Transcripts For CSPAN Cory Booker And John Lewis Testify Aga

Sentences i want to read, and then i will introduce the panel. We come back this afternoon for our third and final panel. We have done this we have not done this when we held hearings for the past several attorney generals, but Ranking Member feinstein contacted me last week and made a special request for this panel. I am doing my best to conduct this proceeding fairly. We will hear from each witness for five minutes. We agreed that we will not ask any questions of the witness. We will adjourn when we have heard from the last witness. I would like to introduce the witnesses. Mr. Chairman, we know that the attorney general is responsible for protecting the civil and human rights of americans. That is why many are worried as you have seen in these hearings. Senator booker and congressman ands, they bring discussion in important question about the basic rights enshrined in the constitution. How we tried to form a more Perfect Union that continues with every generation. Congressman lewis has been a friend of mine for decades. We have served together. He nearly gave his life for that effort. Lewis to congressman this committee for important conversations about marriage equality, Voting Rights, and other issues. I am sorry we have broken the committee tradition to make these members of congress to wait until the very end to speak. I asis not a delay chairman would have, but it is what we have. Andmmend senator lewis representative cooper for their courage. I commend them for being here. Booker,lleague, senator is from new jersey. I know him well. We all know him. We appreciate you coming over to testify. We will hear from mr. Willy huntley. He is a former assistant u. S. Attorney in the Southern District of alabama who worked under senator sessions when he served as u. S. Attorney there. He has known senator sessions for nearly 30 years. We will hear from a wellknown civil rights leader, whosentative john lewis represents georgias that district. Welcome back to the committee congressman lewis. It is always good to have you here. After representative i work closely on this panel alongside many of you. You know just how deeply motivated i am by the many issues that our next attorney general will heavily influence. Especially the crisis of mass incarceration. I noticed some of my many colleagues are not happy about breaking with Senate Tradition to testify on one of my colleagues. But i believe that in the choice between standing with the senate norms or standing up for what my conscious tells me is best for our country, i will always choose conscious and country. While senator sessions and i have consistently disagreed on it the issues. Exercisedave always Mutual Respect between us. Perhaps the best example of this is the legislation we cosponsored to award the congressional gold medal to those foot soldiers who marched at selma. One of the foot soldiers is standing next to me now. This was a blessing and an honor to me. In 2015, a retired judge, who was white, told me it was those grave marchers on the bridge whoe marchers on the bridge inspired him to seek justice for all in new jersey and begin representing black families looking to integrate into what neighborhoods. Black families that were turned away and denied housing. One of those families was mine. I am sitting here because of the marchers in alabama and volunteer lawyers in new jersey who saw it as their duty to pursue justice and fight discrimination. To stand up for those who have been marginalized. The march for justice in our country still continues. It is still urgent. Forow also of the urgency law and order. I imagine that no sitting in the past 20ed years in high crime neighborhoods as i have. I have seen unimaginable violence on americas streets. I know the tremendous courage of Law Enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every single day to fight crime in america. I want in attorney general who is committed to serving Law Enforcement and securing law and order, but that is not enough. Notica was founded heralding law and order but justice for all. Critical to that is equal justice under the law. Law and order without justice is unattainable. They are inextricably tied together. If there is no justice, there is no peace. The Alabama State troopers on the bridge were seeking law and order. The marchers were seeking justice. Ultimately, they were seeking a greater peace. One of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement was the civil thets act that made attorney general that only the chief Law Enforcement officer, but also vested in that office the responsibility to pursue civil rights and equal protection for all americans. Senator sessions has not demonstrated a commitment to a central requisite to the job to aggressively pursue the congressional mandate of civil rights and equal rights and justice for all of our citizens. In fact, into numerous times of his career, he has demonstrated hostility towards these convictions, and he has worked to frustrate these ideals. If confirmed, senator sessions will be required to pursue justice for women. His record indicates he will not. Will be expected to defend the equal rights of lesbian, gay, and transgender americans, but his record indicates that he will not. Will be expected to defend Voting Rights, but his record to just he that he wont that he will not. His record indicates that as attorney general he would object to the growing National Bipartisan Movement Towards criminal justice reform. His record indicates that we cannot count on him to support state and National Efforts toward bringing justice to the Justice System. People on both sides of the aisle readily admit