A DOCTOR IN THE FAMILY, AND I MADE HER TAKE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY.
NEEDLESS TO SAY, SHE’S NOW A
LAWYER.
LAWYER. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN,
RANKING MEMBER FEINSTEIN AND
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
IT’S A PRIVILEGE TO COME BEFORE
YOU TODAY AND I’M HONORED THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS NOMINATED ME
FOR THE POSITION OF ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
GENERAL. I REGRET THAT I COME BEFORE THIS
COMMITTEE AT A TIME WHEN MUCH OF
OUR GOVERNMENT IS SHUT DOWN AND
MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH THE
DEDICATED MEN AND WOMEN OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND OTHER
FEDERAL WORKERS, MANY OF WHOM
CONTINUE TO PERFORM THEIR
CRITICAL JOBS.
CRITICAL JOBS. AS YOU KNOW IF THE SENATE
CONFIRMS ME, THIS WOULD BE MY
SECOND TIME I WOULD HAVE THE
HONOR OF HOLDING THIS OFFICE.
DURING THE FOUR YEARS I SERVED
UNDER PRESIDENT BUSH, HE
NOMINATED ME FOR THREE
SUCCESSIVE POSITIONS IN THE
OFFICE.
OFFICE. THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND
FINALLY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL,
AND THIS COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY
APPROVED ME FOR EACH OF THOSE
OFFICES.
OFFICES. 27 YEARS AGO AT MY CONFIRMATION
HEARING, I EXPLAINED THAT THE
OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL IS
NOT LIKE ANY OTHER CABINET POST.
IT IS UNIQUE AND HAS A CRITICAL
ROLE TO PLAY UNDER OUR
CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM.
CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM. I SAID THEN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
HAS A VERY SPECIAL OBLIGATION.
UNIQUE OBLIGATIONS.
UNIQUE OBLIGATIONS. HE HOLDS AND TRUSTS THE FAIR AND
IMPARTIAL ADMINISTRATION OF
JUSTICE.
JUSTICE. IT IS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S
RESPONSIBILITY TO ENFORCE THE
LAW EVEN HANDEDLY AND WITH
INTEGRITY.
INTEGRITY. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MUST ENSURE
THAT THE ADMINISTRATION OF
JUSTICE, THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE
LAW, IS ABOVE AND AWAY FROM
POLITICS.
POLITICS. NOTHING COULD BE MORE
DESTRUCTIVE OF OUR SYSTEM OF
GOVERNMENT OF THE RULE OF LAW OR
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AS AN
INSTITUTION THAN ANY TOLERATION
OF POLITICAL INTERFERENCE WITH
THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW.
I BELIEVE THIS AS STRONGLY TODAY
AS I DID 27 YEARS AGO.
INDEED, MORE STRONGLY.
WE LIVE IN A TIME WHEN THE
COUNTRY IS DEEPLY DIVIDED.
IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT, THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE TO KNOW
THAT THERE ARE PLACES IN THE
GOVERNMENT WHERE THE RULE OF LAW
NOT POLITICS HOLDS SWAY.
AND WHERE THEY WILL BE TREATED
FAIRLY BASED SOLELY ON THE FACTS
AND THE EVEN HANDED APPLICATION
OF THE LAW.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MUST
BE THAT PLACE.
I DID NOT PURSUE THIS POSITION,
AND WHEN MY NAME WAS FIRST
RAISED, I WAS RELUCTANT TO BE
CONSIDERED AND PROPOSED A NUMBER
OF ALTERNATIVE CANDIDATES.
I’M 68 YEARS OLD.
PARTIALLY RETIRED AND NEARING
THE END OF A LONG LEGAL CAREER.
MY WIFE AND I WERE LOOKING
FORWARD TO A PEACEFUL AND
CHERISHED TIME WITH OUR
DAUGHTERS AND GRANDCHILDREN.
AND I’VE HAD THIS JOB BEFORE.
BUT ULTIMATELY, I AGREED TO
SERVE BECAUSE I BELIEVE STRONGLY
IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
I REVERE THE LAW.
I LOVE THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
AND THE DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS
WHO SERVE THERE, AND I BELIEVE I
CAN DO A GOOD JOB LEADING THE
DEPARTMENT IN THESE TIMES.
IF CONFIRMED, I WILL SERVE WITH
THE SAME INDEPENDENCE I DID IN
1991.
1991. AT THAT TIME WHEN PRESIDENT BUSH
CHOSE ME, HE SOUGHT NO PROMISES
AND ASKED ONLY THAT HIS ATTORNEY
GENERAL ACT WITH PROFESSIONALISM
AND INTEGRITY.
