Grassley Statement at an Executive Business Meeting

 

Good morning.  We’ve requested that the judicial nominees on the markup for the first time be held over. I understand we’re able to voice vote the two U.S. Marshal nominees on the agenda.

 

I also want to say a word about the nomination of Rich DiZinno, who served as my chief counsel for national security and crime. I’m happy to see that his nomination to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board is receiving a vote today. Having served in the Justice Department, he knows that the government has a duty to its citizens. It has a responsibility to protect them. He also understands the need to protect civil liberties and privacy. I’m also confident that Rich understands how to work in a bipartisan and nonpartisan way. He did it repeatedly while working on this committee. I think it’s important that he’ll bring that ability to the Board.

 

I want to say a few words on some of the bipartisan bills that have worked their way through this committee and through the Senate.

 

First, this committee has discharged the EAGLES Act, and it’s currently on the hotline to pass the Senate. I’ve worked with the parents of victims from Parkland, Florida, with the Attorneys General of 40 states, with ten Senate cosponsors from both sides of the aisle, and with a bipartisan team, including Representatives Deutch and Diaz-Balart, in the House to move this bill forward. The bill will give the Secret Service the resources they need to help organizations who voluntarily request training on the signs of when a person is mobilizing toward violence and interdict them, particularly if they require mental health care. It’s long past time that the community organizations that want this training finally be able to get it, so that future tragedies can be prevented. I hope this bill will pass the Senate soon.

 

Second, with Senators Feinstein and Schatz, I’ve led a bill to expand cannabis research. This bill has passed the Senate, and now the House, with a few revisions. I look forward to it passing the Senate again and becoming law.

 

Last, the Senate passed two House police week bills before the beginning of the last recess. One was the House companion of a bill that I cosponsored with Senator Ossoff, giving resources to police to deal with victims of traumatic brain injury. But the House has not moved on the four pro-police bills sent over by the Senate after being voted out by this committee. That includes a bill I lead with Senator Coons, to help police combat PTSD, and one I lead with Senator Cortez Masto, to fund small police departments, as well as another two led by Senators Cornyn and Whitehouse.

 

We’ve all read the news reports that some House members don’t want to see these pro-police bills move forward. I hope these reports are wrong and the House will soon do us the same courtesy we did them, and pass our police week bills.