Cruz: For 8 Years We’ve Seen a DoJe Consistently Disregarding the Rule of Law

RUSH TRANSCRIPT enhanced interrogation ░░░░░░░░ and it was not ░░░░░░░░ Yes and Senator Graham ░░░░░░░░ a jag officer as ░░░░░░░░ was for a bit ░░░░░░░░ you Senator Sessions congratulation ░░░░░░░░ your nomination Thank you ░░░░░░░░ are a friend man ░░░░░░░░ integrity we have worked ░░░░░░░░ together on the armed ░░░░░░░░ commit I and I ░░░░░░░░ every confidence are you ░░░░░░░░ to make a superb ░░░░░░░░ general This has been ░░░░░░░░ interesting day at this ░░░░░░░░ Listening to Democratic Senator ░░░░░░░░ Democratic Senator give praise ░░░░░░░░ the law I am ░░░░░░░░ for that For eight ░░░░░░░░ it s been absence ░░░░░░░░ eight years we have ░░░░░░░░ a Department of Justice ░░░░░░░░ disregarding the rule of ░░░░░░░░ When Eric Holder s ░░░░░░░░ of Justice allowed illegally ░░░░░░░░ guns to Mexican gun ░░░░░░░░ as part of Fast ░░░░░░░░ furious guns that were ░░░░░░░░ to kill Brian Terry ░░░░░░░░ Patrol agent the members ░░░░░░░░ this committee were silent ░░░░░░░░ Eric Holder was found ░░░░░░░░ contempt of Congress for ░░░░░░░░ to cooperate with Congress ░░░░░░░░ into Fast and furious ░░░░░░░░ again the democratic members ░░░░░░░░ this committee were silent ░░░░░░░░ the IRS illegally targeted ░░░░░░░░ States citizens for exercising ░░░░░░░░ First Amendment views for ░░░░░░░░ their roles in the ░░░░░░░░ process them cattic members ░░░░░░░░ this committee were silent ░░░░░░░░ the Department of Justice ░░░░░░░░ to fairly investigate the ░░░░░░░░ targeting citizens and indeed ░░░░░░░░ the investigation to a ░░░░░░░░ partisan Democrat who had ░░░░░░░░ over 6 000 to ░░░░░░░░ Obama and Democrats Democrats ░░░░░░░░ this committee were silent ░░░░░░░░ numerous members of this ░░░░░░░░ called on the attorney ░░░░░░░░ to appoint a special ░░░░░░░░ to ensure that jugs ░░░░░░░░ was done in the ░░░░░░░░ Democrats on this committee ░░░░░░░░ silent When the Justice ░░░░░░░░ began using operation choke ░░░░░░░░ to target law abiding ░░░░░░░░ they disagreed with politically ░░░░░░░░ crowd noise shouting Crowd ░░░░░░░░ shouting Audience member shouting ░░░░░░░░ crowd shouting Free speech ░░░░░░░░ a wonderful thing Chuckling ░░░░░░░░ the Department of Justice ░░░░░░░░ operation choke point to ░░░░░░░░ legal businesses because they ░░░░░░░░ politically when those businesses ░░░░░░░░ Democrats on this committee ░░░░░░░░ silent When the Obama ░░░░░░░░ Department sent millions of ░░░░░░░░ to taxpayer monies to ░░░░░░░░ cities the committee was ░░░░░░░░ When the Obama Administration ░░░░░░░░ loot rally rewrote laws ░░░░░░░░ democratic on this committee ░░░░░░░░ silent When the Obama ░░░░░░░░ released rapeists and murderers ░░░░░░░░ the general population Democrats ░░░░░░░░ this committee were silent ░░░░░░░░ the Department of Justice ░░░░░░░░ off on the Obama ░░░░░░░░ paying a nearly 2 ░░░░░░░░ ransom to Iran contrary ░░░░░░░░ federal law the Democrats ░░░░░░░░ this committee were silent ░░░░░░░░ the Obama Administration ignored ░░░░░░░░ rewrote provision after provision ░░░░░░░░ ObamaCare contrary to the ░░░░░░░░ of the day the ░░░░░░░░ were silent When the ░░░░░░░░ Administration signed off on ░░░░░░░░ recess appointments what the ░░░░░░░░ koerpt had to strike ░░░░░░░░ unanimously the Democrats on ░░░░░░░░ committee were silent And ░░░░░░░░ the obamaed a mshgs ░░░░░░░░ five Guantanamo terrorists without ░░░░░░░░ required notification of Congress ░░░░░░░░ Democrats on this committee ░░░░░░░░ silent That pattern has ░░░░░░░░ dismaying for eight years ░░░░░░░░ take today as a ░░░░░░░░ of celebration If once ░░░░░░░░ this committee has a ░░░░░░░░ commitment to rule of ░░░░░░░░ to following the law ░░░░░░░░ is a wonderful thing ░░░░░░░░ it is consistent with ░░░░░░░░ tradition of this committee ░░░░░░░░ back century Now if ░░░░░░░░ were to play a ░░░░░░░░ of tit for tat ░░░░░░░░ what was good for ░░░░░░░░ goose were good for ░░░░░░░░ gander then a Republican ░░░░░░░░ tone jurn should disregard ░░░░░░░░ law should advance political ░░░░░░░░ favored by the Republican ░░░░░░░░ Senator Sessions do you ░░░░░░░░ that would be appropriate ░░░░░░░░ an attorney general to ░░░░░░░░ No I do not ░░░░░░░░ believe and I think ░░░░░░░░ do of to be ░░░░░░░░ that when something like ░░░░░░░░ is done and some ░░░░░░░░ the things I m ░░░░░░░░ with enough to agree ░░░░░░░░ you that I thought ░░░░░░░░ improper I do believe ░░░░░░░░ has a corrosive effect ░░░░░░░░ public confidence and the ░░░░░░░░ republic of when we ░░░░░░░░ sworn to uphold I ░░░░░░░░ you are exactly right ░░░░░░░░ and I are both ░░░░░░░░ night Department of Justice ░░░░░░░░ alumni of the Department ░░░░░░░░ Justice and it has ░░░░░░░░ long by tart San ░░░░░░░░ of staying outside politics ░░░░░░░░ and fairly enforcing the ░░░░░░░░ I will say right ░░░░░░░░ if I believed that ░░░░░░░░ would implement policies even ░░░░░░░░ I agreed with contrary ░░░░░░░░ law I would vote ░░░░░░░░ your confirmation And the ░░░░░░░░ I am so enthusiastically ░░░░░░░░ your confirmation is I ░░░░░░░░ every degree of confidence ░░░░░░░░ will follow the law ░░░░░░░░ and honestly And that ░░░░░░░░ the first and most ░░░░░░░░ obligation of the attorney ░░░░░░░░ Now earlier in the ░░░░░░░░ senator Franken engaged you ░░░░░░░░ a discussion that I ░░░░░░░░ was intended to try ░░░░░░░░ undermine your character and ░░░░░░░░ And in particular senator ░░░░░░░░ suggested that you had ░░░░░░░░ misrepresented your record It ░░░░░░░░ unfortunate to see members ░░░░░░░░ this body impugn the ░░░░░░░░ of a fellow senator ░░░░░░░░ whom we have served ░░░░░░░░ years It is particularly ░░░░░░░░ when that attack is ░░░░░░░░ backed up by the ░░░░░░░░ Senator Franken based his ░░░░░░░░ primarily on an op ░░░░░░░░ written by an attorney ░░░░░░░░ Hebert There is irony ░░░░░░░░ 1986 during your confirmation ░░░░░░░░ Mr Hebert attacked you ░░░░░░░░ making false charges against ░░░░░░░░ and indeed I would ░░░░░░░░ in the 1986 hearing ░░░░░░░░ days later Mr Hebert ░░░░░░░░ forced to recant his ░░░░░░░░ to say that he ░░░░░░░░ given false testimony to ░░░░░░░░ committee and indeed to ░░░░░░░░ quite I apologize for ░░░░░░░░ inconvenience caused Mr Sessions ░░░░░░░░ this committee by my ░░░░░░░░ testimony So an individual ░░░░░░░░ testified falsely once before ░░░░░░░░ committee his op ed ░░░░░░░░ the basis for senator ░░░░░░░░ s attack on you ░░░░░░░░ base yirs of senator ░░░░░░░░ s attack he claims ░░░░░░░░ were uninvolved in several ░░░░░░░░ rights cases listed on ░░░░░░░░ question air n1986 Mr ░░░░░░░░ testified a quote from ░░░░░░░░ I have needed Mr ░░░░░░░░ help in those