Grassley Statement at Executive Business Meeting on Justice Dept. Nominee, U.S. Attorney Nominees, Child Protection Improvements Act

 

Good morning.

 

Today we will vote on the nomination of Jeffrey Clark to serve as the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division.

 

Mr. Clark has an impressive legal resume. He is currently a partner at Kirkland and Ellis here in D.C. where his practice focuses on administrative law, particularly in the environmental context. He also served as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, the division that he’s now nominated to lead.

 

The Committee received numerous letters of support for his nomination, including a bipartisan letter of support from heads of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, including those in the Clinton and Obama Administrations. So, he has the background, experience, and bipartisan support making him an excellent choice for the job.

 

Also, on today’s agenda are nominees to serve as United States Attorneys. Two of those nominees are fellow Iowa natives. One is Peter Deegan, nominated to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa. The other is Marc Krickbaum, nominated to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. Both of these nominees are incredibly well-qualified and have distinguished themselves with their legal education, professional experience, and demonstrated leadership.

 

Mr. Deegan has spent nearly his entire career as a federal prosecutor. He currently serves as the Criminal Chief at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cedar Rapids, so he is very well suited to lead the Office for the Northern District.

 

Mr. Krickbaum has also had a distinguished career as a federal prosecutor and government attorney. In addition to his prosecutorial experience, he served as Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General and as a Trial Attorney in the Civil Division at Main Justice. I’m pleased with both of these nominees and look forward to confirming them quickly.

 

We’ll also consider four other U.S. Attorney nominees:

 

- Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee

- Louis Franklin for the Middle District of Alabama

- Jessie Liu for the District of Columbia

- Richard Moore for the Southern District of Alabama.

 

The Child Protection Improvements Act of 2017 is on the agenda for the first time today, so it will be held over.

 

The Child Protection Improvements Act of 2017 is a bipartisan bill led by Senators Hatch and Franken. It will allow organizations that provide care, supervision, instruction, and recreation to children, the disabled, and the elderly to have access to nationwide FBI background checks of their employees, volunteers, and coaches at a reasonable cost.

 

This program was originally a pilot program authorized as part of the Adam Walsh Act. By making this program permanent, the bill will help ensure that the organizations that serve some of our most vulnerable communities do so using staff and volunteers that have been properly vetted.

 

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