pam bondi as you are aware, in important part of my role on this committee, i work for the better part of a decade with senator durbin, chairman grassley, senator whitehouse, senator cornyn, senator brouk the macbook or which president trump signed into law september 2018. the first step act as the name implies intended to be the first of multiple steps and much remains to be done with the implementation of the first step back that the credits available under the first step act still implemented in needmore and i assume you would be willing if confirmed to continue to implement the first step act? >> yes, senator and also my understanding but i don't know for a fact but it is my understanding that a lot of those beds for halfway houses for reentry have not been filled in at the first step act. if that is true, i want to look at that right away and figure

out why. >> and i think the other reforms like this to privation act which cosponsor can be helpful on that front. it is always important to make sure we are running -- although ours is not the largest criminal law enforcement institution in the country, many of the states themselves have former criminal cases and former prisoners under jurisdiction under the knife states government. nonetheless, it is a significant presence. and states often look to the federal government. sometimes for good and other times for ill leadership where they should take their own criminal justice system. it is important we get this right especially given we have been wrong at times in the past. i think it is also important to address the topic of over criminalizing. a few years ago, some of us on the committee decided we wanted to point out how many criminal crimes are on the books. we reached out to a

congressional research service coach at the crs, his job to answer such questions like this when members have these questions and the answer came back was stunning. the answer came back was to the effect the answer is unknown and unknowable. to at least 300,000. a lot of the reason for this is a lot of instances in which federal regulations impose criminal penalties. impose criminal penalties often without congress independently enacting anything but using delicate lawmaking authority from congress which ought not be okay but incorporating elements of a criminal offense into a criminal regulation which we add to the code of federal regulations. at a clip of 100,000 pages a year give or take given what part of the federal register you add to the end of each year appear to it seems highly problematic to me for multiple reasons. reason number one of course

sections 1 and 7 you cannot make a federal law or change a federal law without congress and without both houses of congress passing the same text submitting to the present. number two oftentimes when this happens, you end up with absent or usually ambiguous mens rea meaning for standard of intent with one must act in order to commit the criminal offense in question is often absent or at least so murky no one can tell what it means. both of these things, of course, lead to huge problems for defendants and liberty interest of the american people. i would ask if confirmed, help work with us on these things and share any thoughts you might have on it. >> yes, senator, i was not aware of the mens rea issue. >> senator klobuchar.

>> president biden remarking on israel/hamas cease-fire. >> president biden: a deal has been reached between israel and hamas. more than 15 months of conflict began with hezbollah brutal massacre on october 7th with 15 months of terror for the hostages go to there, israeli people. more than 15 months of suffering by the innocent people of gaza, fighting in gaza will stop and soon, the hostages will return home with their families. the elements of this deal what i made out in detail this past may, which was embraced by countries around the world and endorsed overwhelmingly by the u.n. security council. the deal is structured in three phases. phase 1 will last six weeks. and includes a full and complete

cease-fire, withdrawal of israeli forces from all the populated areas of gaza, and the relays have a number of hostages held by hamas, including women and elderly and the wounded. and i am proud to say americans will be a part of that hostage release in phase 1 as well. the vice president and i cannot wait to welcome them home. they exchange, israel will release hundreds of palestinian prisoners. in phase 1, they can return to their neighborhoods in all areas of gaza. to serve humanitarian assistance in gaza will begin. the innocent people can have greater access to these vital supplies. you know, during the next six weeks, israel will negotiate necessary arrangements to get to phase two channel, which is a permanent and back to the war. a permanent end to the war. number of details to negotiate the move from phase 1 to ph

phase 2. but the plan says if negotiations take longer than six weeks, the cease-fire will continue as long as the negotiations continue. i spoke to the mayor of kuwait and the president of egypt. and we have pledged to make sure the negotiations will keep moving forward for as long as it takes. then, when phase 2 begins, there will be an exchange of foreign release of remaining hostages, including male soldiers and all remaining israeli forces will be withdrawn from gaza and the temporary cease-fire will become permanent. finally, phase 3, any final remains have hostages who have been killed will be returned to their families a major reconstruction plan for gaza will begin. is a cease-fire

