Business meeting to consider S.2132, to amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent and mitigate the potential for conflicts of interest following government service, and the nominations of Daniel E. Burrows, of Colorado, to be an Assistant Attorney General, Megan Blair Benton, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Missouri, David Clay Fowlkes, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Arkansas, Nicholas Jon Ganjei, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas, Brian Charles Lea, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee, Justin R. Olson, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Indiana, Aaron Christian Peterson, to be United States District Judge for the District of Alaska, Andrew Benson, to be United States Attorney for the District of Maine for the term of four years, William Boyle, to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina for the term of four years, Kevin Holmes, to be United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas for the term of four years, Brian David Miller, to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania for the term of four years, Richard Price, of Missouri, to be United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri for the term of four years, and Darin Smith, to be United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming for the term of four years.
2026-01-15
Source: Congress.gov
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Transcript
Today's agenda is 13 nominations. You've all had a list of them. Seven nominees who the committee already favorably reported last year because they remain pending in the Senate in the first session as it expired. The other side forced their nomination to be returned to the president. He's renominated them, so we'll vote on them today. We'll also vote on six nominees for the first time today. These include Daniel Burroughs, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy, three district nominees, Judge Megan Benton, West District, Missouri, Briah Leah, West District, Tennessee, Justin Olsen, Southern District, Indiana. Then we have, for the first time, voting on Brian Miller and Kevin Holmes to be U.S. attorneys. I look forward to supporting each of these nominees, and I urge my colleagues to so join. After we get through the nomination votes, we'll consider the Clear Path Act. I'll keep my remarks short because we have a lot of ground to cover. Yesterday, the Department of Justice Inspector General released a management's advisory. That advisory says that the FBI Security Division, under former Director Wray, ask about employees' support for President Trump, the COVID-19 vaccine, and religious affiliations.
The questions were asked in the context of security clearance review, so I think it's pretty obvious that these questions are totally inappropriate. Some of my whistleblowers were subjected to this political weaponization by the security division, and some of those security division employees were rightly fired by the Trump administration. This inspector general advisory substantiates my oversight work regarding FBI weaponization in the last administration. Also, Since Iran's in the news again, I'd like to highlight some of my oversight from last year. First of all, where were all the pro-Hamas, anti-Israel protesters? You'd think that they'd be out here supporting the people of Iran against the repressive regime, but they're nowhere to be seen. In March of 2025, I released a majority staff report detailing whistleblower provided records. Those records showed that the Obama-Biden State Department obstructed law enforcement efforts to arrest high level Iranian targets. This obstruction led to then Secretary John Kerry was done because of the political consideration of the failed Iran nuclear deal. Records highlighted in this report show that former Secretary Kerry's actions endangered national security. The records also show that the Department of Justice and FBI leadership apparently allowed it to happen until the first Trump administration altered the course.
The Obama administration's conduct is a roadmap of what not to do. Today's agenda, we have a slate of highly qualified nominees, including several that we're considering for the first time. I'd like to say a brief words about them. Daniel Burroughs is going to make an outstanding assistant attorney general. He's had a well-rounded career litigating hundreds of cases as a prosecutor and civil litigator. He's also maintained a parallel career of military legal service in the Army Reserve. Mr. Burroughs' breadth of experience will be an asset. to the DOJ's Office of Legal Policy. Judge Megan Benton prosecuted a broad array of matters, including drug crimes and violent felonies. She spent the last half decade as a judge in Missouri, presiding over several criminal and probate cases. I'm confident that Judge Benton will serve on the federal branch as competently as she has at the state level. Justin Olson served as a assistant U.S. attorney in Southern District, Indiana. His efforts recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and penalties owed to the federal government. In private practice, Mr. Olson has also litigated issues of significant importance like the protection of women in college sports. Brian Lee, clerk for Judge Carnes of the 11th Circuit and Justice Thomas on the Supreme Court. He's litigated Bet the Company cases with Joan Day and taught at the University of Georgia School of Law
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