AND INTEGRITY. LIKEWISE, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
SOUGHT NO ASSURANCES, PROMISES,
OR COMMITMENTS FROM ME OF ANY
KIND EITHER EK PRESS OR IMPLIED,
AND I HAVE NOT GIVEN HIM ANY
OTHER THAN THAT I WOULD RUN THE
DEPARTMENT WITH PROFESSIONALISM
AND INTEGRITY.
AND INTEGRITY. AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, MY
ALLEGIANCE WILL BE TO THE RULE
OF LAW, THE CONSTITUTION, AND
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE.
THIS IS IT MUST BE.
AND IF YOU CONFIRM ME, THIS IS
HOW IT WILL BE.
NOW, LET ME ADDRESS A FEW
MATTERS I KNOW ARE ON THE MINDS
OF SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. FIRST, I BELIEVE IT IS VITALLY
IMPORTANT THAT THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL BE ALLOWED TO COMPLETE
HIS INVESTIGATION.
HIS INVESTIGATION. I HAVE KNOWN BOB MUELLER FOR 30
YEARS.
YEARS. WE WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER
THROUGHOUT MY PREVIOUS TENURE AT
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
WE’VE BEEN FRIENDS SINCE.
AND I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT
FOR BOB AND HIS DISTINGUISHED
RECORD OF PUBLIC SERVICE.
AND WHEN HE WAS NAMED SPECIAL
COUNSEL, I SAID HIS SELECTION
WAS GOOD NEWS.
AND THAT KNOWING HIM, I HAD
CONFIDENCE HE WOULD HANDLE THE
MATTER PROPERLY, AND I STILL
HAVE THAT CONFIDENCE TODAY.
GIVEN HIS PUBLIC ACTIONS TO
DATE, I EXPECT THAT THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL IS WELL ALONG IN HIS
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. AT THE SAME TIME, THE PRESIDENT
HAS BEEN STEADFAST THAT HE WAS
NOT INVOLVED IN ANY COLLUSION
WITH RUSSIAN ATTEMPTS TO
INTERFERE IN THE ELECTION.
I BELIEVE IT IS IN THE BEST
INTEREST OF EVERYONE, THE
PRESIDENT, CONGRESS, AND THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, THAT THIS
MATTER BE RESOLVED BY ALLOWING
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL TO COMPLETE
HIS WORK.
HIS WORK. THE COUNTRY NEEDS A CREDIBLE
RESOLUTION TO THESE ISSUES.
AND IF CONFIRMED, I WILL NOT
PERMIT PARTISAN POLITICS,
PERSONAL INTERESTS, OR ANY OTHER
IMPROPER CONSIDERATION TO
INTERFERE WITH THIS OR ANY OTHER
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. I WILL FOLLOW THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL REGULATION SKRUP YOU
LOUSILY AND IN GOOD FAITH, AND
ON MY WATCH BOB WILL BE ALLOWED
TO FINISH HIS WORK.
SECOND, I ALSO BELIEVE IT IS
VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE PUBLIC
AND CONGRESS BE INFORMED OF THE
RESULTS OF THE SPECIAL COUNSEL’S
WORK.
WORK. MY GOAL WILL BE TO PROVIDE AS
MUCH TRANSPARENCY AS I CAN
CONSISTENT WITH THE LAW.
I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WHERE
JUDGMENTS ARE TO BE MADE, I WILL
MAKE THE JUDGMENTS SOLELY ON THE
LAW AND WILL NOT LET IMPROPER
INTERESTS INFLUENCE MY DECISION.
THIRD, I WOULD LIKE TO BRIEFLY
ADDRESS THE MEMORANDUM THAT I
WROTE LAST JUNE.
I WROTE THE MEMO AS A FORMER
ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO HAS OFTEN
WEIGHED IN ON LEGAL ISSUES OF
PUBLIC IMPORTANCE, AND I
DISTRIBUTED BROADLY SO OTHER
LAWYERS WOULD HAVE THE BENEFIT
OF MY VIEWS.
MY MEMO WAS NARROW, EXPLAINING
MY THINKING ON A SPECIFIC
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE THEORY
UNDER A SINGLE STATUTE THAT I
THOUGHT BASED ON MEDIA REPORTS
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL MIGHT BE
CONSIDERING.
CONSIDERING. THE MEMO DID NOT ADDRESS OR IN
ANY OTHER WAY QUESTION THE
SPECIAL COUNSEL’S CORE
INVESTIGATION INTO RUSSIAN
EFFORTS TO INTERFERE IN THE
ELECTION.