agreement i introduced last spring. today, hamas and israel have agreed to that cease-fire agreement. and the whole ending of the war. you know, those who have followed the negotiations can attest the road to this deal has not been easy. i have worked in foreign policy for decades. it is one of the toughest negotiations i have ever experienced. we have reached this point because of the pressure that israel built on hamas backed by the united states. hamas' longtime leader was killed. hamas a strong supporter of iran launched attacks in israel. those failed after my administration organized a coalition to stop them. after i ordered the u.s. ships and planes to come to israel's defense, also shape strong calibrated response to destroy iran's air defenses. but avoiding a cycle of all-out

war. the united states also organized a coalition of 20 countries to stand up to attacks by the houthis including missile attacks in israel. then hezbollah and hamas strongest backer significantly and the leadership was destroyed with our support, israel them and after that, lebanon finally elected a new president who is not, he is not beholden of hezbollah. we can begin a new chapter for the lebanese people. all told the, these developments in the region of the united states helped to shape changed the equation. so now, the network that once protected hamas is far weaker. iran is weaker. iran is weaker than it has been in decades. hezbollah is badly degraded and after more than 15 months of

war, hamas' senior leaders are dead. thousands of hamas leaders are dead in military formations been destroyed with nowhere to turn. hamas finally agreed to release hostages. you know, there was no other way for this war to end than with a hostage deal your time deeply satisfied this day has finally come for the sake of the people of israel and the families waiting in agony. in for the sake of innocent people and gaza who suffered unimaginable devastation because of the war. the palestinian people have gone through hell. too many innocent people have died. to many communities have been destroyed. in this deal, the people of gaza can finally recover and rebuild. they can look to a picture without hamas and power appeared to the bible says, "blessed are

the peacemakers." many peacemakers helped make this happen, including extraordinary team of diplomats who have worked nonstop for months to get this done. secretary blinken led the effort. secretary jake sullivan, national security advisor jake sullivan, they'll burn, and the vice president worked relentlessly as we work to deliver this deal. would also note that this deal was developed and negotiated under my administration, but the terms to be implemented for the most part by the next administration. these past few days, we have been speaking as one team. this has been time of real turmoil in the middle east. but as i prepare to leave office, our friends are strong and our enemies are weak and there is a genuine opportunity

for israel. lebanon in the future free from the grip of hezbollah. syria, a future free from the tyranny of a side and the palestinian people. credible, credible state of their own and for the region a picture of normalization and immigration of israel and all of the entire neighbors including saudi arabia. the g20 and new delhi and september 2023 rallied behind a patient at the economic carter across the middle east to europe. that vision can i'll a reality. and a risk as well including isis and iran even badly we can state but, but they are handing off to the next team of real opportunity for a better future for the middle east. i hope they will take it. let me close with this here to my friend for years the united states senate, george mitchell did so much to forge

peace said about diplomacy, he said 700 days of failure and one day at success. 700 days of failure and one day of success. well, we've had many difficult days since hamas began this terrible war. we have encountered roadblocks and setbacks. we have not given up. now after 400 days of struggle, a day of success has arrived. god bless all of the hostages and their families. may god protect the troops of all those who work for peace. >> reporter: gaza now,. [inaudible] the next administration. and basically shape the future but how do you see the future? and also, how much credit do you give to the trump team for this deal? >> president biden: well, you

know, this is the exact framework of the deal i proposed in may, exact! we got the world to endorse it. secondly, it is america's support provisional that helped them badly we can hamas and the backers. and create the conditions for this deal and thirdly, this deal would have to be implemented by the next team. so i told my team to coordinate closely with the incoming team to make sure we are all speaking with the same voice. that is what american presidents do. >> reporter: how many americans will be released when the hostages are being released? >> president biden: all of the exact detail how many people are being held and how many bodies will be returned will all be forthcoming. a lot of it, thank you.