cases ░░░░░░░░ he has provided that ░░░░░░░░ every step of the ░░░░░░░░ Is that correct that ░░░░░░░░ s what Mr Hebert ░░░░░░░░ Yes that s correct ░░░░░░░░ the four cases senator ░░░░░░░░ referred to you reported ░░░░░░░░ four of them in ░░░░░░░░ supplement to the Judiciary ░░░░░░░░ is that right That ░░░░░░░░ correct Mr Franken didn ░░░░░░░░ mention That and let ░░░░░░░░ point out here s ░░░░░░░░ you describe your involvement ░░░░░░░░ your written submission to ░░░░░░░░ committee Quote for the ░░░░░░░░ described in 2 4 ░░░░░░░░ and 9 my role ░░░░░░░░ most U S Attorneys ░░░░░░░░ noncriminal civil rights cases ░░░░░░░░ to provide support for ░░░░░░░░ Department of Justice civil ░░░░░░░░ divisions attorneys I reviewed ░░░░░░░░ signed clients motions and ░░░░░░░░ and briefs filed during ░░░░░░░░ tenure as U S ░░░░░░░░ I provide aid assistant ░░░░░░░░ guidance had an open ░░░░░░░░ policy and cooperated with ░░░░░░░░ rights attorneys on these ░░░░░░░░ For the cases described ░░░░░░░░ 6 I supervised litigation ░░░░░░░░ signed the pleadings Now ░░░░░░░░ is consistent with the ░░░░░░░░ testimony that you provided ░░░░░░░░ every stecht way is ░░░░░░░░ correct Well I think ░░░░░░░░ yes There s no ░░░░░░░░ you ve been forthright ░░░░░░░░ this committee and I ░░░░░░░░ note members of this ░░░░░░░░ don t have to ░░░░░░░░ far and wide to ░░░░░░░░ who Jeff Sessions is ░░░░░░░░ ve known every day ░░░░░░░░ at this bench alongside ░░░░░░░░ I want to shift ░░░░░░░░ a different topic a ░░░░░░░░ I opened with the ░░░░░░░░ of the Department of ░░░░░░░░ The office of legal ░░░░░░░░ has a critical role ░░░░░░░░ vieding sound legal and ░░░░░░░░ advice to the attorney ░░░░░░░░ and the president We ░░░░░░░░ seen in eight years ░░░░░░░░ highly politicized olc Olc ░░░░░░░░ s given politically convenient ░░░░░░░░ whether on recess appointments ░░░░░░░░ executive amnesty and early ░░░░░░░░ perhaps that was started ░░░░░░░░ 2009 attorney general holder ░░░░░░░░ olc concerning legislation trying ░░░░░░░░ grant the distribute of ░░░░░░░░ representation in Congress It ░░░░░░░░ well be that that ░░░░░░░░ a message to olc ░░░░░░░░ opinions were to be ░░░░░░░░ and not legal in ░░░░░░░░ What will you do ░░░░░░░░ attorney general to restore ░░░░░░░░ and if I department ░░░░░░░░ the office of legal ░░░░░░░░ Senator Cruz I think ░░░░░░░░ short term political agenda ░░░░░░░░ that come from the ░░░░░░░░ of the law making ░░░░░░░░ and requirements of the ░░░░░░░░ of Justice just don ░░░░░░░░ make sejs It will ░░░░░░░░ in the long run ░░░░░░░░ more damaging than short ░░░░░░░░ gain that one might ░░░░░░░░ The office of legal ░░░░░░░░ all of us who ░░░░░░░░ in the department know ░░░░░░░░ a big time position ░░░░░░░░ need a mature smart ░░░░░░░░ person who understands this ░░░░░░░░ who understands the laws ░░░░░░░░ is principled and consistent ░░░░░░░░ their application of the ░░░░░░░░ That will help the ░░░░░░░░ it will help the ░░░░░░░░ it will help the ░░░░░░░░ people I do believe ░░░░░░░░ need to work hard ░░░░░░░░ have that and I ░░░░░░░░ do my best to ░░░░░░░░ we have it One ░░░░░░░░ question In the last ░░░░░░░░ years the Department of ░░░░░░░░ solicitor s general office ░░░░░░░░ also I believe been ░░░░░░░░ politicized and it sustained ░░░░░░░░ unprecedented number of in ░░░░░░░░ than mouse losses