I want to have a conversation about recent policy changes and an approach that i have long called for i would explore with you a host of issues relative to the department including my reit recent fbi i also want to discuss with you at another example of stonewalling at the administration and using the department as a tool for its resistance. The people are now aware that they have used nongovernment service for official business over 2000 emails containing classified information with some containing with what we describe as topsecret, sensitive, compartmented information and other related to special access programs. The department and the fbi have refused to officially confirm basic information about the scope and nature of the investigation to this committee. Apparently the fbi is conducting an investigation relating to the mishandling of that classified information. Given the politics involved, the potential for improper influence over the work of the investigators and career prosecutors is high. The president and his spokesmen have commented on the merits of the investigation, some news reports say that investigation includes even the clinton foundation. President clinton who was involved with a Pound Foundation was appointed to be u. S. Attorney in new york. This does not involve anything different than appearances by giving these appearances more needs to be done to ensure the public and the decisions are being made without any influence from political appointees. If the fbi prefers of the matter to the Justice Department and it refuses to prosecute than the public may be kept in the dark about the fbi findings. But the public has a right to know the facts even if those facts do not result in conviction. It is about a systematic effort to avoid freedom of information laws and federal record laws because you have heard me say so many times that the publics business are to be public. The records of government business i think, belong to the American People. Simply said, the american, the American People ought to know what their government is doing and must be sure that it is free from the interference of political appointees in the executive branch. I conclude now by said i look forward to conducting oversight over these issues, again thank you for being here attorney general lynn chen for engaging in these important parts of our system of checks and balances, and also thank you so many times since you have been attorney general for discussing things with me on the phone oneonone, i appreciate it very much. Now i call on senator leahy. Thank you very much. I do welcome our nations top lawenforcement officer by the lynch back to the Senate Judiciary committee and i commend her for the way she has handled the department of justice. One of the core responsibilities of our committee is to provide oversight of the Justice Department and that includes Holding Public hearings of the attorney general so i would note that on matters of ongoing matters the attorney general has eyes been available to answer questions for members of this committee. But the American People deserve the opportunity to evaluate for themselves the work of the department and i look forward to hearing from the attorney general. Including a range of subjects that are important to us in vermont. But public hearings are also a chance for the American People to watch us, their elected officials. America should should be able to see their government in action, they should know whether we are acting on their behalf and whether we are keeping their interest, not partisan politics, at the forefront of everything. I must say that is why the committee holds hearings for the next nominee for the Supreme Court, public hearings. The senates constitution i mention that because for a hundred years we have done that in public hearings. However, for the next nominee the for the Supreme Court has yet to hold a think a Public Committee meeting to discuss how we are going to fulfill their constitutional duty. I know the Republican Committee members met behind closed doors to unilaterally decide without any input from democrats, decided this committee and the senate as a whole, will simply refuse to consider Supreme Court nominee this year even assuming if you will that the president fulfilled his constitutional duty to nominate a Supreme Court justice. It is spelled spelled out very clearly in the constitution. Of course we have taken an oath of office under god to uphold the constitution which is advising and consenting to that nominee. By having a unilateral decision for some behind close doors and the derelicts of our constitutional ability and it denies the people a chance to participate in a public discussion of the nominee. Now we talk about the Justice Department responsibility of keeping america safe, we should remember that the Senate Republicans refuse to consider the next Supreme Court nominee that is going to make the goal harder for the Justice Department. Republican shutdown of any confirmation process for the Supreme Court nominee means the court will be missing a justice for probably a year and a half anyway. As several former u. S. Attorneys from ohio and washington, california, virginia recently wrote, the federal prosecutors, agents a year is a lifetime. We see real threats whether it is the heroin epidemic or the threat of isis recruitment facing people in our communities every day. While lawenforcement stands ready to protect the public they need to know the rules of the road. These former lawenforcement officials explain a Supreme Court unable to function as part of the operative of our nations laws could be a real challenge to the lawenforcement community. The Senate Consideration of the next Supreme Court nomination not be a question of politics or electoral matter. It should be about what we took as an oath to pull the constitution, so help me god. We should consider nominee to the nations highest court. It represents the American People every week before the Supreme Court, hearing today is on the Justice Department but what looms in the horizon is whether this committee will do its job to barely consider the next nominee to the Supreme Courts. I hope we will do our job for the good of this country, for our entire Justice System. Thank you mr. Mr. Chairman. Attorney general lynch, i believe we may hear a little bit about things that are contrary to normal oversight as you just heard from senator leahy. Senator leahy has every right to say what he was going to do. I want to react just a minute to what he did because i think i think tomorrow if you want to hear a fullblown debate on this issue, i think well have one before committee tomorrow while we are also considering three or four judges that may be a piece of legislation as well. I would respond just very shortly to what senator leahy said, whether it is today, tomorrow or the next seven or eight months, this is a very important debate that we ought to have about the constitution. Also about not only who is going to be a replacement for justice scalia, but the role of the Supreme Court. I get people coming to my town meeting saying how come you dont impeach those Supreme Court justices . They dont realize that we are the jury in the house and peaches, they are making laws instead of interpreting laws so you should get rid of them. At the grassroots of america there is a real feeling, what is the Supreme Court doing what the constitution requires. I will respond to one thing that senator leahy said and that is about the caucus that we had of the people around this room when we sent a letter to the Republican Caucus of whether or not we should wait for the next election or the senate act right away when the president makes a nominate which he has a constitutional responsibility to do. That was caucuses of the republican members of this committee that we have very frequently. I assume the Democrat Members have their caucus to talk about