Grassley Statement on Re-Nominations and Iowa US Marshal Nominee

 

Good morning. First, I’d like to welcome the new members to the Committee, Senators Booker and Harris. I understand that Senator Booker is unable to be here this morning due to a prior commitment, but I extend my warm welcome to both of them. I look forward to working with each of you on issues that matter deeply to us and to the Committee.

 

I was proud of the good work that the Committee did last year, from confirming an excellent Supreme Court Justice and 12 Circuit Court judges, to enacting the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act and passing Kevin and Avonte’s Law. I look forward to working with all the members of the Committee this year to continue to fill judicial vacancies and pass good legislation that makes America safer and stronger.

 

Turning now to today’s agenda. We’re considering a large number of nominees, most of whom have been through the Committee already. These nominees received hearings and Committee votes last year, but they were not yet confirmed by the full Senate. When we adjourned in December, there would normally have been a unanimous consent agreement to disregard the rule that unconfirmed nominees would not be sent back to the White House.

 

Unfortunately, the minority allowed only some of the nominees to remain in the Senate. Many nominees were sent back to the White House. Today, the Committee has before it those nominees who were then re-nominated by the White House this year.

 

Because these nominees were re-nominated, rather than simply carried over to this year, they must be considered by the Committee again, even if their nominations had already been sent to the Senate floor.

 

Past Chairmen haven’t required that these nominees appear before the whole Committee for a hearing again, but I am allowing the new Members of the Committee to have an opportunity to submit Questions for the Record to any of the nominees before us, if they’d like the chance to do so. I’ve requested that they submit their questions by close of business tomorrow.

 

Today, we’ll vote to send to the full Senate the nominations of one District Court nominee, two US Attorney nominees, and two US Marshal nominees.

 

One of the US Marshal nominees on the agenda today is Mr. Ted Kamatchus for the Southern District of Iowa. I’m proud to support his nomination. He has a distinguished record of public service in Iowa. He began his career as a police officer for the Le Center, Waterville, and Marshalltown Police Departments, where he served as an officer for nearly two decades.

 

Since 1988, he’s served as Sheriff for the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office. He’s been a member of the National Sheriff’s Association since 1989, the Iowa State Sheriff’s and Deputies Association since 1988, as well as involvement with many other law enforcement organizations.

 

Mr. Kamatchus has received dozens of awards from a wide range of organizations throughout his distinguished career, and I believe he’ll make an excellent US Marshal and urge all my colleagues to support his nomination today.

 

The minority has requested we hold over the re-nominations this week, which is their right to do. So, the following nominees will be held over:

 

-          Elizabeth Branch, Eleventh Circuit

-          Kyle Duncan, Fifth Circuit

-          David Stras, Eighth Circuit

-          Annemarie Axon, Northern District of Alabama

-          Stan Baker, Southern District of Georgia

-          Jeffrey Beaverstock, Southern District of Alabama

-          Liles Burke, Northern District of Alabama

-          Thomas Farr, Eastern District of North Carolina

-          Charles Goodwin, Western District of Oklahoma

-          Michael Juneau, Western District of Louisiana

-          Matthew Kacsmaryk [KAZ-MAR-ICK], Northern District of Texas

-          Emily Marks, Middle District of Alabama

-          Terry Moorer, Southern District of Alabama

-          Mark Norris, Western District of Tennessee

-          William Ray, Northern District of Georgia

-          Eli Richardson, Middle District of Tennessee

-          Holly Teeter, District of Kansas

-          Brian Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division

-          Jeffrey Clark, Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division

-          Eric Dreiband, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division

 

I’ll now turn to Senator Feinstein for her remarks.

 

-30-