Pages from senator sessions in response to questions from Committee Members. Welcome to the first markup , i would5th Congress Welcome senator feinstein is our new Ranking Member, although she has been a member for a long time. We recognize senators sash senses sass. Senator kennedy. We welcome back, she is not here to knoww, i want her she is welcome back to this committee. It is an honor for our committee to be interested with so many policy areas under our jurisdiction, ranging from Sexual Assault survivors rights, to issues of national security. We accomplished good things in the 114th congress. We held 99 hearings, 30 bills, every one of them bipartisan. 24 of the 30 were passed by the senate. 17 of them became law. Among the major bipartisan statutes reported by our committee were the country has worthy comprehensive addiction and recovery, defend trade secrets, justice for victims of trafficking, the justice against sponsors of terrorism, and during last years markup of the adam walsh reauthorization, we added a Sexual Assault survivors bill of rights, which the house later passed with some minor changes, and the president signed. These legislative successes are the product of hard work and dedication of Committee Members on both sides of the aisle, because everyone was bipartisan. There are a number of bipartisan measures that remain Unfinished Business for the 115th congress, which remain priorities for me. I look forward with working with both sides as part of this important work. I have had a discussion with senator durbin on criminal justice reform. Turning to our agenda today, senator sessions nomination to serve as attorney general is on the agenda for the first time. I have been told people on the democratic side of the aisle, including the Ranking Member, are requesting that his nomination be held over for one week. Of course that will be done. I want informed members by committee rule, any member can hold over the nomination. We honor that request. We have more than a quorum. That will be held over for the oneweek under our rule that you have to have a quorum present to do that. I look forward to reporting his nomination out of committee next week. There will be plenty of time to debate his nomination next week. I just want to know that we held a full and fair hearing for senator sessions 2 weeks ago. It started at 9 30 and went until 8 00 in the evening so that everyone had ample time to ask questions. I hope i said at the hearing, i appreciated everyones cooperation during that time. We allowed more time for members to submit questions for the record than the committee did for attorney general holder. Members submitted those questions, and we received senator sessions answers. Next, we have some organizational business to attend to, as this is our First Committee business meeting of the year. Before we take actions, i wanted to explain what it was, then we will hear from the Ranking Member. Our staff is still working on Committee Rules for this congress, so we will turn to those next week. The committee this week will approve an authorized resolution for our committee funding. Senator feinstein and i have already agreed on funding resolution. Finally we will adopt subcommittees and memberships today. The subcommittees will be the same six subcommittees that we had in the last congress. These have been circulated. With that introduction, i turned i turn to senator feinstein. Sen. Feinstein thank you very much. This doesnt seem to work. Sen. Grassley i turned it off. Sen. Feinstein hello . Thank you. Before, isaid to you very much look forward to working with you. As you know, we have worked together on the drug caucus for some years now. I look forward to having the relationship where if there is a problem, i can bring it to you and we can get it settled. Sen. Grassley and vice versa. Sen. Feinstein thank you. I want to pay tribute to my good friend, senator leahy. Senator leahy has been on this committee for a long time, a little bit longer than i have. I found him to be a mentor and stalwart and stand up. I hope some of those characteristics in a modest way fell over on me. As the rules allow, and as we have gone for most nominees during the last several congresses, i am asking you to vote for senator sessions be held over until next week. I would like to take a few moments to explain why. The attorney general is charged with enforcing our laws and constitution. He must be vigilant, fair, and evenhanded. The department of justice must be out front and strong. It must protect the rights of women and minorities. It must protect Voting Rights and all of our Constitutional Rights. This nomination is a very big deal. On sunday, we received 188 pages of responses to questions submitted for the record following the sessions hearing. Our staff needs time to go through these answers, and we need time to put them in context with what we know and what we have learned about senator sessions record. In addition, we have been told some members may have followup questions they would like to submit. I also believe it is important to reflect on this nomination in light of the demonstration we saw this weekend. What we saw, in my quarter of a century on this committee, was unusual. On saturday, there was a massive outpouring of hope and optimism. At least a half Million People gathered in washington. Some say as many as 800,000. Los angeles estimates were 