This proceeding today. Though my friend Jeff Sessions is well known to the members of this committee, it my pleasure to introduce him as president elect donald Trump Nominee to serve as our next United States attorney general. Before joining the senate, Jeff Sessions began his distinguished career as a practicing attorney and then served as the United States attorney for alabamas Southern District before ultimately becoming the attorney general of the state of alabama. During the past 20 years here in the u. S. Senate that i have served with Jeff Sessions, ive had the opportunity to know him well, not just as a skilled attorney with an accomplished record as a prosecutor and as a legislator, but as a man of extraordinary character. I have the highest regard, not on for his intellect, but for his integrity. Unfortunately for the announcement of his nomination, jeffs political opponents have attacked his character with baseless and tired allegations, but in reality Jeff Sessions extensive record of treating all americans equally under the law is clear and well documented. Throughout his decades of public service, including his impressive tenure on this committee, jeffs commitment to upholding the rule of law i believe is unparalleled. The integrity, humility and gravity with which Jeff Sessions will approach the office of attorney general of the United States is unquestionable. I have no doubt, mr. Chairman, that he will apply the law with impartiality thats required of the job. Im also confident this committee will report favorably and expeditiously Jeff Sessions nomination to be the next attorney general of the United States. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, senator feinstein, members of this distinguished committee, i am pleased to join senator shelby in presenting my friend and colleague, senator Jeff Sessions and to offer my support for his nomination to be our next attorney general. For what . For what . Evil Jeff Sessions and i were first sworn in to the United States senate on the very same day. In the 20 years since we have worked closely on some issues and on opposite sides on others. In fact, it would be fair to say that we have had our share of vigorous debates and policy disagreements. Through these experiences, i have come to know senator sessions professionally as a trusted colleague and personally as a good friend. I can vouch confidently for the fact that Jeff Sessions is a person of integrity, a principled leader and a dedicated Public Servant. As a senator, Jeff Sessions has worked across the aisle to lead important legislative reforms. He has worked with senator dick durbin to pass the fair sentencing act, a law that addressed the unfair Racial Disparity in crack cocaine sentencing. He worked with senator ted kennedy to pass the prison rape elimination act and with senator chris koons on the authorization in the unfair trade agreements and practices that hurt american workers. What i want this committee and the American People to know is that Jeff Sessions is the same genuine, fairminded person in unguarded private moments as he is in the halls of the senate. We first came to know each other during dinners with other members of our senate class where we discussed everything from our politics to our families. I have never witnessed anything to suggest that senator sessions is anyone other than a dedicated Public Servant and a decent man. In 1980 long before he ran for the senate or even dreamed of being attorney general, Jeff Sessions sponsored the first africanamerican member of the mobile lions club. As u. S. Attorney, he provided leadership in the successful convictions of two klan members who had murdered an africanamerican teenager. As Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary committee in 2009, he appointed the first africanamerican to serve as chief council to the republican members. My friends, these are not the actions of an individual who is motivated by racial animus. In spite of this strong record, senator sessions nominations has generated controversy. He has had to withstand some very painful attacks on his characters, both years ago and again today, with little or no acknowledgement of his accomplishments and actions or the responses he has made to the accusations levied against him. As this Committee Debates in nomination, i would draw your attention to an important ep log to Jeff Sessions nomination 31 years ago to be a federal judge. The late senator Arlen Specter of pennsylvania was a member of the Judiciary Committee when the sessions nomination was considered in 1986. Senator specter, then a republican, voted against Jeff Sessions. Years later in 2009, senator specter had switched parties. He was asked by a reporter if he regretted any of the more than 10,000 votes he had cast. Out of all of those votes, then democratic senator specter cited just one. It was his vote against confirming Jeff Sessions as a federal judge. When asked why, senator specter replied, quote, because i have since fond that senator sessions is egalitarian, end quote. In other words, once senator specter served with Jeff Sessions and had the opportunity to get to know him, he changed his mind. I hope that you will keep Arlen Specters reflections in mind as this committee evaluates his public service, his character and his fidelity to the rule of law. The members of this committee have an advantage that senator specter did not. The vast majority of you have already served with senator sessions and you know him well. If this committee places its trust in him, i have every confidence that Jeff Sessions will execute the office of attorney general honestly, faithfully and fully in the pursuit of justice. