▶ 0:26:42>> today's agenda is 13 nominations. You all have a list of them. Seven nominees that the committee already favorably reported last year. Because they remain pending in the senate from the first session as it expired, the other side forced their nomination be returned.
▶ 0:27:12The president has renominated them. We will have that today. We will also vote on six nominees for the first time today, these include daniel burroughs, assistant attorney general office of legal policy. Three district nominees, judge megan benton, west district of missouri.
▶ 0:27:45Brian lea, west district of tennessee. Justin olson, southern district of indiana. For the first time we have voting on brian miller and kevin holmes to be U.S. attorneys. I look forward to swearing each of these nominees.
▶ 0:28:14As we get through the nomination the clear path act. I will keep my remarks short because we have a lot of ground to cover. Yesterday the department of justice released a management advisory.
▶ 0:28:33That says the fbi security division under former director asked about employee support from president trump from the covid-19 vaccine and religious affiliations. The questions were asked and the clearance review.
▶ 0:29:00I think it is pretty obvious these questions are totally inappropriate. Some of my whistleblowers were subjected to this political weaponization by the security division. Some of those employees were rightly fired by the trump administration.
▶ 0:29:29By oversight work regarding fbi weaponization. Also, since iran is in the news again, I would like to highlight some of my oversight from last year. First of all with all the pro hamas anti-israel protesters you think they would be out here supporting the people of iran.
▶ 0:30:02They are nowhere to be seen. In march of 2025 I released a staff report detailing whistleblower provided records. They show the biden state department obstructed efforts to arrest high-level iranian targets.
▶ 0:30:29This of sucked -- obstruction led to them and was done because of the political consideration of the failed iran nuclear deal. Records highlighted show they did injured national security.
▶ 0:30:51Each of the department of justice and fbi leadership apparently allowed it to happen until the first trump administration altered the course. The conduct is a roadmap of what not to do. Today's agenda, we have highly qualified nominees including several that were considered for the first time.
▶ 0:31:20Daniel burroughs is going to make an outstanding assistant attorney general. He has had a well-rounded career litigating hundreds of cases as a prosecutor and civil litigator. He has maintained a career of legal service. Mr. burroughs breath of experience will be an asset to the doj office of legal policy.
▶ 0:31:54Judge megan benton prosecuted a broad array of matters including drug crimes and violent felonies. She spent the half -- last half decade providing over several criminal cases. I'm confident judge benton will serve as confidently as she have -- has at the state level.
▶ 0:32:22Judge olson serves as an assistant U.S. attorney in the southern district of indiana. Penalties owed to the federal government and private practice. He has had significance of importance like the protection of women in college sports.
▶ 0:32:51Brian lea clerk in the 11th circuit. He has litigated cases and taught at the university of georgia school of law. Most recently he served as the deputy associate attorney general overseeing the department of justice.
▶ 0:33:20All three of our judicial nominees have private practice and we look forward to supporting them as well as our nominees with them.
▶ 0:33:33Sen. Durbin: Thanks Mr. chairman. Last week was the fifth anniversary of january 6. In an event that will forever dominate my thinking about my experience in the senate. I was on the floor of the senate will we were asked to leave by the capitol police as quickly as possible.
▶ 0:34:02Sen. Durbin: We saw just the fringes of the insurrectionist mob at the capitol. Do you know what senator mitch mcconnell and the republican leaders said? He said there's no question, none that president trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day. That is a quote. Senate republicans failed to hold trump recon -- accountable.
▶ 0:34:33Sen. Durbin: He was acquitted and immediately began plotting a return to power. During his campaign president trump promised retribution. He made good on his promise. He has used the justice system as a shield for his cronies.
▶ 0:35:00Sen. Durbin: On his first day back in office, first day he issued a full unconditional pardon of nearly 1600 january 6 the rioters including 600 charged with impeding law enforcement. The largest exoneration of a group of cop beaters in the history of the united states.
▶ 0:35:27Sen. Durbin: There violent assaults against police officers resulted in injuries to more than 140 police officers including brain injuries. There was an unprecedented purge of career prosecutors and fbi agents simply did their jobs, who replaced these dedicated public surgeons?
▶ 0:35:54Sen. Durbin: People like kash patel who called january 6 rioters political prisoners. The so-called prison choir that included many rioters that violently assaulted police officers. People like ed martin who tweeted from the U.S. capitol like mardi gras in D.C. today, ignore fake news. Mr. martin dismissed this.
▶ 0:36:30Sen. Durbin: We have to have less judgment on somebody who hits a cop. There is a pardoned january 6 ryan him even though -- he shouted "f them," "kill them."
▶ 0:37:02Sen. Durbin: Today we have a new recruit to the january 6 dream team, darin smith nominated to be the U.S. attorney for wyoming before this committee. This is a special nominee, you would never consider voting for this man if he were nominated by a democratic president. He has zero experience in civil or criminal experience.
