Transcripts For CSPAN AG Sessions Testifies Before House Jud

CSPAN AG Sessions Testifies Before House Judiciary Panel - Part 1 November 15, 2017

Come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess at any time. We welcome everyone to this mornings hearing on oversight of the department of justice. We begin by recognizing myself for an opening statement. Good morning. Today, we welcome jeff sessions, to the annual department of justice oversight hearing. Mr. Attorney general, you have a long and distinguished career of service. You continued that service by leading the department of justice, an agency that by its very nature is prone to controversy because of the varied opinions on what it means to seek and obtain justice. However, you clearly understand the department you need must have confidence of the American People even when your decisions are not always well deceived. Received. Your first year leading the department of justice has not been without difficulty, which is expected at the outset of a new administration. While much has been done to correct the Improper Administration of justice under the Obama Administration, more work must be done to make sure the department is operating to impartially administered justice. Our last doj oversight hearing was beyond disappointing. Attorney general Loretta Lynch gave the least transparent testimony i can recall in my time in congress. It was plainly a disservice to the American People. Ms. Lynch failed to respond substantively to almost every question. And, the attorney general was held in contempt for his own stonewalling for the reckless operations. I expect mr. Attorney general that you will be more willing to candidly answer questions from members on both sides of the aisle. Youre going to hear question after question today concerning your knowledge of or involvement with russia and its alleged efforts to interfere in the 2016 president ial election. Whether it concerns your work on behalf of now President Trump during the campaign or your service in the senate, i suspect this theme will be a constant refrain from my friends on the other side of the aisle. While you understand your effort to recruit yourself was your effort to do the right thing, and believe you as a person with integrity would of been impartial and fair and following the facts wherever they lead. I have chosen as chairman of to let special Counsel Robert Mueller do his job, free from undue political influence. Time, however, this committee will do its duty and conduct oversight. We sent two letters to, when in july and another in september calling on you to name a Second Special counsel to restore the publics confidence in our Justice System. Numerous matters remain unresolved. Date, the department has not appointed a Second Special counsel. This committee had no choice but to open our own joint investigation with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to review doj and fbis handling of the investigation into former secretary Hillary Clinton and her mishandling of classified information. As we said earlier this year, it is incumbent on this committee with oversight capacity to ensure the agencies we oversee are above reproach and the Justice Department in particular remains immune to accusations of politization. The Department Must evenhandedly you administered justice. Administer justice. You have recused yourself from matters stemming from the election, but there are concerns the partisanship of the fbi and the department has weakened the come these investigations are but a few of the important issues we need to discuss. For instance, we just overwhelmingly reported the usa the act out of Committee Last week. This i partisan legislation would reauthorize section 702 of the foreign Intelligence Surveillance act. The administration has chosen to oppose any reform of the law. I understand the desire for a clean reauthorization of this program. I believe this stance is in the speculation that risks further eroding trust in our intelligence apparatus. We hope you can work with you now that the usa and the act which reauthorize the law that is vital to our nations battle against terrorism while protecting American Civil Liberties has been reported out of the committee. This is important given the ongoing threat of terrorist attacks in the United States. As we all know, not two weeks ago, eight people were killed and a dozen injured when an isis inspired jihadist drove a rented pickup truck into a credit path to the World Trade Center in new york. The terrorist threat is real and ongoing. We cannot afford to play politics with National Security. I also look forward to continuing to work with you on efforts to reform our nations criminal Justice System. There is bipartisan support to do this and with your help, we can make changes that crackdown on violent offenders while also doing more to rehabilitate federal prisons and curb abuses of the system, as well as excessive punishment. To your credit, since you assumed leadership, there has been a significant increase in the prosecution of firearm offenses in the United States. For years i have criticized lacks enforcement of the law already on the books, enforcing these laws are the most effective way to combat Violent Crime and other cities. Under leadership, the number of defendants defendants charged has increased