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member feinstein and members of this committee. And thank both of our colleagues for your powerful statement. I appreciate it very much. And youre free to go and well call the nominee at this point. Theyre changing out microphones now and senator sessions will come forward. We heard several noises in the background unreferenced, some of the grandchildren variety and others of the professional tester variety. And senator grassley will now call senator sessions up. Would you raise your hand, please, and answer this question. Do you swear that the testimony youre about to give before this committee will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god . I do. Thank you. Please be seated. Senator sessions, its our normal process if you desire to introduce people that are with you, including your family, im sure youre very proud of, youre free to do that and then go immediately to your opening statement. [ inaudible ]. My wife, mary. And we are so proud thank you. Theyre now stationed in the Pacific Coast and they wish me well this morning. My daughter, ruth walk. Maybe, ruth, if you would stand up, and her husband, john walk, john is an attorney with the department of homeland security. And they have four children as you see before you today. Grace, gracie and hannah and joanna and phoebe. Phoebe and joanna are twins and were so proud of them. My son, sam, is graduate of auburn and alabama law school. Sorry, sam, about the game last night. Lindsey, congratulations, wherever he is. Sam is an attorney in birmingham and hes married to angela stratus. They have four children, alexa, sophia, lewis and nicholas. Ten grandchildren. The oldest is 9 and you can imagine the week we had at the beach this summer in alabama. Finally, i want to express how humbled i am to have received such overwhelming support and encouragement from our nations Law Enforcement community. Many are here today. Mr. Chairman, with your permission, i would like to ask those present, please to stand and be recognized, the Law Enforcement members that are here today. Would you please stand. Every major Law Enforcement organization in america has endorsed my candidacy. I feel the weight of the confidence they placed in me. And, gentlemen and ladies, ill do my best to be worthy of that. And if i may, mr. Chairman, yesterday was Law Enforcement officer appreciation day. Sadly on that day we lost two of our brave officers, Orlando PoliceDepartment MasterSergeant Debra clayton, one of the first officers to respond to the Orlando Night Club shooting in june, was shot was killed while confronting a suspect wanted for murder. Officer clayton was married with two children, a 17year veteran of the service and deputy lewis was an 11year veteran of the sheriffs office. They had dedicated their lives of keeping their Community Safe and we should remember their service and keep them and their families in our prayers. Chairman grassley, Ranking Member feinstein, distinguished members of the committee, im honored to appear before you today. I thank you for the opportunity to respond to your questions as you discharge your duty in the appointment process as described in the constitution. [ protesters protesting ] mr. Chairman, if i might, dear friends, i want to thank richard shelby, my colleague and senator Susan Collins for their kind and generous introductions. It was moving and touching for me. Its hard to believe that the three of us have served together in this body for almost 20 years. When i arrived in the senate in 1977, i probably wouldnt have anticipated coming so close with a colleague from maine, two people from the northern most part of our country and the southernmost part of our country. [ protesters interrupt ] we apologize for the language we inadvertently published there. Senator sessions continues. Weve been a pretty good team representing the interests of al b alabama and the United States. I want to thank president elect donald trump for the president and trust he has shown in me by nominating me to serve a as the attorney general of the United States. I feel the weight of an honor greater than im aspired to. If confirmed, i will commit to you and the American People to be worthy of the office and the special trust that comes with it. So i come before you today as a colleague who is has worked with you for years, and some for 20 years. You know who i am. You know what i believe in. You know im a man of my word and can be trusted to do what i say what i will do, that i revere the constitution, im committed to the rule of law and i believe in fairness, impartiality and equal justice under law. Over the years youve heard me say many times that i love the department of justice. The office of the attorney general of the United States is not a normal political office. And anyone who holds it must have total fidelity to the laws and the constitution of the United States. He or she must be committed to following the law. He or she must be willing to tell the president or other top officials no if he or they overreach. He or she cannot be a mere rubber stamp. He or she must set the example for the employees of the department to do the