that the Justice System as it stands now is biased against the poor, the drug addicted, and the mentally ill, and people of color. Evenecord indicates that the fbi director is speaking out atinst racial bias in color a time when the last two attorney generals have taken steps to fix our broken criminal Justice System. , the Justice Department that he would lead has uncovered systemic abuses in Police Department all over the United States including ferguson andark newark. Senator sessions would not lead this urgently needed change. The next attorney general must bring hope and healing to this country. This demands a more courageous and empatthen than senator sessions record would indicate. Challenges of race in america cannot be addressed if we refuse to confront them. Persistent bias cannot be defended unless we come back them. The art of the moral universe does not naturally curve towards justice, we must end it. If one is to be attorney general, it must be going to continued he hallowed can get tradition in our country of fighting for equal justice for all. America needs an attorney general who is resolute and determined to bend the art. Senator sessions record does not speak to that desire, intention, or will. With all that is in our nation right now, the urgent need for healing and love, i played pray that my panel will join me in denying this nomination. I would like to thank you for this opportunity to testify. Sitting behind me are proud members of the United States congress and the Congressional Black Congress could black caucus. You should not have had to done that. I shouldve recognized them. I knew they were here. Inc. You, sir. Thank you, sir. Huntly . Good afternoon. Huntly, and ilie am an attorney located in alabama. I have been missing law for over 30 years. Practicing law for over 30 years. I graduated from Harvard University where i attended college on a football scholarship. I graduated from auburn in 1980 and i attended law school at Cumberland Law School after that. After i finished law school, i clerkship with a federal judge in montgomery, alabama. After that, i began a tour as an assistant District Attorney in alabama. 1985 to 1987. Om then, my life changed. I got a phone call one day, and my secretary comes into the office to tell me that Jeff Sessions is on the phone. I was sitting there wondering why he was calling me. Ofas well attended aware the allegations that had come from his it to become a federal judge, which made me wonder why he was calling me. I found out that he wants me to become the assistant United States attorney in the district of alabama. This presented an ideal situation. I decided to take advantage of it. The first time i met him was at a dinner in montgomery. That dinner was supposed to last an hour or an hour and a half. We ended up meeting for about three hours. During that time, we discussed a number of topics football, religion, politics, family. We spoke about all of those things. During the course of that meeting with him, i got the feeling more and more that the allegations had been spread through the press are not true. I also was contemplating whether i should make this move, because i thought if i go to mobile i will not know anyone. What if this man turns out to be exactly how he has been portrayed. Fortunately, it did not turn out like that. I was at the u. S. Attorneys office from 1987 to 1991. Me criminal trial cases and civil rights cases. I would supervise all of the civil rights cases that came through the offices. During this time, i would i can recall where we successfully prosecuted a Police Officer charged with excessive use of force. Unfortunately, i made the decision to leave the u. S. Attorneys office in 1991. That was not based on anything that happened to me during my my work in the u. S. Attorneys office. During that time, he provided me with advice, counsel, and a great deal of support. One thing in particular that he waswas my second child born, and there was a knock on the door that morning. In through the door walks Jeff Sessions. After i left the u. S. Attorneys office, jeff became the attorney general of alabama. He asked me to join his staff at that time. I declined to join his staff. He did make me a special assistant attorney general and he put me in charge of handling defense cases with the state of alabama. During this time, jeff became charged with violating the state of alabamas ethics act. It involved a company by the name of tyco. He couldve selected any attorney to represent him. He decided to select me. We had that case, and during the course of it that it was probably the longest case that had ever been held in front of the state ethics committee. At that point, he was fully exonerated of all of the charges involved in the states ethics act. One of the things i can say alwayseff is that he has been the same person that i have known. He has always been available to me, and he has always been there when i needed him. In the time that i have known jeff has he demonstrated any racial insensitivity. I see my time is rapidly winding down. , in my just like to say opinion, Jeff Sessions will enforce and follow the laws of the United States evenhandedly and with justice for all. Jeff sessions will adhere to the Justice Department motto that , for lady justice, Jeff Sessions will defend the rights and protections of all people. Thank you for this opportunity. Thank you. We will now hear from congressman john lewis. Lewis thank for inviting me to testify today. Americans are encouraged by our countrys efforts to create a more inclusive democracy than the. Ast 50 years a beloved community at peace with itself. A clear majority of americans want this to be a clear, fair, just, and open