Business meeting to consider the nominations of Rebecca L. Taibleson, of Wisconsin, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit, David A. Bragdon and Lindsey Ann Freeman, both to be a United States District Judge for the Middle District of North Carolina, Robert P. Chamberlin and James D. Maxwell II, both to be a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Mississippi, Matthew E. Orso and Susan Courtwright Rodriguez, both to be a United States District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina, Sara Bailey, of Texas, to be Director of National Drug Control Policy, Braden Boucek, to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee for the term of four years, Dominick Gerace II, to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio for the term of four years, Jerome Francis Gorgon, Jr., to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan for the term of four years, James Kruger, to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi for the term of four years, Scott Leary, to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi for the term of four years, Bryan Stirling, to be United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina for the term of four years, Thomas Wheeler II, to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana for the term of four years, Thomas Albus, to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri for the term of four years, and Adam Mildred, of Indiana, to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana for the term of four years.

2025-10-09

Summary

The meeting focused primarily on voting for several judicial and executive nominations, but was frequently sidetracked by contentious debates over political violence, the limits of federal power, and the conduct of recent committee hearings with the Attorney General. Chairman Grassley introduced 17 nominations, with votes scheduled for 11, including district judges, a Director of National Drug Control Policy, and US Attorneys.[ 00:26:59-00:27:51 ]

Before proceeding with the votes, several senators used their opening remarks to address broader political issues and criticize the administration's actions and the behavior of witnesses in prior hearings.[ 00:28:21-00:28:45 ]

Themes

Judicial and Executive Nominations

The committee proceeded with votes on numerous nominations, including Rebecca Tabelson, David Bragdon, Lindsey Ann Freeman, and Matthew Orso as District Judges, and several US Attorney nominees.[ 00:27:20-00:27:51 ]

Sarah Carter Bailey's nomination for Director of National Drug Control Policy faced strong opposition from Senator Durbin, who questioned her qualifications and alleged her main asset was loyalty to the president. Conversely, Senator Blackburn endorsed Braden Busack for US Attorney, highlighting his extensive experience as a prosecutor. Despite some objections, the majority of the nominees passed through the committee, typically with vote margins such as 12-10 or 15-7.[ 00:50:22-00:50:23 ]

Political Violence and DOJ Oversight

Chairman Grassley initiated a discussion on what he termed a "surge of political violence" from predominantly left-wing groups, citing specific incidents and accusing the judiciary and politicians of being too lenient towards criminals.[ 00:28:21-00:28:57 ]

He also raised concerns about the "Arctic Frost" investigation, alleging that the Biden FBI had politically weaponized investigations, including targeting Republican senators by seeking their toll data.[ 00:30:37-00:30:41 ] Grassley asserted that emails from whistleblowers indicated political bias and that "Arctic Frost" was a "fishing expedition."[ 01:11:18-01:11:56 ] Senator Whitehouse countered, stating that the investigation targeted the ransacking of the Capitol, which was a legitimate law enforcement action, and clarified that senators appearing in toll records as part of a larger investigation does not necessarily imply wrongdoing.[ 01:00:43-01:01:19 ] [ 01:02:00-01:02:39 ]

Federal Authority vs. State Objections

A significant point of contention was President Trump's deployment of the Texas National Guard to Illinois, which Senator Durbin condemned as an "unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful abuse of power." He described federal agents acting aggressively, using chemical agents, and arresting individuals based on appearance, even impacting local police. Senator Kennedy disputed the claim of unprecedented action, referencing President Eisenhower's deployment of the National Guard, and suggested Governor Pritzker's objections were politically motivated. Senator Cornyn supported the federal actions, arguing that state and local objections amounted to "nullification" of federal law and undermined the President's mandate to enforce immigration laws. Durbin emphasized that presidential power is constrained by law and the Constitution, challenging the legal basis for such deployments without state approval and labeling the federal actions in Chicago as "outrageous conduct."[ 01:18:47-01:19:30 ]

[ 01:21:03-01:21:20 ]

Committee Procedures and Witness Conduct

Senator Whitehouse expressed dismay at a "downward spiral" in committee procedures, specifically criticizing the disregard for the "blue slip" tradition in judicial nominations, a point on which Senator Blackburn concurred regarding actions under the Biden administration. Both Durbin and Whitehouse harshly criticized the Attorney General's conduct in a recent hearing, alleging that she refused to answer legitimate oversight questions and instead engaged in "baseless personal attacks and smears" against senators.[ 01:19:42-01:19:53 ]

Whitehouse further accused the Attorney General of making "untruthful statements" during her testimony and exposing the FBI director's "multiple false statements" regarding his grand jury testimony. Senator Schiff echoed these concerns, calling the Attorney General's behavior "disgraceful" and an impediment to effective oversight, urging for a stop to such personal attacks. Chairman Grassley acknowledged the impropriety of the Attorney General's insults but attributed the breakdown in decorum to previous disruptions by Democratic senators during the FBI director's testimony.

Tone of the Meeting

The tone of the meeting was notably contentious and polarized, especially during initial statements and the discussions following the votes.[ 00:28:21-00:28:45 ]

There was evident frustration concerning the perceived political weaponization of law enforcement and a disregard for due process.[ 00:30:37-00:30:41 ] Deep divisions were apparent in constitutional interpretations and the limits of executive power, particularly concerning federal interventions in states. Concerns were repeatedly raised about declining decorum and a lack of respect for the committee's oversight authority, particularly regarding the conduct of witnesses.[ 00:38:52-00:39:42 ] [ 01:08:59-01:09:13 ] Despite these heated exchanges, the committee managed to proceed with its primary task of voting on nominations, indicating a functional, albeit strained, adherence to the scheduled agenda.[ 00:41:02-00:41:03 ] Chairman Grassley made attempts to maintain order and urged senators to keep their remarks brief or defer them, although he eventually allowed extended discussions to proceed.[ 00:33:55-00:34:10 ] [ 00:35:49-00:35:51 ] [ 00:39:56-00:40:03 ]