right thing and ensure that when they do the right thing, they know the attorney general will back them up, no matter what politician might call or what powerful special interest, influential contributor or friend might try to intervene. The message must be clear. Everyone is expected to do their duty. That is the way i was expected to perform as an assistant United States attorney working for attorney general meese for part of my career. That is the way i trained my assistants when i became United States attorney. And if confirmed, that is the way i will lead the department of justice. In my over 14 years in the department of justice, i tried cases personally of every kind, Drug Trafficking, very Large International smuggling cases, many firearms cases, other Violent Crimes, a series of public Corruption Cases of quite significance, financial wrongdoing and environmental violations. Our office supported historic civil rights cases and major civil cases. Protecting the people of this country from crime and especially from Violent Crime is a high calling of the men and women of the department of justice. Today im afraid its become more important than ever. Since the early 1980s good policing and prosecutions over a period of jeers have been a strong force in reducing crime, making our communities safer. Drug use and murders are half what they were in 1980 when i became a United States attorney. So im very concerned that the recent jump in Violent Crime and murder rates are not anomalies but the beginning of a dangerous trend that could reverse those hardwon gains that have made america a safer and more prosperous place. The latest fbi statistics show that all crime increased nearly 4 from 2014 to 2015, the largest increase since 1991 with murders increasing nearly 11 , the single largest increase since 1971. In 2016 there were 4,368 shooting victims in chicago, in baltimore homicides reached the second highest per capita rate of. The company is in a throes of an epidemic with jofr deaths tripling between 2010 and 2014. Nearly 50,000 people a year die from drug overdose. Meanwhile Illegal Drugs flood across our southern border and into every city and down in the country bringing violence, addiction and misery. We must not lose perspective when discussing these statistics. We must always remember that these crimes are being committed against real people, real victims. Its important that they are kept in the forefront of our minds in these conversations and to ensure that their rights are protected. So these trends cannot continue. It is a fundamental civil right to be safe in your home and your community. If im confirmed, we will systematically prosecute criminals who use guns in committing crimes. As United States attorney, my office was a National Leader in gun prosecutions nearly every year. We will partner with state and local Law Enforcement to take down these major Drug Trafficking car cartels and dismantle a gangs. It will be my priority to confront these crimes vigorously, effectively and immediately. Approximately 90 of all Law Enforcement officers are not federal but theyre state and loam. Theyre the ones on the front lines. They are better educated, trained and equipped than ever before. They are the ones who woo rely on to ke on to keep our neighborhoods and schools safe. But Law Enforcement as a whole has been unfairly maligned and blamed for the unacceptable actions of a few of their bad actors. They believe the Political Leadership in the country has abandoned them. They feel they have become targets, morale has suffered and last year while under intense public criticism, the number of Police Officers killed in the line of duty increased by 10 over 2015. And firearms deaths of Police Officers are up 68 . So this is a wakeup call, colleagues. It cannot continue. If were to be more effective in dealing with rising crime, we will have to rely and work with more effectively local Law Enforcement, asking them to lead the way. To do that, they must know theyre supported and if i am so fortunate as to be confirmed as attorney general, they can be assured they will have my lawful support. The federal government has an Important Role to play in this area also. We we must use the research and expertise and the training that has been developed by the department of justice to help these agencies in developing the most effective and lawful Law Enforcement methods to reduce crime. We must reestablish and strengthen the partnership between federal and local officers, to enhance a common and unified effort to reverse the rising crime trends. I did this as United States attorney. I worked directly and continuously with local and state and Law Enforcement officials. If confirmed, this will be one of my priority objectives. There are also many things the department can do to assist the state and local officers to strengthen relationships with their own communities, where policies like communitybased policing have absolutely been proven to work. I am committed to this effort and to ensuring that the department of justice is a Unifying Force for improving relations between the police and this country and the communities they serve. This is particularly important in our minority communities. Make no mistake, positive relations and Great Communications between the people and their police are essential for any good police department. And when police fail in their duties, they must be held accountable. I have