by nearly 25 . Number of defendants charged with armed in Drug Trafficking has increased 10 . I commend you for your focus on these prosecutions because they will help make our streets safer. There are many matters on which we share common ground, especially when it comes to rectify the failures of the Obama Administration. Earlier this year, the house passed legislation to ban settlement payments to nonvictim third parties following your policy directive to shut down the use of such mandatory donations. These reform initiatives followed a concerted effort by the Obama Administration to use settlements to benefit its political allies. Allies. We commend your efforts to combat illegal immigration, protect our citizens from criminal aliens, and to fight back against socalled century cities. More than two years have passed since kate steinle was murdered by an illegal immigrant who had been deported five times. We have addressed this issue head on by moving legislation to combat century cities and find and remove criminal gang members. Mr. Attorney general, our country is at a crossroads. Our constituents are concerned our Justice System does not work for them. Under your leadership, the Justice Department has taken strides to mitigate the harms done in the prior administration. I am for you to work with us to continue that trend and i think you sincerely for your appearance here today. I know recognize the Ranking Member of the committee, the gentleman from michigan, mr. Conyers, for his statement. Mr. Conyers thank you. Top of the morning. In the ordinary course of business, anyone of a dozen topics related to the department of justice would be worthy of its own hearing. And to be clear, i would rather spend our time today discussing the upkeep of the criminal Justice System, the enforcement of civil rights, and the work we must all do to ensure access to the ballot box. We must spend our time debating the troubles of a wayward administration. Mr. Conyers although this is the attorney generals first appearance before the house, he has already made three visits to our colleagues in the senate. At his confirmation hearing, he did not havet he communications with the russians. That anth, he testified continuing exchange of information between trumps surrogates and intermediaries for the russian government did not happen, at least to my knowledge, and not with me. We now know, of course, that neither of these statements is true. Shortly after the attorney general made the first comment, the Washington Post reported that he met with the russian and twicet are at least during the campaign. In the past month, we have learned the attorney general must have been very much aware of a continuing exchange of information between the Trump Campaign and the russian government. In charging documents unsealed last month, George Papadopoulos, a foreignpolicy advisor to the admits Extensive Communications with russian contacts. At a march 31, 2016 meeting of the campaigns National Security attendede committee, Advisory Committee, chaired by senator sessions, mr. Sumdopoulos stated, in and substance, that he had connections that can help arrange a meeting between then candidate trump and president putin. It does not matter, and has been that the attorney general remembers this meeting after the fact. Remembers it so vividly, in fact, that two unarmed sources, the senator shot george down. Under oath, knowing in advance that he could be asked about this subject, the attorney general give answers that are at best incomplete. The attorney general can provide some clarification on this problem in his remarks today. Uslso hope that he can sure assure us that the departments weathering near daily attacks on its independence by President Trump. And that no office of the toartment is being used pressure the president s political enemies. In recent months, President Trump has attacked the beleaguered attorney general and criticized his very weak position on Hillary Clintons crimes. The president has talked openly about firing the leadership of the department, including the attorney general, the Deputy Attorney general, the former acting director of the fbi, and special Counsel Robert Mueller. He did fire former fbi director. Omey in his own words, because of that russia thing with trump and russia. As well as acting attorney and all 46ly yates sitting United States attorneys. Last year, he denigrated a federal judge because of his mexican heritage. Was born inriel indiana, by the way. Month, in a radio interview, President Trump said he was very unhappy with the. Ustice Department Hours later, he proclaimed the military Justice System a complete and total disgrace. The one that six with me is the president s july interview with the New York Times. , begins byerview once again attacking the attorney generals credibility. Never should have recused himself, the president complains. Then, the conversation takes a sinister turn. Along, out ofe courtesy, the fbi started reporting to the department of justice, but the fbi person really reports directly to the president of the United States. He goes on. I could have ended the Flynn Investigation just by saying they say it cannot be obstruction because you can say it has ended, it is over. Case, then the president requires some correction. The fbi reports directly to the attorney