Durbin’s and Judiciary Democrats’ floor speeches come ahead of Bondi’s confirmation vote and after the Trump Administration forced out dozens of DOJ and FBI officials this weekend and is now threatening additional action against thousands of employees across the country who worked on investigations related to January 6 and President Trump
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke out against Pam Bondi, President Trump’s Attorney General nominee, ahead of her confirmation vote. In his remarks, Durbin cited concerns over Ms. Bondi’s ability to act as an independent Attorney General. These concerns are especially pertinent as the Trump Administration purges dozens of senior career civil servants at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—including longtime nonpartisan leaders of the government’s counterterrorism and counterespionage efforts—further exemplifying the need for an independent DOJ.
Durbin was joined on the Senate floor by Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to speak out against Ms. Bondi’s nomination before the Senate proceeds to her confirmation vote.
“Shortly, Senate Republicans will confirm the nomination of Pam Bondi to serve as Attorney General and lead the Department of Justice in the new Administration. Yesterday, I came to the Senate floor to discuss the Trump Administration’s decision to purge Justice Department officials and warn that Ms. Bondi’s record suggests that she will aid in this effort to pack the Department of Justice with loyalists seeking retribution against President Trump’s political rivals,” Durbin said. “Since the Watergate era, there has been bipartisan support for the principle that the Department of Justice investigations and prosecutions must be independent from the White House. Over the years, both Republicans and Democrats have asked many individuals seeking the office of Attorney General one basic question—would you be willing to tell the President ‘no?’ Given that Ms. Bondi—when speaking about President Trump’s criminal indictments—threatened ‘the prosecutors will be prosecuted’ and ‘the investigators will be investigated,’ I have serious doubts about her willingness to really say ‘no’ to this President.”
Durbin went on to outline that his concerns are even more pressing because, over the last 16 days, the Trump Administration has purged dozens of senior career law enforcement officials at the Department of Justice and FBI. This purge has been particularly focused on dedicated, nonpartisan prosecutors and investigators working in the National Security Division and the FBI.
“On its first day, the Trump Administration removed or reassigned as many as 20 experienced professionals with invaluable national security expertise without any comparable replacements, including the veteran career deputy assistant attorneys general in the National Security Division… Those who have been reassigned are reportedly being put in roles concerning immigration enforcement, for which they have little expertise… Since then, dozens more senior officials have been removed,” Durbin said. “This shameless partisan retribution is only the beginning. It has been reported that the future FBI Director will be guided by an advisory committee composed of solely partisan political operators, including an associate of Elon Musk… These actions will cripple FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country by increasing the caseload for the remaining agents, dramatically slowing down critical investigations and prosecutions.”
Durbin continued, “As America faces a heightened threat landscape, these shocking removals and reassignments of hundreds of employees deprive the Department of Justice and the FBI of experienced leadership and decades of experience fighting violent crime, espionage, and terrorism.”
Durbin concluded, “For years, my Republican colleagues have claimed they ‘Back the Blue,’ and accused Democrats of being ‘soft on crime.’ We’ve heard it over and over and over. But now, as President Trump is gutting our nation’s law enforcement agencies and putting our national security at risk, my Republican colleagues do not complain—they are nowhere to be found. Instead of condemning these actions, they will likely come to the Senate floor tonight and confirm an individual to lead the Department of Justice who is in lockstep with this policy of President Trump—and was chosen for the role specifically because she’s loyal. I urge my colleagues to consider what a danger President Trump and Pam Bondi present to this nation. I will oppose her confirmation and hope my colleagues will do the same.”
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
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