done these things as United States attorney. I have worked to advance these kind of policies. In recent years our Law Enforcement officers have been called upon to protect our country from the rising threat of terrorism that has reached our shores. If im confirmed, protecting the American People from the scourge of radical islamic terrorism will continue to be a top priority. We will work diligently to respond to threats using all lawful means to keep our country safe. Partnerships will also be vital to achieving much more effective enforcement against Cyber Threats and the department of justice clearly has a lead role to play in that essential effort. We must honestly assess our vulnerabilities and have a clear plan for defense as well as offense when it comes to cyber security. The department of justice must never falter in its obligation to protect the civil rights of every american, particularly those who are most vulnerable, a special priority for me in this regard will be the aggressive enforcement of laws to ensure access to the ballot for every eligible voter without hindrance or discrimination and to ensure the integrity of the electoral process, which has been a great heritage of the department of justice. Further, this government must improve its ability to protect the United States treasury from fraud, waste and abuse. This is a federal responsibility. We cannot afford to lose a single dollar to corruption, and you can be sure if im confirmed, i will make it a high priority of the department of justice to root out and prosecute fraud in federal programs and to recover monies lost due to fraud and false claims, as well as contracting fraud and issues of that kind. The Justice Department must remain ever faithful that the constitutions promise that our government is one of laws and not amend. It will be my unyielding commitment to you, if confirmed, to see that the laws are enforced faithfully, effectively and impartially. The attorney general must hold everyone, no matter how powerful, accountable. No one is above the law and no american will be beneath ielts attention. I want to thank the powerful women that work for the department of justice, that includes those in the main office but those who fulfill their duties everywhere throughout the nation. As attorney general, i work with them constantly. I know them and the culture of their agencies, the federal investigative agencies represent the finest collection of Law Enforcement officers in the world. I know their integrity and their professionalism and i pledge to them a unity of effort that is unmatched. Together we can and will reach the highest standards and the highest results. It would be the greatest honor for me to lead these fine Public Servants. To my colleagues, i appreciate the time each of you have taken to meet me oneonone. As senators we dont always have enough opportunity to sit down and discuss matters face to face. I had some great visits. I understand and respect the conviction that you bring to your duties. Even though we may not always be in agreement, you have always been understanding and respectful of my positions and i of yours. In our meetings over the past weeks, you have had the opportunity to share with me and relating to the department from unprosecuted crimes on tribal lands, a matter that is greater than i had understood, to discourage Human Trafficking and child exploitation, to concerns about cuts in Grant Programs, to the protection of American Civil Liberties and the surge of heroin Overdose Deaths to just name a few things. I learned a lot during those meetings and particularly in my meeting with senator white house who discussed cyber security. He has a great deal of knowledge and im glad that you and senator graham have taken a lead on this important issue. I think we can Work Together and make some progress. Senator graham, congratulations on your football victory last night. Well talk about that later. I want to assure all of my colleagues i have given your concerns earnest reflection and will bare them in mind. I will sincerely endeavor to keep these lines of communication open and hope we can continue or collegiality and friendships. In that regard, i commit to all of you that the department of justice will be responsive, mr. Chairman, to congress and well work with you on your priorities, all of you, and provide you with guidance and views where appropriate. The department will respect your constitutional duties, your oversight role and the particularly critical important separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches. Let me address another issue straight on. I was accused in 1986 of failing to protect the Voting Rights of africanamericans by presenting the voter fraud case and of condemning civil rights advocates and organizations and even harboring amazingly, sympathies for the kkk. These are false charges. The voter fraud case my office prosecuted was in response to pleas from africanamerican, incumbent elected official who is claimed that the absentee ballot process involved a situation in which ballots cast for them were stolen, altered and cast for their opponents. The prosecution sought to protect the integrity of the ballot, not to block voting. It was a Voting Rights case. As to the kkk, i invited civil rights attorneys from washington, d. C. To help us solve a very difficult investigation into the unconscionable, horrendous death of a young africanamerican coming