>> reporter: [inaudible] >> president biden: i am confident, thank you. >> reporter: mr. president, you or trump? >> president biden: is that a joke? thank you. >> sandra: president biden speaking live from the white house. as he came out, he told the world that he has been reached a cease-fire deal. that cease-fire deal will be in place as long as israel and hamas remain at the negotiating table. a long time true is, john, he said a questionnaire from a reporter, he is confident it will hold. >> john: what was interesting to me, he said they had been working with the incoming trump transition team here to they have been speaking with one voice and one team. who asked who gets the credit for this deal him or trump? he said this is the exact same deal proposed may 31st of the last year. he did not give any credit to

trump. but remember what trump said quite emphatically back on january 7th. listen here. >> if those hostages are not back, i don't want to hurt your negotiation. if they are not backed by the time i get into office, all hell will break out in the middle east. and it will not be good for hamas and it will not be good, frankly, for anybody. >> john: biden said exactly the same deal he proposed may last year. yet, but does not get down until today. so what changed in the ensuing time period with the exception of trump's saying multiple times, all hell will break this and the middle east if the hostages do not get released? >> sandra: fresh off the president's remark fox news anchor and chief correspondent, welcome to your shannon bream. many may ask that question in this exact moment. what did change if this was the deal put on the table last may? and it is being put together and

followed through now? >> that is something i asked the vice president elect j.d. vance about sunday. that comment by president trump about all hell breaking loose, j.d. vance ed world leaders know that trump means it and there will be dire consequences for hamas if the deal does not get done. deep w steve witkoff for the incoming trump administration was and that the region trying to get this done and it is possible all working together that j.d. vance is clear as i'm sure the president-elect will also say he believes that threats and actually got the needle moving. when i pressed j.d. vance what does that mean? he said empowering and allowing israel to do what it has to do wipe out everything left of hamas. but also financial sanctions enabling terrorism within the region. it goes beyond hamas.

clearly go to a broader message that there will be hell to pay in that region. josephine went the hostage families have weighed in with their concerns and the concerns of the hostages get lost and who is taking credit for all of this. they released this statement, the hostages and missing families headquarters. with the families welcome with overwhelming joy they bringing of our loved ones home. we want to express profound gratitude to president trump and president biden in both administration and international mediators for making this possible. don't forget, these are families waiting in english 466 days for their loved ones to come home. while many may not come home alive, they will at least get some sense of closure that their loved ones are back on israeli soil if this deal does, in fact, go through. >> ... have had an opportunity to interview and meet these

families and feel absolutely heartbreaking, gut-wrenching sorrow they have had as you said not knowing at times with their loved ones are alive or not here to this has gone way beyond the beginning pairs of what happen and the aftermath october 7th. it is one of those things as we watched horrific day and kept getting news as unfolding the fact they have taken so many people still have them back to gaza enormous concern. immediately you knew they would be negotiating blocks that's how they would be used. these families would be left as they have with absolute heartbreak and bewilderment and not knowing and not knowing the safety of their loved ones and whether they are suffering or ever get them back. you are so right to point us back to the families. this is what it does about the lives singing and up i want to make sure many are as preserved as possible. >> sandra: absolutely and prayers all over the world. president biden talking about the phases that will happen with the hostage release saying

americans will be a part of phase 1 of the hostage release. shannon, as you were watching every detail of this as we first started report on the cease-fire deal being reached, benjamin netanyahu's office put out a statement suggesting, wait, wait, hold on, pumping the brakes because they were details to finalize possibly by tonight. the president confirmed that this deal has been reached. we have not seen a update with benjamin netanyahu's office. may be that happening and directly communicated before biden announced that to the world. i have not seen communication from benjamin netanyahu's office. >> i have any there and getting the details hammered out, we all know those are the sticking points. this has been a grueling, exhausting and tedious for everybody trying to get this deal done. netanyahu is not going to see anything he doesn't have to say and we did not want to award them or leave a faction of them to come back.

our borders are dangerous and this is existential threat by hamas' own words. i am anxious to see more from the prime minister's office something more definitive but as president biden was walking away saying you will get the details shortly, may be the two world powers are negotiating or at least getting onto paper so we all have the same understanding from the israeli side of this as well. >> sandra: shannon, appreciate you joining us such a thank you very much. >> john: new york congressman michael lawler on the house foreign affairs committee. president biden said a done deal and benjamin netanyahu's office says not so fast, a few details to iron out there to do you believe this will go forward and do you believe it will result in the release of all of the living hostages and the marines that are left? >> yes. i think obviously this has the progress we have been waiting for. i think president trump's special envoy, steve witkoff,

helped play a major role to get this where it needed to go in the waiting days of the biden administration. i think this is an example quite frankly where the two administrations have cooperated in the best interest of americans. and i think the fact is, the seven american families who have suffered for 465 days waiting for their loved ones to come home, this is welcome news. this has obviously been very difficult situation. i have been steadfast in my support for israel and their right not only to defend themselves by proactively prosecute this war against hamas and eliminate its leadership as well as leadership of hezbollah. they have obviously made significant progress to that end. that we need to get the american hostages out. they are for code deceased and three present living. we want them home to their families. we have met 465 days with the

