Last week, the Senate convened for the 114th Congress. It’s a new year with new commitments to being the deliberative body that the founders intended.
On Thursday, I was officially voted to be the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I’ve served on the Judiciary Committee since first being elected to the Senate. It’s a committee with broad jurisdiction over policy as well as oversight of many parts of the federal government within agencies such as the departments of Justice and Homeland Security. The panel is also noted for its role in vetting nominees to lifetime appointments to the federal judiciary.
My goal with the committee is to promote transparency and accountability. It’s time to restore the committee’s role as a true check on the massive and powerful federal bureaucracy. The committee should ask questions, demand answers and help hold the executive branch accountable for its actions. The American people deserve a federal government that works for them, not against them.
The committee’s agenda will focus on issues key to keeping America at the cutting edge of technology and business growth. We’ll work on legislation that enhances the economy and protects consumers; reduces regulatory burdens on businesses and curbs abuses to our civil justice system; shields kids from drugs and child predators; protects taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud and abuse; focuses on securing the border and improves legal immigration opportunities; and adapts our criminal laws to rapidly advancing technology.