How We're Getting Rope-A-Doped Here': John Kennedy Proposes Subpoenas For DOJ

The hearing thank you very much Mr. chairman by certainly senator Kennedy appreciate the attorney general's letter what does that mean no we have not received a specific letter that m referring to we have been in communication as was suggested at the last meeting with the department of justice what we're doing is reviewing outstanding correspondence part of the problem senator to be very honest with you is many times there is a response it's disappointing to the senator either the conclusion or the contents we're trying to balance these things but  am well aware of this committee's importance and oversight  it includes not just the formal hearings but also the communications between senators and the department well Mr. chairman  know you're doing the best you can and  don't want to put  on a point on this but uh this is the same song hundredth verse uh this is a bipartisan problem it didn't just happen under this administration it happened under the last administration and the one before that and as said last time at some point patience sees ceases to be a virtue and would like to see not just to senator  letters um because he's an important person but all the rest of us have letters as well and  would like to ask respectfully i first d like to get a list of everybody's letters that haven't been answered and the date and who they were sent to and then at the appropriate time don't know if you'll put it on the agenda but m going to make a motion that we start subpoenaing people ve been advised that under the previous administration they didn't respond to any minority letters well that's why said  bipartisan yes and if  some of them are still in office or still in in in the bureaucracy uh um want to be an equal opportunity a-hole on this  yeah um need to go after and i just don't think we're um  think we're getting rope-a-doped here and think we need to start issuing subpoenas  hope it doesn't come to that will tell you that don't believe we're being stonewalled there is communication we should have a more uh fulsome discussion about the actual numbers uh and  think that's reasonable uh so well it is  look m not fussing to you but 've learned the hard way up here you got to watch what people do not what they say and m just saying that we need to bring this uh to a head and  think the way to do it is when we're going to get responses and if we don't get responses you know may only get one vote but m prepared to bring a motion to start subpoenaing people uh we m going to share the list that talked about this morning with everybody because you're entitled to it and there's no secret about 'd like to proceed to the nominations and the standard that 've used before 'll try again today we're going to go to each individual nomination if any member wishes to speak in reference to that nominee please make sure that see your hand and give you that opportunity we're going to go through these in order uh as they've been filed we'll begin with judge does anyone seek recognition to speak on that nomination so unfavorably reporting the nomination of circuit judge for the second circuit the clerk will call the roll Mr. lane ms Feinstein Mr. Whitehouse all right miss Klobuchar Mr. coons all right Mr. Blumenthal miss Verona booker aye Mr. Padilla all right Mr. Awesome no Mr. Graham this is Nathan Mr.  Cornyn no Mr.  nope Mr. Cruz no more brockton Mr. sass Norma Brocky Mr. holly  hi the nomination will be favorably reported to the floor  nominated to be on the  district court for the northern district of uh Georgia the clerk has anyone seek recognition senator  uh thank you Mr. chairman 've had the pleasure of speaking with several of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle about ms Calvert's nomination and as we've discussed she's highly qualified committed to upholding the rule of law without fear or favor or ideology and  would humbly ask my colleagues on both sides to vote to report her favorably to the floor thank you Mr. chairman this will be a good test of your humility graham hydroponics Mr. Cornett no Mr. lee Mr. crew no more protein Mr. sass home but protein Mr. holly aye the nomination will be favorably reported to the floor next is john  nominated.