750,000 people marching together. The largest demonstrations in the last decade. It was unusual to see the diversity. Men and women came together. Families came. College students came. Children came. There were marches in red states and blue states, from south dakota to hawaii. In fact, there were marches all over the world, kenya to milan to mexico city. Millions are estimated to have gathered. I thought it was unusual to see such large crowds and such sheer joy. No violence. To the best of my knowledge, there were no arrests. It is unusual to see this kind of dedication to the principles and values of this nation. Hundreds of thousand of passionate individuals went to the streets to support womens fundamental rights, as well as the quality for home. As well as equality for all. On saturday night, i happened to run in with some of the delegations, from los angeles, colorado, connecticut, and elsewhere. They just glowed. They shared an elation and commitment i have never seen before. It was palpable. There is no other way to say it. They want to have their voices heard. They want to ensure quality equality for all. And they want to know what steps they could take to participate in what they see as the crowning glory of america. Our countrys principles and values derived from her constitution and laws. They are ensuring equal rights for all, upholding the rights for all, demanding equal pay for equal work. Maintaining workers rights, and protecting our environment. It is these principles that the attorney general must defend. He must be a zealous advocate for the american people, all of the american people. The question several marchers asked me, what can i do . I told them they need to make their voices heard, call your state legislator and local officials. Organize, run for office. Play a direct role in government. Dont wait for someone else to do it. Let me talk about the women, who were the majority of these marches. We have had to fight for everything we have won in history. Nothing has been easy. It wasnt until 1920, more than 100 years ago, 130 years after the constitution was ratified that women received the right to vote. Women in this country could not originally in this country could not own or inherit property. They could not borrow money from a bank without their husband cosigning the loan. It was not until 1965, barely 50 years ago, when states could no longer ban married women from using contraception. Wasnt until 1972 this fundamental right was extended to all women. Looking at the history of this committee is incredibly telling. Since its inception, there have only been five women to serve on the Judiciary Committee, and 350 men. 2 of those women in addition to myself are here, senator klobuchar, the senator from hawaii. This is the most women that have ever been on this committee. Our history in this march in what we are going to do on the attorney general is very important. We still do not have equal pay for equal work. Studies vary, but we know that women are paid roughly . 75 to . 85 on the dollar. A simple equal rights amendment passed the congress in 1972, was ratified i35 states but fell short of becoming part of the constitution by three states. Here is what i would have said. Equality under the law should not be abridged on account of sex. Women were serving different criminal sentences than men in other states. It goes on and on. A womans right to have control over her own body, her only reproductive system, continues to be under attack. Not only are new restrictions put in place to limit womens access to Reproductive Health care services, but outright bans are passed across the country. As i mentioned, womens history has played out on this committee. I was elected to the senate in 1992, known as the year of the woman. Some of my younger colleagues may not know the full context of that election. For me, the anita hill hearings 1991 are etched into my memory. I remember a Senate Judiciary committee i was watching the hearing from the airport in london and i look at the committee as it was panned, and there was not a single woman. I remember how they questioned her claims of workplace harassment. That a woman could never belittle someone that was brave enough to testify. It was a shameful episode in the senate. I think it helped the year of the woman in getting women elected. It certainly played a role in joe biden inviting me to be the first woman on the Senate Judiciary committee 25 years ago. Karol mosely braun joined me on the committee today we have the three of us. It is a start, but it is not a finish. We are charged with overseeing our Constitutional Rights are rights, our federal laws, our nominees to the federal court, and our nominees to the department of justice. Mr. Chairman, once again we are being asked to evaluate the nomination of our next attorney general, who is charged with enforcing the law and upholding the protections women have thought so hard secure. This nomination is critically important. This committee must have enough time to fully considered senator sessions record, to evaluate his answers, and determine the kind of attorney general he will be if confirmed. Many millions of americans are deeply concerned about what the future will bring. That is a hallmark of this saturdays march. The least we can do is tell them we are being as careful as possible in making these important decisions. For every woman