home from the 711 store at night simply because he was black. Michael, donald. And actively backed the attorneys throughout the case and they broke the case. The effort led to a guilty plea and a life sentence for one defendant. There was no Death Penalty at the time and i pushed to have it tried in state court, which was done. That defendant was indeed convicted and sentenced to death. And ironically as attorney general, my staff participated in the defense of that verdict and sentence and a few months after i became United States senator that, murdering klansman was executed. I abhor the klan and what it represents and its hateful ideology. I assisted in a lawsuit that led to the successful collapse of the klan, at least in alabama, the seizure of their building, at least for that period of time. As Civil Rights Division attorneys have testified before the committee, i supported fully their historic cases that the Justice Department filed to advance civil rights and that i supported, including cases to desegregate schools, abolish atlarge elections for cities, commissions and school boards. Mechanisms used to block africanamerican candidates from being elected to board and commissions. It was a deliberate and part of a systemic plan to reduce the ability of africanamericans to have influence in the election and governing process. I never declared the naacp was unamerican or that a civil rights attorney was a disgrace to his race. There is nothing i am more proud of than my 14 years of service in the department of justice. I love and venerate that Great Institution and hold dearest its highest ideals. As god gives me the ability, i will work every day to be worthy of the demands of this auguste office. You can be absolutely sure that i understand the immense responsibility i would have. I am not naive. I know the threat that our rising crime and addiction rates pose to the health and safety of our country. I know the threat of terrorism. I deeply understand the history of civil rights in our skri and the horrendous impact that relentless and systemic discrimination and the denial of Voting Rights has had on our africanamerican brothers and sisters. I have witnessed it. We must continue to move forward and never back. I understand the demands for justice and fairness made by our lgbt community. I will ensure that the statutes protecting their civil rights and their safety are fully enforced. I understand the lifelong scars borne by women who are victims of assault and abuse and if i am so forentunate to be confirmed your attorney general, you can know i understand the absolute necessities that all my actions must fall within the bounds of the constitution and the laws of the United States. While all humans must recognize the limits of their abilities, and i certainly do, i am ready for this job. We will do it right. Your input will be valued. Local Law Enforcement will be our partners. Many friends in federal government that ive had in Law Enforcement will be respected. Ive always loved the law. It is the very foundation off this country. It is the Exceptional Foundation of america. I have an abiding commitment to pursuing and achieving justice and a record of doing that. If confirmed, i will give all my efforts to this goal. I only ask that you do your duty as god gives you the ability to see that duty, as youre charged by the constitution. Thank you for your courtesies. I look forward to the further hearing. Before i ask questions, i want to thank you, senator sessions for your service in the senate but more importantly for taking on this responsibility youve been nominated for and to thank up for your opening statement. Im glad that you were able to mention the names of a lot of your family that are with you. Theres a lot of other people that we may not have their name and i would ask the staff to put in the record the names of all the other people who are accompanying you as well if theyre willing to give us that name. And its a proud day for you. Your wife, son and daughters and their families, i welcome all of you very much. Now to the questioning. The attorney ill take ten minutes and senator nifeinstein will go back and forth as we usually do. The attorney general of the United States is of course the nations chief Law Enforcement officer. He or she is not the president s lawyer, nor is he the president s wing man, as attorney general holder described himself. Rather he or she has an independent obligation to the constitution and to the American People. Now, i know you care deeply about this foundational principle, so im going to ask you a question ive heard you ask other nominees for attorney general. Occasionally youll be called upon to offer an opinion to the president who appointed you. Youll have to tell him yes or no. And sometimes president s dont like to be told no. So id like to know will you be able to stand up and say no to the president of the United States if in your judgment the law and your duty demands it . And the reason i ask that is because i know you worked very hard for the president elect. Mr. Chairman, i understand the importance of your question. I understand the responsibility of the attorney general, and i will do so. You simply have to help the president do things that he might desire in a lawful way and have to be able to say no, both for the country, for the legal system and for the president to avoid situations that are not acceptable. I understand that