families multiple times. this is critically important. i know this is critically important to both president trump and presi president biden. i think president trump made it very clear to hamas as well as to our allies in qatar and egypt that this needed to happen. it needed to happen quickly. so i think a lot of work has gone into both administration spiritual i think this is a moment for all of us to acknowledge that. but we need to get this deal completed. i know israel is working through a few things. but at the end of the day, getting this done is of paramount importance. >> sandra: absolutely. many will be looking at the timeline of getting to this point. president biden talking about that just a moment ago stating, these were the conditions of the deal he put together back in

may. when asked the question what changed? perhaps that is answered and that israel peace where it talks about the meeting that was between benjamin netanyahu and steve witkoff led to a breakthrough hostage negotiations top aide president-elect trump doing more to persuade the premier in a single set and then outgoing joe biden did. arab officials told the times tuesday. this was also the thought of senator john cornyn responding to the deal just a short time ago. listen. >> do you think it was president trump's threat that there would be all a hell to pay if hamas did not hand over the hostages? did that play a part in this? i do not believe in coincidences so i believe president trump had an impact on this deal and obviously the biden administration was eager to wrap this up before they leave office. speed still makes me to give your final thought on that, congressman.

>> i have been critical of the bidens administration handling this trying to prevent netanyahu and israel to go into office to how they handled arms to israel and how they have handled negotiations. the fact is seven americans held in captivity for 465 days. that never ever should have happened and certainly the last cease-fire and negotiation should have resulted in every american being released. with that sad, i think president trump coming and taking office on monday put in nan's pressure on our allies to deliver here. and i think president trump is very clear. if this did not happen there would be hell to pay and people interested that far more than anything that biden administration has done over 465 days. >> sandra: are right, congressman coach a thank you very much for joining our coverage. >> john: martha maccallum back with us.

program starts a little more than a half an hour from now. martha, echoes of 1981 here. where jimmy carter tried for a long, long time to get a deal with iran to release the americans held hostage. there was a failed attempt to rescue them that ended up with aircraft burning in the desert. yet after ronald reagan won and election november 1980, suddenly that it was on the table to return the hostages. this would seem to follow the same pattern. >> i am so glad you brought that up, john. i cannot agree more. so many echoes of 1980 when you had president carter his funeral we just witnessed, passed away a short time ago. but his leadership over the course of his one term presidency was marked by weakness. i think a lot of people and historians looking back on that period would say it was a difficult time for energy. you had gas lines and the united states and massive amounts of inflation over the course of that one term of

carter's presidency in a real essence that sunk and in the country that america was a week. that america's best days had been behind it. between biden, one term democrat after the election in november and incoming president trump returning after a four absence after first term promising a golden age of america. if you rewind the tape a little bit, you go back to the end of the trump presidency and there was discussion as we talked about before john and sandra, that there could be a deal made between israel and saudi arabia. we have already seen some aircraft pathways opened up between the two countries. they were a little bit of progress made. i think as president biden mentioned, there has been vespasian at the economic from india to europe.

aall of this has purpose. it is to create stronger economies in the middle east that will basically create a strangle hold terrorism that will snuff out a lot of these iranian proxies. to further isolate iran, which has been extraordinarily impacted by the where we have seen. hezbollah has been decimated beyond anyone's wildest imagination and the leadership of hamas has been decimated. so, there is a promise that exists right now and it would be shortsighted not to see it as a big impact coming from steve witkoff and president trump returning to office, which sends a clear signal. >> sandra: incredible pictures of israel, martha. going back to what we heard from president biden a few moments ago, he said the past few days me and trump speaking as one team and how that job at the incoming administration to implement it. i want to get your thoughts on

that and sort of this look at the handoff that is apparently happening behind the scenes. i'm sure we will learn more about the details of that soon. >> look, to the hostages families, i don't think they will be ready to make grateful to the efforts the returning and hopefully living hostage family members and in many cases, the bodies we believe that as many as half of these hostages will return home in coffins rather than living humans. at this has been absolutely excruciating period. it is not unlike hostages held in tehran where america felt that there was a real stranglehold around the nation and just a heavy cloud hanging over with these hostages. but let's just think for a moment out of the biden administration treated all of this. they constantly scolded netanyahu to the point he made a public video flashing back at the biden administration.