nation. They are afraid that this country is headed in the wrong direction. The concern is that some leaders reject decades of project process progress, and they want to return to a darker path that will deny them the freedoms protected in the constitution. The bill of rights and its amendments. Are the voices i represent today. Iscan pretend that the law blind and evenhanded, but if we are honest with ourselves, we uponthat we are called daily by the people we represent. Those who are committed to equal justice in our society wonder whether senator sessions calls if that order means today what it meant in alabama when i was growing up back then. The rule of law was used to violate the civil rights of the , peoplee dispossessed of color. Alabama notn rural very far from where senator sessions was raised. There was no way to escape or deny the chokehold of discrimination and racial hate that surrounded us. That saidsigns white men and black men. Ive tasted the bitter fruit of segregation and discrimination. If a black person did not cross the street when a white person was walking down the same looked at a he white person directly in the eyes, he could be arrested. Forces of law and order in youama were so strong that take a stand against this injustice meant we had to sacrifice be willing to sacrifice our lives for our cause. Often, the only way we could law on the that a books violated a higher law was like putting our bodies on the line and showing the world the unholy price we had to pay with dignity and respect. It took massive, well organized, efforts for the Voting Rights act to become law. Criticism in its laws to move towards a greater sense of equality in america. In,ad to sit in, stand march. , a group 50 years ago of unarmed citizens black and gathered on march 7, 1965 selma to show that we wanted to participate in the democratic process. We were beaten, tear gassed, left bloody. Some of us were left unconscious. Beaten. Us were left some of us almost died on that bridge. And theident responded, Voting Rights act was passed. From a distance, we had made progress, but we are not there yet. There are forces that want to take us back to another place. We do not want to go back. We want to move forward. Of the march on washington often said, may our allfathers and foremothers came to this country on different ships, but we are all in the same boat now. It is not matter how senator , how he may smile speak to you, that we need someone who is going to stand up people that for the need help. For the people that have been discriminated against. It does not matter if they are black or white, asian american, or native american, whether they are straight or gay, muslim, christian, jews we all live in the same house. An american house. We need an attorney general that will look out for all of us and not just for some of us. I have run out of time. Thank you for giving me a chance to testify. Thank you, congressman lewis. I now go to mr. Sawyer. It is an honor for me to be here. Thank you for your time. Enforcementin law since 1976. I have served in local Police Departments for 11 years. I have served in the United States Marshals Service for eight and a half years. I have served in the Attorney Generals Office for about a year and a half. I first met Jeff Sessions when he was attorney in alabama in the Southern District. Time. Prosecuted at that jeff prosecuted a man for the abduction and murder of a black teenager. Sessions jeff nomination to attorney general i had the privilege of serving for him as chief investigator. The challenges included a budget crisis and a one third reduction of staff. Came with the budget crisis and the reduction of staff come up there were several staff, there were several individuals in the office that had to seek implement elsewhere. Who was aboutman a year and a half away from retirement. He allowed him to do that. Jeff sessions do not have to do that. He retained me. He did not have to do that. Election, we were charged with the possibilities that the response charged with the responsibilities of a lot of crimes in the work of various cases that included violent crimes, voter fraud, and criminal investigations. As i reflect on our work, there was never a time when any of cases was investigated with any political agenda or motive. The utmost respect and integrity was implement it with all individuals involved. Service or 10 reputation and respect among his colleagues. In appreciation for his willingness to do what was right. When Jeff Sessions got to the , as attorney general, he has upheld the hayesce of klansmen henry. When he became u. S. Senator, he became he helped me become appointed the United States marshals of alabama. He did not have to do that, but he did. I have known Jeff Sessions for 20 years. He is a good and decent man. He believes in law and order for all people. ,ll of the people in alabama because of the colleagues to have surrounded him, the things done for laws enforcement in alabama it is all great. I do not have any doubts that he as attorneyrve general. I did not learn these things from any website. I know him as the man. The man that i know is a decent, honest, respectful man who will put all of his life into public service. He has done that. When we talk about this criminal Justice System, we enforce the laws. We do it, because we have a love for the laws. Peoplessions loves the who do the enforcement side of it. He respects the citizens. He believes they deserve a good and honest person. He will do all that he can to make sure that everyone is treated fairly under the law. His decently decency and honesty as a man before itself. He is the type of individual i support for the United States Attorney Generals Office<