duty. Ive observed it through my years here and i will fulfill that responsibility. So just so my colleagues doesnt think im taking advantage of time, somebody didnt start the clock. Oh, okay. The light isnt working. Im sorry, i can read it now. So i heard what you said but just emphasize, let me follow up. Well, if you disagree with the president s chosen course of action and you told him so and he intends to pursue that course of action anyway, what are your options at that point . Mr. Chairman, i think an attorney general should first work with the president , hopefully that attorney general would have the confidence of the president and avoid a situation that would be unacceptable. I do believe if attorney general is asked to do something thats plainly unlawful, he cannot participate in that, he or she, and that person would have to resign ultimately before agreeing to execute a policy that the attorney believes would be unlawful or unconstitutional. I would say, mr. Chairman, that there are areas that are brightly clear and right. There are areas that may be gray and there are areas that are unacceptable and a good attorney general needs to know where those lines are to help the president where possible and to resist improper unacceptable actions. Okay. You served in this department for 14 or 15 years. You served as your states attorney general, and of course you serve on this committee for a long time and we have oversight over the department that you might head and youve done that all for 20 years. Ive had my share of disagreements with the department departmentser ship, some were purely tollcy disagreements balanced p but somish us as attorney general day in and day out, youll be faced with difficult and sometimes thorny legal problems. What will your approach be to ensuring that the department enforces the law and, more broadly, what is your vision for the department . Mr. Chairman, the ultimate responsibility of the attorney general and the department of justice is to execute the laws passed by this congress and to follow the constitution in that process and carry its principles out. So you can be sure i understand that. We may have had disagreements here about whether a law should be passed, but once passed, i will do my level best to ensure its properly and fairly enforced. I do believe that we have a crime problem. I wouldnt perhaps go in time now unless you want me to to describe what we can do to address that. And there are other challenges this country faces. I would be pleased to recognize the influence of the legislative branch and to el welcome insights that you might have. Since thats a very important issue with me and i suppose of colleague here, let me emif a seize but that regardless your position as a legislator, your approach as attorney general will be to enforce the law regardless of policy differences . Absolutely, mr. Chairman. I dont think i have any hesitation or any lack of an ability to separate the roles that i have had, to go from the legislative branch to the executive bran is a transfer of not only position but the way you approach issues. I would be an executive function, an enforcement function of the laws this great legislative body might pass. During the course of the president ial campaign you made a number of statements about the investigation of former secretary of state hillary clinton, relating to her handling of sensitive emails and regarding certain actions of the Clinton Foundation. You werent alone in that criticism. I was certainly critical in the same way as were millions of americans on those matters, but now youve been nominated to serve as attorney general. In light of those comments that you made, some have expressed concern about whether you can approach the clinton matter impartially in both fact and appearance. How do you plan to address those concerns . Dr. Chairman, it was a highly contentious campaign. I, like a lot of people, made comments about the issues in that campaign with regard to secretary clinton and some of the comments i made i do believe that that could place my objectivity in question. Ive given that thought. I believe the proper thing for he to do would be to recuse myself from any questions involving those kind of investigations that involve secretary clinton that were raised during the campaign. Or one that could be otherwise connected to it. Let me emphasize with a followup question. To be very clear, you intend to recuse yourself from both the clinton email investigation and any matters involving the Clinton Foundation if there are any . Yes. Let me follow up again because its important. When you say youll recuse, you mean that youll actually recuse and the decision will, therefore, fall to i assume a Deputy Attorney general. I ask because after attorney general lynch met with president clinton in phoenix, she said she would, quote unquote, defer to the fbi but she never officially recused. No, she did not officially recuse and theres a procedure for that, which i would follow. I believe that would be the best approach for the country because we can never have a political dispute turn into a criminal dispute. Thats not in any way that would suggest anything other than absolute objectivity. This country does not punish its political enemies but this country ensures that no one is above the law. You touched on something thats very dear to me and thats working with having executive Branch People work with members of the