atch Urges Confirmation of Senator Jeff Sessions for Attorney General on Senate Floor
“Senator Sessions will bring more hands-on experience to the leadership of the Justice Department than any of the 83 men and women who have occupied the post of Attorney General.”
WASHINGTON – Senator Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, urged Senate colleagues to join him in supporting the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama to serve the next Attorney General of the United States during a speech on the Senate Floor on Thursday. Senator Hatch, a former chairman and current member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Senator Sessions early in the week to discuss the nomination.
The speech focused on Senator Sessions’s long record of serious policymaking, strengthening law enforcement, and keeping American communities safe.
On the need to reform the Department of Justice:
…The Justice Department has lost its way. It has gone off course. The Justice Department has become partial rather than impartial, unfair rather than fair. It has become political rather than independent, partisan rather than objective. The Justice Department has enabled the executive branch’s campaign to exceed its constitutional powers, while ignoring Congress’ proper and legitimate role of oversight.
On Senator Sessions’s strong qualifications for the role of Attorney General:
Senator Sessions will bring more hands-on experience to the leadership of the Justice Department than any of the 83 men and women who have occupied the post of Attorney General. He was a federal prosecutor for 18 years, 12 of them as United States Attorney. He has also served on the Judiciary Committee since he was first elected two decades ago. In other words, he has been directly involved in both the development and implementation of criminal justice policy – a combination unmatched by any Attorney General since the office was created in 1789. His service in this body, and on the committee of jurisdiction over the Department, is especially important because a respectful and productive working relationship with Congress has never been more important.
On Democrats’ campaign to attack Senator Sessions:
The critics do not challenge Senator Sessions’s qualifications. They do not question the conclusions, like I have mentioned here today, of those who know more about Senator Sessions’s fitness to be Attorney General than anyone in this chamber. Instead, they traffic in rumor, innuendo, and smear. They take a comment here, a decision there, from years or even decades in the past, and use their media allies to transform these bits and pieces into what appear to be full-fledged stories.
The text of the speech is below.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, before the 114th Congress adjourns, I want to take a minute to put on the record my strong support for the nomination of our distinguished colleague, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, to be the next Attorney General of the United States.
Thomas Jefferson once wrote that government's most sacred duty is "to do equal and impartial justice to all its citizens." This ideal is also reflected in the Justice Department’s own mission statement, which I have here:
To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans."
No one believes in this mission more, no one understands better what this mission requires, than Jeff Sessions.
Unfortunately, Mr. President, the Justice Department has lost its way. It has gone off course. The Justice Department has become partial rather than impartial, unfair rather than fair. It has become political rather than independent, partisan rather than objective. The Justice Department has enabled the executive branch’s campaign to exceed its constitutional powers, while ignoring Congress’ proper and legitimate role of oversight.
This decline, this corrosion, contributes to a steady loss of trust in government generally, and in the justice system specifically. According to the Pew Research Center, public trust in government is at a record low. Polls like this are not asking whether government is doing a good job, but whether our fellow citizens actually trust government. Fewer than one in five say that they trust government most of the time. The Gallup organization asked Americans how much of the time they can trust government here in Washington to do what is right. They, too, found that a record low percentage have that trust most of the time.
Reversing this decline, and trying to rebuild this trust, requires getting back to the essential ingredients in the Justice Department’s mission statement. The fair and impartial administration of justice, being guided by the law rather than politics, these are basic, fundamental principles that it appears are easier said than done.
Senator Sessions will bring more hands-on experience to the leadership of the Justice Department than any of the 83 men and women who have occupied the post of Attorney General. He was a federal prosecutor for 18 years, 12 of them as United States Attorney. He has also served on the Judiciary Committee since he was first elected two decades ago. In other words, he has been directly involved in both the development and implementation of criminal justice policy – a combination unmatched by any Attorney General since the office was created in 1789.
His service in this body, and on the committee of jurisdiction over the Department, is especially important because a respectful and productive working relationship with Congress has never been more important.
Mr. President, no one knows more what the office of Attorney General requires than those who have actually served in that office. I have a letter signed by 10 former Attorneys General and Deputy Attorneys General, who served over the past three decades, and ask consent that it appear in the record following my remarks.
Some of these officials knew and worked with Senator Sessions when he was U.S. Attorney, others since he joined us here in the Senate. They all share the same conclusion:
“All of us know him as a person of honesty and integrity, who has held himself to the highest ethical standards throughout his career, and is guided always by a deep and abiding sense of duty to this nation and its founding charter.”
