELDING BACK OF THAT TIME, THE SENATE VOTE ON THE ADOPTION
04:55:46OF THE CURRENT RESOLUTION. THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
04:55:49MR. THUNE: MADAM PRESIDENT, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT ALL
04:55:52THE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE BE --
04:56:00THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION. MR. THUNE: MADAM PRESIDENT,
04:56:03NOTWITHSTANDING THE UPCOMING
04:56:05ADJOURNMENT OF THE INTERPARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCES
04:56:09AUTHORIZED BY LAW BY CONCURRENT ACTION OF THE TWO HOUSES OR BY
04:56:10ORDER OF THE SENATE.
04:56:16THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION. MR. THUNE: MADAM PRESIDENT, I
04:56:19ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT WHEN THE
04:56:23SENATE ADJOURNS ON THE DEATH,
04:56:35THAT FOLLOWING THE PRAYER AND PLEDGE, THE JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS BE APPROVED TO DATE, THE MORNING HOUR BE DEEMED
04:56:38EXPIRED, THAT THE TIME FOR THE TWO LEADERS BE RESERVED FOR THEIR USE LATER IN THE DAY,
04:56:42BUSINESS WITH SENATORS PERMITTED TO SPEAK THEREIN FOR UP TO TEN MINUTES EACH THE SENATE BE IN A
04:56:44PERIOD OF MORNING BUSINESS. THE BYRNE NOMINATION RIPEN.
04:56:47AND THE MOTION TO PROCEED TO
04:56:49CALENDAR 423, RIPEN AT TUESDAY
04:56:55AT 2:15 P.M.
04:57:00THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
04:57:02MR. THUNE: MADAM PRESIDENT, IF THERE IS NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO
04:57:06COME BEFORE THE SENATE MOBILE
04:59:30APP, OR ONLINE AT C-SPAN.ORG.
04:59:37♪
04:59:56>> IN YOUR NEW BOOK, REGIME CHANGE, YOU DESCRIBE