congress, and you also mentioned working with us on oversight. But since thats very important to me, let me say that the executive branch has always been one of my top priorities, regardless of of who occupies the white house. Ive always said im an equal opportunity overseer. Now over the years ive asked quite a few exchif nominees, to commitments to respond to jo oversight, but in my experience, nominees are pretty receptive to oversight during these type of hearings but after theyve been confirmed, oversight doesnt seem to be a high priority for them. As i told you when we met privately in my office, sometimes i think nominees should go ahead and be a little more straightforward during their hearings and instead of saying yes to everything we ask it would be more honest to say maybe when asked if they would respond to our questions. Now because youve served on this committee and understand the importance of oversight, im hoping youll be different in your predecessor in response to your oversight and one of them even you signed with me to the department of justice. And i hope that you would go to Great Lengths to see that these get answered so the next may or june if im contacting you that they havent been answered, then, you nope, the Trump Administration might be blamed for it and these are all a result of not getting answers from the last administration. So i hope youll help me get answers to at least the one you helped me write. Mr. Chairman, you are correct that this committee has oversight, but it goes beyond that. This committee and the Congress Funds the various branches of the executive branch, the various departments. And you have every right before you fund our agencies and departments to get responsive answers to questions that are proper. Sometimes congress is asked for issues that maybe theres a legitimate reason to object to, but they should object and state why. Mr. Chairman,ly be i will be responsive to your request and i understand your history perhaps more than anyone in this congress to advance the idea that the executive branch need to be held accountable. If senator feinstein contacts dont use this excuse that if you arent chairman of the committee, you dont want to answer the questions. I want her questions answered just like youd answer mine. Thank you. Thank you. That was above and beyond the call. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I would like to begin with the second largest criminal industry in this country, which is now, believe it or not by revenues produced, human sex trafficking. And trafficking victims are among the most vulnerable in our society. The average age is 12 to 14. They are beaten, raped, abused, at times handcuffed at night so they cant escape and often moved from place to place, forced to have sex with multiple men each night. The justice for victims of trafficking act signed into law in 2015 created a Domestic Trafficking Victims Fund for Victim Services to be administered by the department of justice. Part of that fund contains up to 30 million for health care or medical items or services to trafficking victims. These fund are subject to the hide amendment, which says no appropriated fund can go be used to pay for abortion. However, the Hyde Amendment does not apply in cases of rape. On the senate floor, senator cornyn discussed the hyde language and said, and i quote, everyone knows the Hyde Amendment language contains an exception for raipe and health f the mother so on this this act, these limitations on spending wouldnt have anything to do with the services of women. In short, he concerned the hide amount p amendment would not affect the availability of services for these victims. The Domestic Trafficking Victims Fund will be under the jurisdiction of the department of justice. Heres the question will you ensure that these grant funds are not denied to Service Providers who will assist victims of Human Trafficking in obtaining comprehensive services they need, include being abortion if that is what is required for a young girl impregnated during this horrific abuse . Senator feinstein, i appreciate that question and i do appreciate the fact that our country has been talking and i believe taking action for a number of years to deal with sex trafficking more effectively. I i dont know that weve reached a level of actual effectiveness we need to but congress and you and others have been very, very outspoken about this and there are all kind of great citizens groups that have focused on it. So its very important, u. S i was not aware of how the language for this Grant Program has been established. I do appreciate your concerns on it. Its a matter in a i have not thought through but ultimately its a matter for this United States congress, not so much a matter of the attorney. We need to put our money out to assist in this activity according to the rules established by the congress. Well, im delighted that senator cornyn is here, i quoted him directly from the floor that the Hyde Amendment would not prevent the distribution of thieves funds. So i hope you would agree to that and thats certainly most important to me because congress has spoken and the bill is law. I understand that and we would follow the law. Okay. As you know, the constitution also protect as womans right to have access to health care and determine whether to terminate her pregnancy in consultation with her family and her doctor. Im old enough to remember what it was