they were very public about it because they were in the middle of an election and concern about progressive americans who were more interested in the fate of palestinians and gaza which was horrific and brought on by the hamas leadership that they elected and put in place. if october 7th had not happened, none of this would have happened to the palestinian territory. so you have to remember how netanyahu was treated and how biden voiced his feelings about this, withholding some of the weaponry and promises and financial backing that were promised and then letting it go again. i think it is important to remind people exactly what this looked like in earlier stages at this very difficult time. >> sandra: martha, thank you very much, much for all of that. we will see you at 3:00. >> john: thanks, martha you and a half an hour. him michael lawler on the house foreign affairs committee. two big questions and all of

this, is this deal going to go through? we have seen hamas read renege on the deals in the is this the road to peace between israel ane palestinians in gaza because hamas will still be in control. i didn't know there will be huge pressure and it will be put on iran and put on hamas and put on hezbollah by incoming trump administration. we really want to extend the abraham accords to include saudi arabia. saudi arabia is looking at the miracles of dubai and abu dhabi and we want a piece of that. and rest in the middle east and the region on fire does not bring us to that goal. how do you see this unfolding in the years ahead? >> no question. i'm cautiously optimistic that this cease-fire agreement and the release of the hostages is going to go through. i don't think they can overstate the importance of president trump coming in and forcing a reset here.

forcing both our allies and hamas to understand the consequences of failure. but ultimately, abraham accords is critical. that is why i introduce special envoy for the abraham accords. we need to go after lissette wailed trade with iran and crackdown on funding of terror proxies and get saudi arabia to the table. that is the next steps as we move forward to. >> sandra: congressman hutch a thank you for sticking with us through the breaking news. >> john: appreciate it. to make major headlines this afternoon any cease-fire particularly dangerous situation with wildfires in california and a trio of high-stakes confirmation hearings. we are watching it all and we will bring it to you live from capitol hill right after this. ♪ ♪ that we as a country give you as a veteran is the eligibility for a va loan, for up to 100 percent of your home■s value.

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confirmation hearing for attorney general. she is president-elect trump's pick for that role. here are some of the confirmation hearing today. listen. >> as a prosecutor, did you ever have an enemy's list? no, senator. for attorney general they do have enemies list? no, no one is above the law. going at parents had a school board meeting has got to stop. >> find out who the bad guys are in women and get rid of them. find out who the good people are and lift them up here joke. >> can you say no to the president of the united states when he ask you to do something unethical or illegal? >> i don't have to say anything. i will answer the questions to the best of my ability. >> senator rounds, i wish he would have met with me. had you met with may we could have discussed many things. >> respond to the question. >> you are the only one to refuse to meet with me, senator.

>> this idea that something bad, it is ridiculous. you pick people you know and trust in people qualified. >> sandra: still baffling you wouldn't eat as a member of congress with residential electric nominees pick periods for such important roles as attorney general, but that has n the case with some of these and this is ongoing, john. >> john: here is the reason you would not meet with them because you did not want to address concerns and you want to thank them out in the open and use them as fodder to try to hit the nominee during an open hearing. pam bondi was getting a lot of will you do trump's dating? i think she did a good job of pushing back to say her record has always been a political and she is just fine bad people. she was also asked a lot about kash patel who will soon have confirmation hearings to be fbi director. senator kennedy of louisiana said, the more they ask about

kash patel is an indication they have nothing against you, which is why they are asking about somebody else. >> sandra: let's head back to the hearing room with pam bondi in the hot seat. >> walk free in the country. senator, i never knew the definition of a disposable child. i never heard that term until i was there. a disposable child the agents kept recognizing a little boy coming over. you are familiar with it, i am sure. same little boy. getting traffic. >> let me ask you because my time it's expired and that issue you issue is important. when statistic as every american should note over 300,000, they were over 300,000 children the administration has lost. little girls and little boys unaccompanied in this administration's custody. they handed them over to adults and not many blood relatives and they don't know where they are. i've never seen a single democrat ask one question about

