WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), for the second time in one week, requested unanimous consent to confirm 10 U.S. Attorney nominees who advanced the Judiciary Committee by a voice vote after intense bipartisan vetting in Committee. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) objected to Grassley’s request and prevented the 10 U.S. Attorneys from being confirmed.
“As I explained just a few days ago, communities around our country are in desperate need of U.S. Attorneys to protect the public and uphold the rule of law. Eighty-one percent of Americans think that crime in large cities is a major problem,” Grassley said on the Senate floor.
“For months, I’ve repeatedly tried to engage my Democratic colleagues to end their obstruction. I’ve warned that their tactics ultimately hurt the American people and will lead to lasting damage to the Senate as an institution ... I’m disappointed that my Democratic colleagues have chosen to place partisan obstruction over public safety,” Grassley continued.
Since advancing through Committee months ago, these law enforcement nominees have languished on the Senate floor due to historic obstruction by Senate Democrat leadership, including an unprecedented blanket hold on all 93 U.S. Attorney seats. Following Schumer’s objection today, Grassley requested to unanimously confirm only two of the 10 U.S. Attorney nominees – Daniel Rosen to be U.S. Attorney for Minnesota and David Waterman to be U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa.
Rosen advanced Committee by voice vote, is supported by home state Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and would help manage the federal response to the Annunciation Catholic Church mass shooting – where two children were murdered and 18 others were injured. Waterman advanced Committee by voice vote this Congress. He was first nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney last Congress by former President Joe Biden. Schumer objected to this request as well.
Schumer and Judiciary Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) have vigorously opposed U.S. Attorney holds in the past, noting that these holds are “entirely unsustainable” and “make America less safe.”
“U.S. Attorneys and Marshals aren’t political positions – their job is literally to keep Americans safe. They are federal prosecutors. They are federal law enforcement... Delaying the appointment of U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Marshals over cheap partisan games ultimately makes Americans less safe and weakens law enforcement,” Schumer said on the Senate floor on February 16, 2022.
“[Senate Republicans] are putting us on the path to requiring cloture and confirmation votes for every U.S. Attorney nominee. This is entirely unsustainable, which is something everyone here knows. Without Senate-confirmed leadership of U.S. Attorneys, public safety will suffer across the United States,” Durbin said on the Senate floor on September 11, 2024.
The U.S. Attorney nominees who were blocked on the Senate floor include:
*Denotes a nominee who has received a blue slip from one or more Democrat senators.
A video and transcript of Grassley’s remarks are below.
Madam President, for the second time in a week, I’ve come to the floor to implore my Democratic colleagues to stop their partisan obstruction of public safety officials.
We have 10 highly qualified nominees on the Senate floor right now waiting for confirmation.
Several have blue slips from Democratic senators. All were reported to the floor by voice vote.
There’s no reason that we shouldn’t get them to work for the American people today.
As I explained just a few days ago, communities around our country are in desperate need of U.S. Attorneys to protect the public and uphold the rule of law.
Eighty-one percent of Americans think that crime in large cities is a major problem.
If we can agree to put partisanship aside, this body can take a tangible step to address this today by confirming 10 qualified law enforcement officers to their posts.
I’m disappointed that my Democratic colleagues have chosen to place partisan obstruction over public safety. I’m here again today to give my colleagues the chance to do the right thing.
This blanket obstruction of all nominees is a misguided attempt to score political points
I know that several of my Democratic colleagues agree with me, because just a few months ago some of them stood on the Senate floor and made the very same argument I’m making today.
In one speech last Congress, the Democratic Whip and Chairman of the Judiciary Committee said: “Don’t stand up and say you’re for law and order, you’re for law enforcement, and then turn around and stop the appointment of U.S. attorneys.”
In another speech, the same senator said: “Our communities desperately need top federal prosecutors in place. Interested in stopping fentanyl? I am. Thousands of people are dying. Who’s going to prosecute those cases?The U.S. Attorneys – 93 of them across the United States. But you can’t prosecute the case if you don’t have the U.S. Attorney there to lead the effort, coordinate the effort with other branches of government.”
My Democratic colleagues continue to claim that their obstruction is justified because two Republican senators placed holds on some U.S. Attorneys in the last administration
This comparison is apples and oranges.
One of the senators relented on his hold and allowed the U.S. Attorneys to be confirmed by voice. The other senator ultimately only blocked five U.S. Attorneys.
A handful of U.S. Attorneys being held last Congress – which I opposed – isn’t comparable to the blanket hold of all 93 U.S. Attorneys that we’re facing today.
The strategy this Congress is orchestrated by Senate Democratic leadership, and is part of a broader, Senate-wide assault on the functioning of the executive branch.
For months, I’ve repeatedly tried to engage my Democratic colleagues to end their obstruction.
I’ve warned that their tactics ultimately hurt the American people and will lead to lasting damage to the Senate as an institution.
I’ve even offered a compromise where we hold five roll call votes to compensate for the five nominees returned to the President at the end of the Biden administration.
To my great disappointment, my Democratic colleagues haven’t relented from their strategy. I hope they’ll relent today.
I mentioned last week that one of the U.S. Attorneys being held up is Daniel Rosen, nominated to the District of Minnesota.
Mr. Rosen was reported out of Committee by voice vote. He’s supported by his home state senators, Klobuchar and Smith.
He’s a qualified nominee.
He should be responding to the horrific mass shooting of children at Annunciation Catholic Church, but instead he’s languishing on the Senate floor as a pawn of partisan obstruction.
This needs to end, and it needs to end today.
I will now ask unanimous consent to confirm the 10 U.S. Attorneys who have been reported out of Committee.
I hope that my Democratic colleagues will allow these nominees to get to work.
Debate and disagreement about policy is to be expected, but it should never come at the expense of public safety.
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