Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Second Day Of Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing For President-Elect Trump's Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Second Day Of Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing For President-Elect Trump's Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during the second day of the Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing for Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump's pick to be Attorney General of the United States. Today's hearing will feature testimony from outside witnesses.

To watch Durbin's questions to Ms. Bondi during yesterday's first round of questioning in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, click here, and to watch Durbin's questions to Ms. Bondi during the second round of questioning in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, click here.

Key Quotes:

"There are still some outstanding issues from yesterday's hearing that I'm struggling with. Let's start with a very important issue: who won the election in 2020? Why are we still asking that question? You would think that would be over. The reason why that is still a relevant question is it gets to the heart of our democracy, the peaceful transition from one president to a new president by the will of the people without resistance and without denial."

"Ms. Bondi was unable to just expressly [say] 'yes, Joe Biden received more votes than Donald Trump and was elected president in 2020.' Why is that such a hard question? I don't understand. Why couldn't she state plainly that is what happened? When a nominee for Attorney General is afraid to state a simple fact, then what does it say about the future of our democracy and the credibility of our system of justice?"

"She also said 'there was a peaceful transition of power.' Let me repeat that. 'A peaceful transition of power.' [Have you] seen the videotapes? What happened here on January 6?... Now [I want to] reflect for a moment on January 6, 2021, and what we went through. All of us went through individually. Being spirited out of the Capitol building, taken to a safe place because of a mob. That was not a 'peaceful transition of power.' The men and women in uniform who will protect us in this chamber and throughout these buildings day in and day out. God bless them. But what they went through on January 6 is an outrage. Attacks on them, several lost their life as a consequence of what they went through, many forced into retirement, and hundreds of people were arrested for trespassing and much more serious crimes."

"Donald Trump characterizes them [insurrectionists] as 'political prisoners.' The people who attacked our policemen are characterized as 'political prisoners' and he promises that he is going to give a pardon to all of them on the day that he is sworn into office. I asked a basic question of Ms. Bondi as the chief law enforcement officer, which she would be as Attorney General, 'what do you think about the pardons?' She wouldn't comment. She made it clear she stood behind the police, but she could make it [more] clear by saying to Donald Trump 'this is a bad idea.'"

"And then this Kash Patel issue… One of the things he's said is that he has an 'enemies list.' Secret police agencies throughout history have enemies. The American FBI does not and should not. I think there are serious questions about this man, his judgment, and his political values that he would bring to office. Yesterday, Ms. Bondi embraced him, saying 'this person is right for the job.' I certainly don't feel that way."

"The question is when Donald Trump knocks on her door as Attorney General, and he will-[he will] ask her to do something that is going to be a challenge ethically or morally. It is just in his nature. He views that office [DOJ] as an office he personally controls. He doesn't. The American people and the Constitution control that office, and we have to resolve whether or not Ms. Bondi is the person to be the next Attorney General."

Durbin then introduced the minority outside witness panel, which included Lisa Gilbert, who is the Co-President of Public Citizen, a non-profit organization with more than 500,000 members and supporters across the country; and Mary McCord, who is the Executive Director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, a Visiting Professor of Law at Georgetown Law Center, and a former Department of Justice official.

Video of Durbin's opening statement is available here.

Audio of Durbin's opening statement is available here.

Footage of Durbin's opening statement is available here for TV Stations.

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