300 children that i want to ask you a commitment will you as attorney general investigate and make every effort to find those children and it subject to abuse, get them out of those abusive situations the federal government has put them into? >> yes, senator. >> senator padilla. >> thank you, mr. chairman. and i will follow-up with senator cruz, a suggestion we include targeting the children who are victims of employers as well. i'm happy to follow up with articles and reports as you prepare for this position. >> senator, i'm sorry, employers? okay, i did not understand. >> employers across the country employing and exploiting dangerous conditions. >> yes. >> these children we are talking about. ms. bondi, have you had less time than this round?

oh, darn. >> i don't have a couple of questions but important issues to cover for the record. when you were florida attorney general, you had restricted abortion laws with consent requirements. if confirmed as attorney general, would you advocate for restrictions at the federal level? i will follow the law of the unite states of america. >> i am asking the question because a difference between federal law in florida law. there is a difference between the law in your personal views. >> according to dobbs, those are left to the state. >> your personal use, how can you make sure it does not affect your decision as attorney general involving reproductive health? >> my personal, no, my personal feelings would not influence, senator. >> okay. next questions on the topic of

gun violence, which continues to be a challenge or a problem in many parts of the country. as you know, the department plays a key role in enforcing federal gun laws and working to prevent gun violence. in the wake of the shooting in 2018 coach egg you expressed support for gun control measuren florida including raising the minimum age for firearm purchases and implementing red flag laws, which i agree with and i support and prevent to make a difference and to save lives. how would you use the position of attorney general to advance these common sense gun safety policies on a national level? >> first, senator, let me say i am pro-second amendment. i have always been pro-second amendment. i will follow the laws of my state of florida and our country, of course, regarding any gun laws.

i did work that shooting, meaning i was there in 17 family members were notified. i was there that they were children were murdered. also, i went to nevada to help with mgm shooting, the attorney general at the time asked me to come out there. for 60 people were murdered there. i am an advocate for the second amendment, but i will enforce the laws of the land. >> okay, i appreciate that and i would certainly hope so. any specific ideas that you have on advancing the common sense safety proposals that you support as attorney general? i gave you two examples, raising minimum age for fire arms and red flag laws. i think there is a growing national consensus on universal background checks. >> i would be glad to meet with you and review any legislation that you have, senator. >> all right, i will only have a

few seconds left but i thank you for your testimony. i know we ask to tough questions and the process is supposed to be about. i know how to count and i know how to read tea leaves. it seems to me you are very, very, very likely to be confirmed and i certainly look forward to working with you and your office on the issues that i have raised today. and more and certainly look forward to seeing you demonstrate the independence and respect for the rule of law that you have suggested to the committee today. thank you. >> thank you, senator. my prayers are with you in california again on terrific fires and what you are doing. >> thank you very much. >> about them. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i know you are so pleased we are about the end of the day. we thank you so much for your time and your dedication and your desire to serve.

and there are several things that we work together on here in this committee. and we will need your help. online privacy, we have never addressed. senator blumenthal have worked on that that kid safety act, which we are looking forward to finishing here this under president trump's leadership so we can protect children in the virtual space. and another portion of the work that i put a good bit of time into is combating human trafficking. i know you had such a background and that. we are so appreciative that you bring that background to the ag's position because this is an issue vanquished. senator cruz mentioned the 300,000 children that are unaccounted for in nearly two years ago, i wrote the hhs secretary. it was about 100 -- it was 75,000 at that point. the number has increased.

and there are steps that could be taken. that this administration, the biden administration has tossed to the side. we have legislation to address those. but general ms. bondi, this is something you can began to do dy one. this administration has stopped doing anger prints. they have stopped doing dna testing. and because of that, we know that about what a percent of the kids that come to that border are being traffic. and there is a way to put an end to this. so, we have -- we think creating a database of human traffic database at doj is a good step forward. we do have legislation on that. another thing we are working on

is having child protective services actually record the interviews with children and adults to help to protect the children. but i would really like to get your commitment on the record for your help and a statement about the work that you have done in human trafficking and your commitment to ending that in our country. >> thank you, senator. i have not yet reviewed your legislation, but i would love to review that. that legislation. i learned about the fingerprinting and the dna when i was at the border a few months ago. and i really couldn't believe that. while i was there, i went to a crisis center. and what i saw and learned about