I ask my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, whether there is a better description of the kind of person we want in public office generally but leading the Justice Department in particular.
Let me say a word about Senator Sessions’s work on the Judiciary Committee. I have worked with him in that capacity for 20 years, including when he served as Ranking Member. We have worked together on dozens of bills to improve forensic science services for law enforcement, promote community policing, help child abuse victims, and prevent gun crimes. He is a serious legislator who knows that prosecutors and law enforcement need common sense, workable policies from lawmakers to help keep communities safe and protect the rights of all Americans.
I also received a letter from a bipartisan group of eight men and women who have served as Director of National Drug Control Policy or as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. I ask consent that this letter appear in the record following my remarks. Here is what they say:
“His distinguished career as a prosecutor…earned him a reputation as a tough, determined professional who has been dedicated to the appropriate enforcement of the rule of law. His exemplary record of service in law enforcement demonstrates that he is a protector of civil rights and defender of crime victims.”
Again, I ask my colleagues whether there is a better description of the kind of leader America needs at the Justice Department. I ask my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, who would have a better informed, more comprehensive knowledge of Senator Sessions’s fitness to be Attorney General?
Before I conclude, I want to address what is already shaping up to be an ugly propaganda offensive against this fine nominee. I have served in this body under both Republican and Democratic Presidents, under both Republican and Democratic Senate leadership. I have actively participated in the confirmation process since I first came here, including for the appointment of 12 attorneys General of both parties. In that time, I have seen the steady degradation of the confirmation process. And I have seen before the tactics that are already being used in a vain attempt to undermine this nomination.
The critics do not challenge Senator Sessions’s qualifications. They do not question the conclusions, like I have mentioned here today, of those who know more about Senator Sessions’s fitness to be Attorney General than anyone in this chamber. Instead, they traffic in rumor, innuendo, and smear. They take a comment here, a decision there, from years or even decades in the past, and use their media allies to transform these bits and pieces into what appear to be full-fledged stories.
The critics know that people who might read these so-called news stories will not know the rest of the story, the context for a statement, or facts that the media choose to ignore. In fact, these critics are actually counting on people not knowing the whole story. Such a cynical, dishonest campaign is not about the truth, it is not about a fair evaluation of the President-elect’s nominee to be Attorney General. To be honest, these tactics are really not about Senator Sessions at all, but about the power of those who are using these tactics. They have to mark their territory, flex their muscle, and show that they are still a force to be reckoned with. If such things as fairness, integrity, truth, or decency have to be sacrificed in that power struggle, so be it.
The media have a lot at stake if they choose to cooperate with this smear campaign. The liberal propaganda machine is already churning and the tactics are sadly fami
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Hatch Speaks on the Importance of the F-35 and Utah’s Role in our National Defense
Washington, D.C.—Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, spoke on video today about the indispensable role the F-35 plays in our national defense strategy and his plans to convey the importance of this program to the President-elect.
"I've been in regular communication with the President-elect on a number of issues related to his agenda, including national security. In future conversations, I plan to emphasize the superior capabilities of the F-35 and the indispensable role this aircraft plays in our national defense strategy. The F-35 has overcome many of the inevitable problems that occur when fielding any new fighter. Thanks in no small part to the extraordinary work of the men and women at Hill Air Force Base, the F-35 is now operational and ready for combat.”
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atch to Hold Teen Suicide Prevention Roundtable in Salt Lake City
WASHINGTON—Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the senior Republican in the United States Senate, will convene a roundtable discussion in Salt Lake City on December 16, 2016 to address the issue of teenage suicide. Senator Hatch has invited experts in health, education, behavioral studies, and local government to participate in order to learn more about initiatives in this field, identify ways to increase collaboration, and generate thought-provoking dialogue on prevention and treatment. Information on participating organizations can be found below.
“In less than a decade, teen suicide has nearly tripled in Utah, and far too many grieving families are left wondering why. Local leaders are rising to the challenge with new, creative prevention and support efforts. I appreciate their efforts, and I am committed to supporting them on behalf of Utah families.”
Background: In July the Utah Department of Health released a study indicating that suicide had become the leading cause of death for Utahns between the ages of 10-17, and that Utah had the 8th highest youth suicide rate in the U.S. for the years 2012-15. Throughout his term of service, Senator Hatch has championed a number of efforts to support youth and families, including improving the foster care and adoption system, fighting Utah’s opioid crisis, reforming the juvenile justice system, improving outcomes for homeless youth, finding new ways to address the needs of high-risk, disadvantaged, and delinquent youth, and improving mental healthcare.