like before when i was a student at stanford and thereafter. In the early 1960s, i actually sentenced women in california, convicted of felony abortion to state prison for maximum sentences of up to ten years and they still went back to it because the need was so great. So was the morbidity and so was the mortality. This right passed now by the constitution as recognized in roe, planned parenthood casey and in fact the court recently struck down onerous regulations imposed by texas on Womens Health clinics. You have referred to roe v. Wade as, quote, one of the worst, colossally Erroneous Supreme Court decisions of all time, end quote. Is that still your view . It is. I believe it violated the constitution and really attempted to set policy and not follow law. It is the law of the land. It has been so established and settled for quite a long time and it deserves respect and i would respect it and follow it. On november 14th, 2016 appearing on the tv show 60 minutes, the president elect said the issue of samesex marriage was, quote, already settled. Its law. It was settled in the Supreme Court. Its done and im fine with that. Do you have agree that the issue of samesex marriage is settled law . The Supreme Court has ruled on that. The dissents dissented vigorously but it was 54 and five justices on the Supreme Court, the majority of the court, has established the definition of marriage for the entire United States of america and i will follow that decision. Heres another question. If you believe samesex marriage is settled law but a womans right to choose is not, what is the difference . Well, i havent said that the womans right to choose or roe v. Wade and its progeny is not the law of the land and not clear today so i would follow that law. Thank you. I would like to ask one question based on the letter that we received from 1,400 law professors, theyre from 49 states, only alaska is left out. I inquired why and they said because alaska doesnt have a law school. So its a pretty comprehensive list representing law professors in every state that has a law school. What they said, and this is what i want you to respond to, nothing in senator sessions public life since 1986 has convinced us that he is a different man than the 39yearold attorney who was deemed too racially insensitive to be a Federal District court judge. All of us unbelieve its unacceptable for someone with senator sessions record to lead the department of justice. So i want your response to this, an answer to the question how do you intend to put behind you what are strongly felt personal views, take off the political hat and be an attorney general who fairly enforces the law and the constitution for all . Well, senator feinstein, i would direct their attention to, first, to the remarks of senator specter, who in his entire career said he made one vote that he would regret, and that was the vote against me. He indicated he thought that i was an egalitarian, a person who treated people equally and respected people equally. This caricature of me in 1986 was not correct. I have become United States attorney. I supported as the civil rights attorney said major civil rights cases in my District Court that integrated schools, that prosecuted the klan, that ended singlemember districts that denied africanamericans the right to hold office. I did everything i was required to do and the complaints about the voter fraud case and the complaints about the klan case that i vigorously prosecuted and supported are false. And i do hope this hearing today will show that i conducted myself honorably and properly at at that time and that i am the same prn, perhaps wiser and maybe a little better, i hope so, today that i was then but i did not harbor the animosities and race base diskripgsation ideas that i was accused of. I did not. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Okay. Senator hatch and then senator leahy. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Before your time starts, id like to mention that the Committee Received a letter in support of senator sessions nomination from attorneys generals ash craft, barr, gonzalez, meese and muck casey, as well as a number of former deputy generals, they yot in part, based on our collective and extensive experience, we know him to be a person with unwavering dedication to the mission of the department to be sure that our country is governed by a fair and evenhanded rule of law. I ask con isnt to put that letter in the record. Senator hatch. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I first want to thank you for your fair approach on this, the first hearing of the 115th congress. Youve scheduled and structured this hearing in line with this committees precedence. In fact youre including more senator sessions has provided this committee with more than 150,000 pages of material relevant to his nomination. That is 1 hoon times what attorney general lynch appropriation deuce and almost 30 times what attorney general holder providiedprovided. This comes from someone we know, someone many of us have served with on the senate and on this very committee, yet some on the far left will stop at nothing to defeat this nomination. They oppose this nomination precisely because senator session will not politicize the Justice Department or use its resources to further a political jand. They make up one thing after another to create a caricature that bears no resemblance to the nominee, who is