Grassley Statement Ahead of Votes on Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Judicial Nominations
Prepared
Statement by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Chairman,
Senate Judiciary Committee
Executive
Business Meeting
October 19,
2017
Good
morning. Today, we have a number of nominees on the agenda.
We
have several nominees on the agenda for the first time today. The minority has
requested that they be held over, so the nominations of the following are held
over:
- Stephanos Bibas, 3rd Circuit
- Allison Eid, 10th Circuit Judge
- Liles Burke, Northern District of Alabama
- Walter Counts, Western District of Texas
- Michael Juneau, Western District of Louisiana
- Marvin Quattlebaum, District of South Carolina
- Karen Scholer, Northern District of Texas
- Tilman Self, Middle District of Georgia
We
also have 5 US Attorney nominees on today’s agenda who we’ll be able to vote
on.
Additionally,
we’ll vote on the nominee to lead the National Security Division at the
Department of Justice as well as 4 District Court nominees.
Mr.
Demers is nominated to serve as the Assistant Attorney General for the National
Security Division. As noted during his nominations hearing, Mr. Demers has the
strong bipartisan support of all prior Assistant Attorneys General for the
National Security Division at the Department of Justice, from both the Bush and
Obama administrations. This strong bipartisan support is a testament to
his impeccable background in national security.
Following
graduation from Harvard Law School, a Supreme Court clerkship with Justice
Scalia, and a career in private practice, Mr. Demers helped to stand up the
National Security Division when it was first created and has held leadership
roles at the Department of Justice and in the private sector at the Boeing Company.
The
4 District Court nominees are also all well qualified and have diverse legal
experience. Ms. Axon has civil litigation experience in both district and
circuit courts and has extensive pro bono work in her community. Mr. Brown has
experience as a prosecutor and in private practice. Judge Ray has a
distinguished career as an attorney, state legislator, and state judge. As a
legislator, he created Heidi’s Law, which significantly reformed Georgia’s DUI
Laws. As a judge, he created the drug court in the county in which he presides.
Senator
Tillis may have more to say about Mr. Farr, but he too, is an accomplished
attorney with experience as a law clerk, as counsel in the US Senate, and in
private practice. I look forward to advancing all these nominations to the
Floor today.
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