On the recordFebruary 6, 2017
I wish to start by responding to my new colleague. I respect my colleague. We have worked together on many issues, the Senator from Alaska and I. I think he would agree it is very important that the American people, the public, have a thorough review of candidates for a position in public office who are going to have incredible influence over all aspects of their lives. That is why it is so important we undertake this process. It is a fact that many of the nominees put forward by President Trump had massive conflict-of- interest issues that need to be resolved. Many of them remain unresolved. Many of them are still not proceeding through committees because either their ethics report information has not been provided yet or they haven't passed other clearances. So it is absolutely fitting that we in the Senate do our job to make sure the people who are placed in these positions of high office are thoroughly vetted. I also wish to take a moment to respond to the statements regarding my good colleague, the Senator from Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren. Last night she was reading from a letter presented by Coretta Scott King at the time of the 1986 hearings on the judicial appointment of Senator Sessions. At the time he was a nominee to fill the vacancy.…