there is nothing you maine happening at the border. so many women and children are being traffic coming into the country. when i was attorney general for the state of florida, i went to mexico. i went to a safe house. and i met victims of human trafficking, women and children. i held babies who had been trafficked. and what gets a young, drug addicted -- because they addict these women to drugs when they are trafficked. drug addicted mother to break free from her captor. they were sending her to new york. when they were going to do that, what were they going to do, kill her baby. that is what got her to break away and get to a safe house. i am committed to fighting human trafficking alongside you. i have not yet read the legislation. >> i appreciate that and we appreciate your commitment to that. there is nothing compassionate

about what is going on at the southern border. we will need your attention to fix those issues. thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> on behalf of the chair, senator. >> thank you, mr. chair. it has been suggested the 24 and a number of colleagues that the concerned democrats have is that you are a friend at the president. that is not our concern. it is not our concern that you are loyal to the former president. to the president has a right to choose people he believes will be loyal to him. our concern comes when the loyalty to the president complexed with your duty, the duty complex with the constitution or conflicts with your oath. our questions are designed to try to ascertain what you will do in that inevitable conflict arises and you may say you believe that conflict will never come. but every day, week, month, year

of the first trump administration demonstrated that conflict will come. jeff sessions may not have believed it would come to him but it came to him. bill barr believed it would not come to him but it came to him. it came to everyone. it will come to you. and what you do in that moment will define your attorney general schiff and everything you have done in public service to that moment will be judged by what you do in that moment. i will encourage you to talk to secretary mattis. someone who had broad respect and has broad respect of americans on both sides of the aisle. we felt income it for him to leave his post because he could not in good conscience continue to do as he was asked. i went encourage you to talk to christopher wray who perhaps as well as anyone walk that difficult line of leaving

unnecessary and gratuitous flights with the former president. but at the same time, defending his workforce defending democracy and our institutions. i would talk to those who have been where you are about to be because you will surely be faced with that difficult challenge if you are confirmed. let me turn to some california particular concerns. i'm grateful for your acknowledgment of the trauma but the virus. that is not over. we will need your help in going after those that are committing arson or who are alluding or inevitable fraudsters who will take advantage of the situation to try to defraud. >> price gouging. >> as well as price gouging. in data, on the subject of price gouging, we talked a lot about the 2020 election and the and the 2024 election was about

the high cost of living. and i hope you will demonstrate a willingness to go after anyone engaged in price gouging. i think that whale companies are engaged in price gouging. the price of the pump in california through the roof. are you willing to take on powerful whale industry if you determine gouging consumers? >> i have of bp oil spill, senator attorney general for the state of florida. right now has an immediate concern, i would be concerned about helping you in california with all of the criminal acts that i'm sure are happening throughout your state with the looting. and this is just from a watching on the news. you have been there on the ground. crime is rampant in california and it is only going to get worse based on the fires. price gouging is when people come and try to raise the price of goods, water, central commodities, when people have

lost their homes. not everybody lives in a, most . they have lost everything they have had. i'm committed to working with everyone in california constantly to help the people in the aftermath of these fires and do everything i can. >> we will need your help on that. we will need your help on attacking the scourge of fentanyl. we cannot solve this problem as a local government or state government or federal governmental loan. we will need to work together on that. and let me ask one last question if i may go to mr. chairman, important to a great many californians and people around the country. with that is, will you respect their marriage? will you respect marriage equality and if and marriage equality? i will respect the law, absolutely. >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you mr. chairman and sitting in the chairman seat, general ponte, it is a great

feeling of power. >> do you have documents you want me to radio? >> there are many things i would like you to sign. let me ask you here and i think i might be your last interlock oratory congratulations, you have done fantastic and thank you for answering all the questions peer tilt let me ask about the other appearances this past administration perpetrated still in place and i'm referrino from attorney garland targeting parents at school board meetings. do you remember this? >> yes, senator. >> what happens as you recall, we now know what the biden administration in the white house and the secretary of education solicited a letter from the national school board and they had steak from the end calling for scrutiny of against parents, taxpaying parents going to school board meetings