Who:
Senator Orrin Hatch
State Rep. Daniel Thatcher
State Rep. Steve Eliason
State Rep. Justin Fawson
Representatives from the following organizations:
The University of Utah
Intermountain HealthCare
Utah State Board of Education
Hope4Utah
National Alliance on Mental Illness
University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute
Primary Children’s Medical Center
Department of Health
Utah Navajo Health System
Syracuse High
What:
Roundtable discussion on the topic of teen suicide prevention
When:
December 16th, 2016
1 PM
Where:
Ballroom, East High School
840 S 1300 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
Media:
As a primary purpose of the event is to draw attention to the issue and to prevention efforts and resources, the event will be open to the media.Please RSVP to Matt Whitlock.
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With Victory on Health Reforms for Utahns, Senator Hatch Passes His 46th Bill this Congress—More Than Any Other Senator
“If we were able to achieve this much in a divided government with a President who rarely sought to work with Congress, imagine what we will can achieve with a President eager to work with us"
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Last week, Senate President Pro Tempore Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., signed the 21st Century Cures Act—a historic bipartisan proposal that will bring together every part of the scientific and medical communities to address the most pressing issues facing patients around the country. The legislation, which the President will soon sign into law, is a major step towards finding cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. The bill contains several key provisions written by Senator Hatch that will directly impact Utah, including measures to facilitate antibiotic research, improve health information technology, prevent teen suicide, and help those suffering from rare diseases.
The 21st Century Cures Act is an expansive legislative package that includes six of Senator Hatch’s bills, bringing the total number of bills the Senator has passed this Congress to 46—more than any other Senator. To put this number in perspective, the average number of bills passed by other Senators is 21. Senator Hatch already holds the distinction of being among the most successful legislators of modern times, having passed more laws than any Senator alive today. But in terms of legislation passed, the 114thCongress may be his most productive yet.
Senator Hatch signing the historic 21st Century Cures Act
“My focus in the Senate has always been to deliver legislative results that reflect Utah’s values. I’m pleased to have done so on a wide range of issues in the 114th Congress. With landmark reforms that give local leaders in Utah decision-making power over education, a long-term infrastructure plan that enables Utah to complete major highway projects without raising taxes or adding a dime to the deficit, a health bill that will allow rural Utahns to access the same high-quality health care services patients receive in large metropolitan hospitals, and important tech and innovation legislation that supports jobs all over the state of Utah—just to name a few—I’ve sought to bring people together, find areas of common ground, and develop serious solutions to the problems Utahns face. If we were able to achieve this much in a divided government with a President who rarely sought to work with Congress, imagine what we will can achieve with a President eager to work with us.”
Senator Hatch has spoken to the President-elect several times on a number of issues critical to our nation’s future—from Mr. Trump’s policy agenda to potential Supreme Court and cabinet nominations., and as the Wall Street Journal reported last week, Senator Hatch will be a crucial influence on the new administration. Just last week, Hatch met with the President-elect’s nominees for Attorney General, Secretary of Transportation,Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Secretary of the Treasury.
Last Thursday, Senator Hatch also had the opportunity to sign the ECHO Act, his major rural health bill that passed unanimously in the House and Senate and is now on its way to the President’s desk.
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tah Test and Training Range, Gold King Mine Spill, and Utah Art Museums: 3 Hatch Bills that Passed in the Closing Hours of the 114th Congress
Washington, D.C.—Last Friday night, just prior to the close of the 114th Congress, three of Senator Hatch’s most critical bills passed unanimously and are now headed to the President’s desk. These three pieces of legislation address some of Utah’s most urgent priorities, including authorization of the land transfer for the Utah Test and Training Range, provisions to hold the EPA Accountable for the Gold King Mine spill, and much-needed protections for the foreign art on display in Utah’s art museums.
Senator Hatch Signing 27 bills in 30 Seconds
Also available: Bill Signing B-Roll Video
“My focus in the Senate has always been to deliver legislative results that reflect Utah’s values,” Hatch said. “I’m pleased to have done so on a wide range of issues in the 114th Congress. With landmark reforms that give local leaders in Utah decision-making power over education, a long-term infrastructure plan that enables Utah to complete major highway projects without raising taxes or adding a dime to the deficit, a health bill that will allow rural Utahns to access the same high-quality health care services patients receive in large metropolitan hospitals, and important tech and innovation legislation that supports jobs all over the state of Utah—just to name a few—I’ve sought to bring people together, find areas of common ground, and develop serious solutions to the problems Utahns face. If we were able to achieve this much in a divided government with a President who rarely sought to work with Congress, imagine what we can achieve with a President eager to work with us.”
