Q: What’s in store for your work in the next Congress?
A: In January the 114th Congress will gavel to order under new leadership in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. In the New Year, I want the Senate to restore fiscal sanity to the appropriations process. Congress controls the purse strings. The electorate doesn’t want elected representatives to rubber stamp massive spending bills. Iowans rightfully expect lawmakers to do their homework and scrutinize the ins and outs of spending proposals so that taxpayers get the best value for the public services for which they are paying. The budgeting process also needs to take place in a timely way that allows for full and open debate, including amendments. The Senate is divided into committees for a reason. It gives lawmakers an opportunity to gain valuable expertise in policy areas. When Congress lurches from one massive spending scenario to the next year after year, it erodes the public trust and sets the stage for bad policy, mismanagement and overspending. In the next Congress, I will return to my senior assignments on the Senate Budget, Finance, Agriculture and Judiciary Committees. From these key leadership positions, I will continue my efforts to make the government work for the people, not the other way around.
Q: What are your expectations as chairman to lead the Senate Judiciary Committee?
A: I’ve served as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee since Iowans first elected me to the U.S. Senate. From this seat I have had the opportunity to examine and influence a broad range of public policy that has enormous impact on our free and open society, influencing the daily lives of Americans in ways big and small. In January I am slated to become only the second Iowan and the first-ever non-lawyer to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee has a historic responsibility to uphold the 225-year heritage of the federal judiciary. The Judiciary Act of 1789 established the federal court system, setting the platform for justice where the merits of individual rights, freedoms and liberties set forth by the Constitution and laws of the United States would be held sacred through the ages. Article III of the Constitution vests judicial powers of the United States in the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court retains original jurisdiction and appellate authority, serving as guardian of the Constitution to provide equal justice under the law. Within our unique system of checks and balances, the U.S. Senate gives its advice and consent to appoint lifetime justices nominated by the President. Under this leadership post, I also expect the committee to consider a broad range of public policy, including reforms to strengthen our immigration system, fine tune intellectual property and patent laws, consider changes to criminal law and procedures, civil justice reform, improve the juvenile justice system and sharpen transparency tools, such as the Freedom of Information Act. I plan to have the committee provide a highly visible platform to restore limited government and rein in regulatory overreach; conduct good government oversight, specifically efforts to identify, expose and curb waste, mismanagement and fraud; and strengthen whistleblower protection laws and the False Claims Act. I intend to actively restore the committee’s work to serve as a true check on the massive federal bureaucracy.