things that just how do their respective members feel about issues. I have never been invited to a democrat caucus and i dont think that them a is open to the public. The tomorrow i think we are going to have a debate, in regard to the constitutional function of the congress, most of the time everything that congress does has to be interactive between the president and the congress. We pass a bill, he vetoes it, we can override or he can sign it and everything is good. There is that relationship. When it comes to these appointments, it is to separate positions. One, the president nominates and the senate consents or withholds consent. They are entirely separate. I think i have some quotes here and i think the other side gets tired of me quoting from members of them but i think it is very important that somehow we have taken a position ahead of a nominee wrong. It is not any different than if the president of the United StatesNotifies Congress well in advance of passing a piece of legislation he is going to veto it. So the constitution makes it clear that it is up to the senate to decide how we do our job, by providing advice to the senate and we get to make that determination with each nomination. I want to point to the wisdom of senator biden not in the speech that i quotes often but another one in 2005, i do not work for the president of the United States, none of you meeting other senators work for the president of the United States, we states, we are all a coequal branch, equally powerful and important with specific Constitutional Responsibilities that only we have the right to determine. The last thing ill say senator reid said in 2005 the duties of the senate are set forth in the u. S. Constitution, nowhere in that document does it say the senate has a duty to give president ial nominees a vote. You are long term Public Servant and you ought to have a long introduction. I would like to give you just a short introduction. You are the 8083rd attorney general of the United States. You were sworn in on april 20 seventh, 2015 following your service as u. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of new york. A position you have held twice. You hail from greensboro, North Carolina were surprisingly you are still living there and you are a distinguished graduate of harvard college, and Harvard Harvard law school. We welcome you to the committee. I think i would ask you just to sit because i want to swear you in but you stand up because you get your pitcher the paper. Just stay seated. Do you affirm that the testimony you are about to give before the committee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you guy . I do. Thank you very much and now you make your segment as lazy lazy want to make it. Thank you mr. Chairman. Good morning, chairman grassley, Ranking Member leahy and distinguish numbers of the committee. It is good to be here again. Im grateful for the opportunity to share some of the recent accomplishments of the Justice Department as well as to outline my priorities as attorney general and to discuss how we can continue working together to create a stronger and safer nation. Our first responsibility is to protect the American People. We are working tirelessly to investigate, detect, and disrupt those that are citizens we have charged approximately 90 individual since the year 2013 for conduct related to foreign fighter activity, or homegrown violence extremism. We remain focused on the danger imposed by domestic. That means the best getting attacks like the one in San Bernardino using tools available. Want to emphasize the department of justice take the responsibility extremely fiercely. We understand that all of these issues raise serious issues and questions for consideration by this body and by the American People. The department of justice we intend to do our duty to protect the American People and to uphold the rule of law. We are also doubling our efforts in cyberspace, where as they do in the physical world, wrongdoers seek to steal data, copy trade, copy trade secrets and threaten our National Security. We are using and supporting a wide range of tools to counter cybercrime and terrorist use of the internet, including criminal prosecution, the efforts of our u. S. Attorney and partnerships with the private sector. We have created a Cyber Security unit within our criminal division, we have launched a privatesector privatesector Outreach Initiative under our National Security division. We will continue to explore other ways to meet the challenges of lawenforcement in the digital age. Our first line of defense against terrorism and crime are the Brave Police Officers and agents who risked their lives to keep us safe. We are grateful for their dedication and for their valor. We we are proud to support them in any way we can, from training programs, Grant Funding, Technical Assistance, but as we have seen into many communities these vital relationships between lawenforcement officers of the residents we serve and protect have freight. Among long simmering tensions have interrupt. I recently launched the second phase in my Community Policing to her which will take me to cities that are making significant progress in six areas defined by president obamas task force on 21st century policing. I have already visited miami, florida and portland, oregon. I look for to highlighting more examples of collaboration ahead. One of the greatest hazards to both lawenforcement and the people we serve is an epidemic of gun violence. In january, i recommended and president obama president obama announced, important new steps and guidance that will help keep guns out of the hands of individuals who are not legally allowed to have them. We will enhance the background check system, it will combat on my firearm dealing spur cutting edge gun safety technology. This, since measures measures will make a difference but addressing gun violence or comprehensively will require assistance from congress. I look for to discuss how we can Work Together to safeguard every americans right to life, liberty, and security. We are also focused on the most honorable members of our society, especially those those who have fallen victim to Human Trafficking. Since becoming attorney general i have expended a program called the antitrafficking coordination Coordination Team initiative. We have to call by its initial so it is called the act team. This this is a collaborative and a survivor centered approach to Human Trafficking investigations and prosecutions. It unites officials across the government to enhance our antitrafficking efforts. Last september i announce the department would provide 44 million in new Grant Funding to support research, to improve care for the survivors of Human Trafficking, and also to bring these traffickers to justice. I want to thank our partners in congress, many who are on this committee for their support. By tripling human Human Trafficking funding for our office of Justice Program in fiscal 20 2015, on behalf of the survivors , i thank you. Finally want to say a word about criminal Justice Reform. The department of justice has taken steps to build on the success of the smart on Crime Initiative which has reduced our use from the harsh mandatory sentences for lowlevel, nonviolent drug offenses and enabled us to focus on the more serious federal crimes. Among other actions we introduce the first ever Second Chance fellow to advise the reentry counsel which i am proud to chair. To help a formally incarcerated individuals to stand the right path. We have forged partnerships to tackle problems that lead to crime in the first place. We invested invested and will continue to invest in promising federal, state, local and tribal reentry efforts including a 68 milliondollar investment in Second Chance act grant in fy 2016 and a proposed proposed 100 milliondollar investment in fy 2017. These are important steps. There are so much more to be done. Pa