Utah Test and Training Range Enhancement
After several years of work behind the scenes with local leaders in Utah, Senator Hatch was able to see his Utah Test and Training Range enhancement proposal included in the National Defense Authorization Act. The state-federal West Deseret land exchange covers 625,643 acres, and is necessary to accommodate the needs of 5th Generation Aircraft and Weapons like the F-35. The proposal will add additional resources and revenue to our public school system by enabling the transfer of certain federal lands from the Bureau of Land Management into the state-owned school trust lands system.
Senator Hatch at an event welcoming the F-35 to Hill Air Force Base in Utah. Expansion of the Utah Test and Training Range was absolutely necessary to accommodate the needs of 5th Generation Aircraft like the F-35.
In an op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune, Hatch wrote:
The Utah Test and Training Range at Hill Air Force Base (UTTR) provides essential resources and capabilities for the United States Air Force. Here, our service members prepare and learn to adapt to constantly evolving foreign threats by training with the latest "fifth-generation" weapons systems. The F-22 Raptor and the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter are among the critical systems that utilize the UTTR. But these new weapons, which are more sophisticated and are steadily entering into operational use, require greater capacity than what the UTTR has provided over the last 60 years.
To retain these important weapons systems in Utah, we need an expansion that maintains public access and upgrades the UTTR. The long-term viability of the UTTR and Hill Air Force Base — one of Utah’s largest employers — depends on it. I have spent much of the last year working on a proposal that will improve the UTTR’s capabilities with minimal effect on land use and access to the land surrounding the range.
I am confident that we can provide the tools to meet our national security needs, generate additional funding for Utah’s public schools and protect Utahns’ access and ability to use public lands surrounding the UTTR.
Hatch’s proposal, along with the rest of the National Defense Authorization Act, with its critical funding for our military families and defense capabilities in Utah and around the world, will be signed into law by President Obama in the coming weeks. You can find out more about Hatch’s proposal here.
Holding the EPA Accountable for the Gold King Mine spill
Senator Hatch’s proposal to hold the EPA accountable for the Gold King Mine Spill was included in the Senate’s Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which passed the Senate late Friday night and will also be signed into law by the President in coming weeks.
“Last year the EPA inadvertently spilled millions of gallons of waste into the Animas River in Colorado, exposing the waterways and surrounding environment to toxic heavy metals,” said Hatch. “This spill had a significant adverse impact on many downstream communities and businesses throughout multiple Western states—including Utah. My proposal holds the EPA accountable by instructing the agency to reimburse the states and tribes that were negatively affected by this disaster.
This legislation expedites payments to state and tribal entities that assumed response costs associated with the Animas River spill and directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work with affected states, communities and tribes on a long-term water quality monitoring program of rivers contaminated by the spill.
Keeping Borrowed Artwork Safe While Exhibited in the U.S.
One of the final bills considered in the 114th Congress was Senator Hatch’s Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act, which keeps borrowed artwork safe while on display in the United States. This legislation is particularly important to Utah museums, including the Utah Museum of Fine Arts at the University of Utah, and the Museum of Art at Brigham Young University.
Lending art for exhibition could expose a foreign government to a lawsuit over art and cultural objects still in the possession of that government. Individual art museums, and the Association of Art Museum Directors, report that this confusion is a disincentive for foreign governments to lend art for exhibition in the United States. The bill states that if a foreign government loans art that is reviewed by the State Department, the exhibition will not be the basis for a lawsuit.
The Director of the BYU Museum of Art and the Executive Director of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts at the University of Utah wrote an op-ed about the importance of this bill:
Salt Lake Tribune: Utah museums need immunity law so Utahns can see more art
In Utah and across America, individuals and families flock to museums to enjoy exhibitions of art and cultural objects. Especially when these works come from around the world, these displays offer an experience that many would never otherwise have and certainly will never forget. Congress is considering legislation to ensure that these opportunities continue.
Our institutions and the Utah Museums Association join hundreds of museums and associations across the country in supporting this legislation. This small bill will reap big benefits for Utahns and Americans everywhere.