general. The founding of the bureau, it can be obstruction of justice if the president orders an investigation closed with a corrupt motive. What strikes me about these comments is the president s view that the criminal Justice System serves him and not the public. Believet trump seems to that on a whim, he can bring pressure to bear on his enemies, dismissed charges against his himself andinsulate his family from any consequence. I cannot overemphasize the poses of this perspective to our republic. I have served on this committee long enough to remember another president who shared this view. Myself up on Richard Nixons enemy list. We worked to hold that administration accountable, our work is not complete. Remember our common responsibility to prevent that kind of abuse from happening again. Look to the attorney generals partnership in this effort, but i have begun to worry about his resolve. Last night, in a letter sent from the department to chairman as aatte, without so much copy to the Ranking Member, by theway, they insisted attorney general seems to hold the door open to appointing a new special counsel to cater to the president s political needs. The fact that this letter was to the majority without the customary and appropriate notice to me indicates that the charge given to the Department Officials to evaluate the issues has political motivation. Now, in his own words, the attorney generals recused from any questions involving investigations that involve secretary clinton. Cannot refer an investigation to a second counsel if we lack the evidence to predicate a criminal investigation in the first place. Virtually, every clinton related that President Trump complains about has been well litigated. Andfully examined completely debunked. Still, to quote former attorney ,eneral Michael Mukasey putting political opponents in jail for offenses committed in a political setting is something that we do not do here. The thread alone resembles a Banana Republic threat alone resembles a banana. Republic in the the now republic. Attorney general is generally come to see us within two or three months of taking office. No attorney general in recent memory has taken more than six months before making an appearance here. Attorney general sessions has broken that norm. He has had more than 10 months to settle in, making our communications with the department between hearings that much more important. I date, my colleagues and sent more than 40 letters to the Trump Administration asking for information necessary to carry out our oversight responsibilities. We have sent more than a dozen of these letters directly to the attorney general. To date, we have not received a single substantive response. We can disagree on matters of ,olicy, mr. Attorney general but you cannot keep us in the dark forever. Reasonablee a request, we expect you to reply in a prompt and responsive manner, and i hope you can explain why your department has chosen to ignore these letters. More importantly, i hope that you will be more forthcoming with your answers, both in your testimony today, and in the weeks to come, and i look forward to your testimony and mr. Chairman, i think you and your back the balance of my time. All other members Opening Statements will be made part of the record. We welcome our distinguished witness. If you will please rise, i will begin by swearing you in. Hand. Raise your right do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you god . Thank you. The witness answered in the affirmative. Mr. Jeff sessions was sworn in as the 84th attorney general of the United States on february 9, 2017, from 1996 to his confirmation to lead the department of justice. Mr. Sessions served as the united eight senator for alabama. Served mr. Zens sessions served as the United States attorney for the Southern District of alabama. Alabama attorney general and captain in the United States army reserve. Attorney general sessions is a graduate of Huntington College and the university of alabama law school. Sessions, yourl entire written statements will be entered into the record. We asked you summarize your testimony in five minutes. The Ranking Member took a few more minutes than that. Feel free to do that as well. Veryessions thank you much. Mr. Chairman, it is an honor to be before this thing wished committee, having served 20 years as your counterpart in the Senate Judiciary committee. I must note with regret that your announcement of retirement that our relationship has been good in the past, and i hope it will continue to be good. You have done a fabulous job in leading this committee. On my first day as attorney general, i spoke about the Critical Role we as a department play in maintaining and strengthening the rule of law, which forms the foundation of our liberty, our safety, and our prosperity. In this rule of law, we are blessed beyond all nations. I truly believe that. At this department, we must you always can to ensure that it is. Reserved and advanced such ideals transcend politics. From that day to did a, we at have worked to be faithful to that mission. Let me share things we have done initially. The president set up an order to reduce crime, not to allow crime to continue to increase. Nd we embrace that mission the Violent Crime rate has risen, and the homicide

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