▶ 0:37:30Sen. Durbin: He was on the capitol grounds january 6. That hundreds of capitol police officers who risk their lives for us that day were guilty of massive incompetence in his words. I will have more about him later when his name comes up. Last week they published a revisionist history of january 6.
▶ 0:37:56Sen. Durbin: They are trying to rewrite history the reality of january 6. The white house blames capitol police for the violence, how shameful. The white house claimed law enforcement defended us and our staff and visitors aggressively with tear gas, flashbangs, rubber munitions with peaceful protesters, injuring many and turning a peaceful demonstration
▶ 0:38:27Sen. Durbin: Into chaos. We have all seen the videos. When donald trump is in whitewashing january 6 he is condemning communities that didn't vote for him but chicago, los angeles, minneapolis. The trump administration is rounding up tens of thousands of immigrants or people who look like immigrants with no criminal history.
▶ 0:38:55Sen. Durbin: Judge cummings at one point asked ice and dhs they produced a list of more than 600 names. Our targets were named by the president over and over again. Terrorists, criminals, all of those who engaged in criminal conduct, that is what it is all about.
▶ 0:39:24Sen. Durbin: How many do you think of a criminal record of any kind? Six, 16 out of 600. 97% of those had no criminal record. 97%, no criminal record whatsoever. Instead of deporting the worst of the worst they are creating a reign of terror.
▶ 0:39:55Sen. Durbin: You would think at some point in time this committee would have secretary noem before us. She has received more money than anyone in the history of the department, billions of dollars. She is authorized the creation of tens of hundreds of new ice agents to attack these communities. There might be a few questions in the judiciary committee.
▶ 0:40:25Sen. Durbin: The history of the committee is this agency is our responsibility. We are the ones that are supposed to hold this hearing. I understand her complaint is if she comes she could only come for an abbreviated period of time. She doesn't have enough time to bother with this committee. That is an insult to every single one of us.
▶ 0:40:51Sen. Durbin: I will tell you point-blank she has the time and needs to be held accountable. We have problems in cities across america. I happen to represent one in chicago. It was my job to call secretary mae arcus and give him the bad news. He had to appear before this committee. I told him it would be the worst day of his life but he had to do it.
▶ 0:41:20Sen. Durbin: Secretary noem does not believe she has that responsibility. Mr. chairman, I know you have been pushing so I won't point you individually. It is time for secretary noem to, or to step down from this position. I yield.
▶ 0:41:40Chair Grassley: We could have the votes. You bring up an appropriate issue as I said in my last statement before christmas break that we would ask her to come and we are asking her to come again. I think we are making great progress. I don't have a final decision for you.
▶ 0:42:14Chair Grassley: I know we have gotten her attention by talking to the press. The president asked me about her appearance and I talked about it and things of that nature. We will have to just leave it this way. We are making progress.
▶ 0:42:35Sen. Durbin: Two we have the power to subpoena her?
▶ 0:42:37Chair Grassley: As long as you agree with me.
▶ 0:42:43Sen. Durbin: I certainly do. If she doesn't agree to full interrogation I believe she should be subpoena. I will make that motion next time.
▶ 0:42:54Chair Grassley: We will go to daniel burroughs, I favorably report the nomination. [voting]
▶ 0:43:47Chair Grassley: Daniel burrows will be favorably reported. Now megan blair benton, west district of missouri. Clerk will call the roll. [voting]
▶ 0:44:56Sen. Whitehouse: This is benton not benson, correct? In that case make my vote a no.
▶ 0:45:07Chair Grassley: Megan benton will be favorably reported. Now we have the nomination of david clay fowlkes for the west district of arkansas. [voting]
▶ 0:46:22Chair Grassley: The majority will be reported. Now nicholas jon ganjei. Will the clerk called the role?
▶ 0:47:35Chair Grassley: Nicholas jon ganjei will be reported favorably to the floor. Now brian lea of the west district of tennessee. [voting]
▶ 0:48:25Chair Grassley: Brian lea will be reported to the floor. Now the clerk will call the roll on justin olson, southern district of indiana. [voting]
▶ 0:49:26Chair Grassley: Justin olson will be reported favorably to the floor. Now we go to erin peterson, district judge of alaska. The judge will be calling the role. [voting]
▶ 0:50:28Chair Grassley: Aaron peterson will be favorably reported. >> Mr. chairman I ask unanimous consent to change my vote to aye.
▶ 0:50:44Chair Grassley: Will the clerk announce the role again? Peterson will be favorably reported. Now we go to andrew benson, U.S. attorney for the district of maine. The clerk will call the roll.
▶ 0:52:07Chair Grassley: Andrew benson will be favorably reported. Now we go to william boyle, the U.S. attorney of the eastern district of north carolina. The clerk will call the roll. [voting]
▶ 0:53:10Chair Grassley: William boyle is now favorably reported to the floor. Now we take up kevin holmes of the west district of arkansas. The clerk will call the roll. [voting]
▶ 0:54:12Chair Grassley: Kevin holmes will now be favorably reported to the floor. Now we take up brian miller, the middle district of pennsylvania. The clerk will call the roll.