ELECTION. NOR DID IT ADDRESS OTHER
POTENTIAL OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
ISSUES OR SUGGEST A PRESIDENT
CAN NEVER OBSTRUCT JUSTICE.
I WROTE IT MYSELF ON MY OWN
INITIATIVE WITHOUT ANY
ASSISTANCE, AND BASED SOLELY ON
PUBLIC INFORMATION.
PUBLIC INFORMATION. I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT VERY
BRIEFLY ON MY PRIORITIES IF
CONFIRMED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL.
FIRST, WE MUST CONTINUE THE
PROGRESS WE’VE MADE ON VIOLENT
CRIME.
CRIME. WHILE AT THE SAME TIME
RECOGNIZING THE CHANGES THAT
HAVE OCCURRED SINCE I LAST
SERVED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL.
THE RECENTLY PASSED FIRST
STEPBACK WHICH I INTEND TO
DILIGENTLY IMPLEMENT IF
CONFIRMED RECOGNIZES THE
PROGRESS WE’VE MADE OVER THE
PAST THREE DECADES IN FIGHTING
VIOLENT CRIME.
VIOLENT CRIME. AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, I WILL
ENSURE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE OUR
EFFORTS TO COMBAT VIOLENT CRIME.
IN THE PAST, I WAS FOCUSSED ON
PREDATORY VIOLENCE.
PREDATORY VIOLENCE. TODAY I AM ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT
ANOTHER KIND OF VIOLENCE.
WE CAN ONLY SURVIVE AND THRIVE
AS A NATION IF WE’RE MUTUALLY
TOLERANT OF EACH OTHER’S
DIFFERENCES WHETHER IT’S RACE,
ETHNICITY, RELIGION, SEXUAL
ORIENTATION OR POLITICAL
THINKING.
THINKING. AND YET WE SEE SOME PEOPLE
VIOLENTLY ATTACKING OTHER SIMPLY
BECAUSE OF THEIR DIFFERENCES.
WE MUST HAVE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR
SUCH CRIMES AND I WILL MAKE THIS
A PRIORITY AS ATTORNEY GENERAL
IF CONFIRMED.
IF CONFIRMED. NEXT THE DEPARTMENT WILL
CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE ENFORCING
AND IMPROVING OUR IMMIGRATION
LAWS.
LAWS. AS A NATION, WE HAVE THE MOST
LIBERAL AND EXPANSIVE
IMMIGRATION LAWS IN THE WORLD.
LEGAL IMMIGRATION HAS
HISTORICALLY BEEN A HUGE BENEFIT
TO THIS COUNTRY.
HOWEVER, AS WE OPEN OUR FRONT
DOOR AND TRY TO ADMIT PEOPLE IN
AN ORDERLY WAY, WE CANNOT ALLOW
OTHERS TO FLOUT OUR LEGAL SYSTEM
BY CRASHING IN TO THE BACK
DOORS.
DOORS. IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT OUR
IMMIGRATION SYSTEM WORKS
PROPERLY, WE MUST SECURE OUR
NATION’S BORDERS AND WE MU ENST
ENSURE OUR LAWS ALLOW US TO
PROCESS, HOLD, AND REMOVE THOSE
WHO UNLAWFULLY ENTER.
FINALLY IN A DEMOCRACY LIKE
OURS, THE RIGHT TO VOTE IS
PARAMOUNT.
PARAMOUNT. IN A PERIOD OF GREAT DIVISION,
WE HAVE A PIECEFUL TRANSITION OF
POWER THROUGH ELECTIONS.
IF CONFIRMED I WILL ENSURE THE
FULL MIGHT OF OUR RESOURCES ARE
BROUGHT TO BEAR AGAINST PEOPLE
WHO UNLAWFULLY INTERFERE IN OUR
ELECTIONS.
ELECTIONS. FOSTERING CONFIDENCE IN THE
OUTCOME OF ELECTIONS MEANS
ENSURING THE RIGHT TO VOTE SO
FULLY PROTECTED AND ENSURING THE
INTEGRITY OF ELECTIONS.
LET ME CONCLUDE BY MAKING THE
POINT.
POINT. OVER THE LONG RUN THE COURSE OF
JUSTICE IN THIS COUNTRY HAS MORE
TO DO WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AS AN
ENDURING INSTITUTION THAN WITH
THE TENURE OF ANY PARTICULAR
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
ATTORNEY GENERAL. ABOVE ALL ELSE, IF CONFIRMED, I
WILL WORK DILIGENTLY TO PROTECT
THE PROFESSIONALISM AND
INTEGRITY OF THE DEPARTMENT AS
AN INSTITUTION, AND I WILL
STRIVE TO LEAVE IT AND THE
NATION A STRONGER AND BETTER