the policies of the Federal Government particularly with regard to immigration as having a very direct and real impact on taxpayers and citizens

But he seemed somewhat dismissive of concerns about this massive--what I would consider, in essence, refusal to enforce existing law that is involved in these Executive actions.

Senator Leahy and I have been working on some legislation which would actually codify the President's mandate, the presumption of openness.

President Obama in 2009 mandated that Government agencies--executive branch agencies should operate under the presumption that information should be open unless otherwise prevented by some rule or some other law.

it is repugnant to me that Government should try to array its power against the freedom of the press.

I think it would make it possible for you to be a more effective Attorney General and it would make it possible for us to be more effective in our respective roles as Members of Congress exercising our responsibilities as well.

Documents from Operation Choke Point obtained by the House Oversight Committee showed that the DOJ and FDIC used intimidation tactics.

I have explored every legal option, and this is something you cannot do. This violates the Constitution.

It is absolutely critical to the functioning of our democratic form of Government that the people have access to as much information as they can possibly get.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Kirk), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Rubio).

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: S. 252 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives…

I do not share the ambivalence that the senior Senator from New York has about the benefits of these trade agreements.