▶ 0:54:31Chair Grassley: [voting] brian
▶ 0:55:11Chair Grassley: Miller will be reported favorably to the floor. Now we take up richard price, western district of missouri, the clerk will call the roll. [voting]
▶ 0:56:16Chair Grassley: >> I will be brief. What if we had a nominee for U.S. attorney representing the department of justice and state who had no criminal experience in court, no civil experience in court and on the questionnaire when asked about one major piece of litigation he was involved with, left it blank, how could a person like this be taken seriously to be the U.S.
▶ 0:56:45Chair Grassley: Attorney in the state of wyoming and yet he is just that person. Look what he said about january 6, who did he blame? He blames the capitol police officers. He said they were massively incompetent. He baselessly claimed the rioters were entrapped by the government. He has maintained this radical stance that vice president tends should not have certified the results of the 2020 election.
▶ 0:57:17Chair Grassley: He falsely claimed regarding his presence -- presence of the capitol were sent by liz cheney and her goons after he demanded she be censured by the wyoming republican party. Mr. smith even attacked his home state republican senators for finding it credible in sexual assault allegations. This man is going to be a U.S.
▶ 0:57:48Chair Grassley: Attorney if he receives a positive vote on the floor. He is now an interim capacity. You and I both know any democratic nominee would never be considered seriously for any job in the justice department except the most basic entry-level position. You will have the power of the U.S.
▶ 0:58:09Chair Grassley: Attorney in a state and has no criminal experience, no civil experience, never been in a courtroom and can identify one piece of litigation important to his career. Is this committee going to approve this nominee?
▶ 0:58:23Chair Grassley: Darin smith, district of wyoming, clerk will call the roll. [voting]
▶ 0:59:11Chair Grassley: Darin smith majority will be reported to the floor. Meeting adjourned. I'm sorry. I said that in my opening statement. We proceed to the clear act. Proceed.
▶ 0:59:38Chair Grassley: >> I just wanted to explain, last week before the shootings in minnesota I instructed my staff to place a hold on anything related to the department of homeland security. I wanted to explain why.
▶ 1:00:01Chair Grassley: I watched you patiently since september in the first oversight hearing occurred request the secretary come before this committee. You mentioned over the past couple of months you have tried to get the secretary to come before the committee. I understand more recently we are in here talking about the terms of oversight.
▶ 1:00:30Chair Grassley: We have an oversight responsibility. You come in here according to tradition and agreed to come here and answer questions according to tradition. It is 10 minute rounds. You report back, that is the role. I'm very frustrated with the fact that we don't have a date. We have been having this discussion about the terms of the oversight hearing.
▶ 1:00:58Chair Grassley: For that reason I will maintain a hold on anything related to homeland security until such time they'd come before the committee. If that is not confirmed by the end of this month I will expand holds two other aspects of government. Thank you.
▶ 1:01:23Chair Grassley: >> I just want to say in response if she does not agree to come for full interrogation to vote with me for a subpoena. >> I'm not going to entertain a subpoena to think that is even in the realm of possibilities. I'm simply going to use my authority as a U.S.
▶ 1:01:49Chair Grassley: Senator to ask the secretary who has an obligation to come to an oversight hearing to appear.
▶ 1:01:56Chair Grassley: Senator kennedy, I was told you wanted to speak. Do you want to speak now? >> I will speak whenever you want me to speak.
▶ 1:02:07Chair Grassley: Speak. Senator kennedy.
▶ 1:02:15Sen. Kennedy: I just want to say a quick word about Mr. justin olson. It is my practice of this committee. Make certain they do not take their personal opinions with the rule of law.
▶ 1:02:44Sen. Kennedy: Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. The role that we know is to apply the rule of law. I had a conversation with Mr. justin olson and I am convinced that he will do that. Thank you.
▶ 1:03:06Chair Grassley: Now on the clear act, this bill sponsored by senator cornyn, a keeps agency deputies from lobbying the executive branch and legislative branches on behalf of countries including china, russia, iran, north korea.
▶ 1:03:34Chair Grassley: There is an amendment that I call up and without objection will adopt that amendment. I hear no objection. If any sponsors would like to speak on the bill, please proceed at this point.
▶ 1:03:51Sen. Warner: I could not say it better. We would be happy to have your vote.
▶ 1:03:57Chair Grassley: Does anybody else want to speak?
▶ 1:04:06Sen. Whitehouse: I want to thank senator cornyn and senator risch for supporting this.
▶ 1:04:16Chair Grassley: I assume there are no amendments. It is my understanding on a voice vote all in favor say aye. All of josé all of jo -- opposed say no. There is a majority to report this bill so it will be reported. Is there anybody else that wants to speak on any other subject before I gavel out?
▶ 1:04:47Chair Grassley: Meeting adjourned. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap.org]