Orrin Hatch: “before the 114th Congress adjourns, I want to take a moment to put on the record my strong support for the nomination of…”

“before the 114th Congress adjourns, I want to take a moment to put on the record my strong support for the nomination of our distinguished colleague, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, to be the next Attorney General of the United States. Thomas Jefferson once wrote, ``The most sacred of the duties of a government [is] to do equal and impartial justice to all its citizens.'' This idea was also reflected in the Justice Department's own mission statement, which I have here: ``To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration for all Americans.'' No one believes in this mission more and no one understands better what this mission requires than Jeff Sessions. Unfortunately, the Justice Department has lost its way, becoming partial rather than impartial, political rather than independent, and partisan rather than objective. The Justice Department has enabled the executive branch's campaign to exceed its constitutional power while ignoring Congress's proper and legitimate role of oversight. This decline undermines the American people's trust in government. According to the Pew Research Center, public trust in government is at a record low.…”