and a man that marched over the weekend, we owe it to them. Thank you very much. [applause] im going to recognize senator leahy and we will do our best. Leahy i applaud the senator from california. But heres back and forth as chairman and drinking member of this committee. I was proud to turn over that position. Senator feinsteins comments demonstrate why. I was also proud to be one of the members of the committee to serve publicly. I said i believed the witness. I believed anita hill. I said so publicly at the time. Influence my vote. That it did not influence my vote. We had 352 members that serve feinstein counting only six have been women. I have enjoyed working with her on countless issues ranging from national security, immigration reform. She has broken down barriers thrust her career. Her anmple, i am giving exact a copy of what i said on the senate floor. I did it with total, total price. Pride. I could not put it in better hands. We ready to return to the authorizing solution for the committee. I pass all in favor, say i. All opposed say no. The ayes have it. I will consider adopting the subcommittees and membership of those subcommittees, those in favor say aye. Those opposed say no. And the do have it resolution on subcommittees is adopted. I now turn to senator leahy for another point of personal privilege. Muchleahy thank you very and Ranking Member feinstein. , i want tousiness recognize a Remarkable Service by chief counsel Christine Lucius. Been with the Judiciary Committee for more than 14 years. When she became my chief counsel we were debating two of the most complicated and contentious issues in recent years. Gun violence and immigration policy. She took the reins of my committee with steadfast thatrship and commitment leadership and commitment. Regardless of party i have seen i have been here 42 years. Did throughoute that time was an example to everybody of what the absolute finest can be in someone with works in the senate. Her compliments are many. Her impact with the committees activity cannot be overstated. Her friendship is one i am forever going to hold dear. Vote for her and her husband and her children. I asked the committee to consider the following resolution which i will read. Christine lucius served as the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Committee staff where is she served for general counsel from 20062013, she obtained her doctorate from Georgetown University law center. She has been an invaluable source of stratagem in in legislative and judicial nominations. Enactessful effort to meaningful legislation including the hate crimes prevention act and before your improvement act. Christine lucius was instrumental to revitalize the violence against women act, the victims trafficking act. The Partnership Grant program and the justice for all act. Efforts toucius protect Citizens Rights to votes is criticalre with immigration reform. Six Supreme Court nominations, they commend her for years of dedicated service. It extends its deep appreciation to Christine Lucius four years of service. You heard the resolution and i would like to say without objection be adopted. I hear no objection and it is adopted. I would like to speak for a minute and echoed what senator leahy has said about christine. I want to thank christine for your hard work. We all know how that has worked out, to have the committee function diligently and get a lot of work. You work well with both the press and republicans. Democrats and republicans. We were not people to get as withoute around here your hard work and your colleagues. I thank you for helping the committee be successful we push you well in your professional life. Senator feinstein you what to to speak . Stein i just become senator myhys successor and from perspective see how well she has done. Fighterough, she is a and she has run a very good operation. I am also pleased and my colleagues join with that saying where is she . Thank you for everything you have done for this committee. [applause] [applause] do have a copy to sign . You want to speak . Submit for the record mr. Durbin. All business done. We will adjourn. [chatter] democrats delay vote on sessions nomination. Senate democrats are delaying a vote on senator Jeff Sessions nomination to be President Trumps attorney general are doing they want more time to review the pic. Read more at the hill. Com. This years march for life rally takes place friday in washington d c marking the decision known as roe versus wade. The rally begins at noon eastern. At 1 00 they will march to the Supreme Court. One of coverage here on cspan. Coverage here on c cspan. ]sp discussing the executive orders assigned by President Trump to expand the pipelines. Stephen moore will discuss President Trumps proposals to lower taxes and increase jobs and boost the economy. Editor and publisher at the republicanority in government and cover President Trump in a changing media environment. Washingtons order washington journal live, join the discussion. The house debated a bill to block funding for abortion. Abortion services and a formal care act subsidies for insurance courses that cover abortions. The bill makes permanent the hyde amendment. That bars several medical facilities from providing abortions. Strongse today and unflinching leadership on this issue. It was just write off ready to this presidency as it just began. There were millions of prolife