On the recordJanuary 30, 2017
As I told my friend from Florida, I am honored anytime he comes to the floor to speak because he knows what he is talking about. When I was a judge back in Texas, a young prosecutor also shared his first name, and he is now the DA. He is as sincere and intelligent. Anyway, it is just an honor to serve with Mr. Gaetz. I wondered if he might yield for a question. The Attorney General--I am sorry, this is the acting Attorney General because the Senate is dragging its feet on one of its own, Jeff Sessions, but this came out today in The Hill that ``Acting Attorney General Sally Yates sent a letter Monday ordering the Justice Department not to defend President Trump's executive order . . .'' even though it is an order that basically has been done by the Obama administration--except President Obama had done it one country that is included in the seven for 6 months instead of 3--and also by President Carter. I don't think he was a Republican. Anyway, these things have been done before, and the letter says we are not going to defend it. This story from Lydia Wheeler today says: ``Yates's''--the acting Attorney General--``decision suggests she does not want to put the credibility of the Justice Department behind the order. . . .'' I wanted to ask the gentleman from Florida, does he have concerns that, if the Justice Department were to defend this executive order, it would hurt the credibility of the Justice Department when acting under its Democratic leadership?
