Donald M. Payne: “I thank the gentleman from Fort Worth (Mr. Veasey). I was looking forward to a potential clash with his team next week…”

“I thank the gentleman from Fort Worth (Mr. Veasey). I was looking forward to a potential clash with his team next week, but I guess you have to get out of Green Bay before you can go to Dallas. Mr. Speaker, the job of the U.S. Attorney General is to protect the rights and freedoms of every single American. Senator Sessions' record and public statements suggest that, if confirmed, he will not uphold our Constitution's values of fairness, justice, and equality for all. Since the election, President-elect Trump's victory has been marred by allegations of voter intimidation and suppression in key States. It is clear that we need to restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act. Yet, Senator Sessions has called the Voting Rights Act an intrusive piece of legislation. When he was the United States Attorney in west Alabama, Senator Sessions used the power of his office to intimidate and dissuade African American voters. Americans recognize the need for Congress to find a bipartisan solution to immigration reform. Yet, Senator Sessions has been one of the loudest opponents of comprehensive immigration reform. He has even fought against legal immigration, arguing, instead, for immigration moderation. Americans also recognize the dire need for criminal justice reform. Yet, Senator Sessions has opposed bipartisan legislation to modernize prison sentencing for low-level drug offenders.…”