inquiring about what the children are being taught, critical race theory code to get talk about bowing to political pressure. when the white house to man he activates the fbi against these parents amazingly, unbelievably he did it and they should this memorandum one. all at this time later, that memorandum has still never been formally rescinded even after the national school board association withdrew their letter and admitted they were wrong to call parents potential domestic terrorists merely raising questions about what their children were being taught. garland never apologized for it. he never did anything about it. here is my question for you, as attorney general if and when you are confirmed, will you finally resent that memorandum and to write on behalf of all of these parents who have been wrongly unjustly targeted by the fbi and doj? >> senator, i have not yet read the memo. if i am confirmed, i will read the memo into the right thing

just like i told both sides of a alles on the issues. >> go to, i look forward to you doing that and something you can do the first day confirmed to send a message to parents and law-abiding citizens everywhere. they should not be bipartisan. the republicans and democrats have no partisanship, but they want to know the first amendment rights will be protected and you resending that memo formally after frankly the attorney general lied to us about it for years to send a message. let me ask you about one at that think something near and dear to me. we talked about this when you came to my office. the department of justice administers a fund called radiation exposure compensation fund. this is a fund that helps pay for the health care bills of americans who have been exposed to nuclear radiation by the government through no fault of their own. in the last and other parts of the country, the department of justice administered the program and the senator warren

wrote the bill and it has been in existence since 1990 and supported by senators from both parties. it is extremely important to my state, the state of maryland missouri, we have nuclear radiation in the water, as well not cleaned up yet. you will still be in charge of administering it and will you defend it and make sure that radiation victims under the statute entitled to compensation from the government get what they deserve? >> senator, i was speaking with someone about that yesterday because i did not know and again there will be a lot if i am confirmed that i don't know. that is why it is important to keep an open dialogue from every senator from every state. i am committed to looking at that. i did not realize you have that horrific problem in your state. >> thank you very much for answering the questions. thank you, mr. chairman and i yield back my time here just be when we have been watching pam bondi confirmation in the senate judiciary going on all day and a lot of people

believe she has done a very good job answering the senator's questions and probably put hersa good position for confirmation. kerri urbahn with kevin mccarthy. >> i think she knocked it out of the park and some highlights for me included when she called the fbi memo targeting catholic parishes, "ultimate weaponization." she would impact force the law both its the picketing or parading around supreme court justices home in order to influence decisions. we sell that nonstop when the dobbs decision late. these people were allowed to say to make stay outside of their homes and horrified at the time when she saw on tv. just like what we were watching on tv. jack smith and liz cheney, she declined to say whether she would investigate them or prosecutor and said she did not have the file or review anything and did not want to engage in hypotheticals. she tried to turn the tables on

adam schiff and she did that well, you are so worried about liz cheney when you should be worried about the crime in your state of california, which i wonder is why he changed his tone in the next round of questioning. it was much softer and he started talking about constituents, realizing he will need his attorney general's help on that. >> sandra: it did seem to change, jonathan turley, over to you. >> it was interesting midway through the hearing they started referring to her basically as the presumptive attorney general. they seem to accept that she has the votes. she did make a mistake today. the most interesting moments like adam schiff where this is the happiest of lawfare warriors demanding to know if she would turn on her enemies. it is like having captain jack sparrow interjecting and which to comply with the law of the seas?

you have a senator here, former congresswoman, who was the face of that lawfare effort and it believes what happened in new york was a really great thing. she handled it quite well. the other interesting take away is that they quickly turned this into a wedge hearing over kash patel. they were laying the groundwork hoping to wedge the questions and turn her against kash patel. she did not take that bay and they came up with an empty sac. just me when you have to give us your thoughts. >> have to agree with my two colleagues, what gary sibbald adam schiff is a perfect melodic picture but what this is about. she is a very prepared for him and combative the first time around, by the second time around he was kindly giving her advice and treating her like she

was already the attorney general. we're talking about the most combative democrat on capitol hill. you can tell pam bondi spend her professional life preparing witnesses. >> sandra: speeding all three of you for sticking with us, appreciated. >> john: thank you, it has been a long afternoon with a lot of news, we have to see where the cease-fire will go and whether hostages will be released and whether or not if this is a beginning to a longer road to a cessation of hostilities or if you will catch fire yet again. >> sandra: we're back here tomorrow at 1:00. >> john: don't forget the heat -- hearing with marco rubio, and john radcliffe, there was a lot to talk about as of a programming continues this afternoon. never met his maker her words, i'm john roberts. >> sandra: and i'm sandra smith, the "the story" starts right now. >> martha: good afternoon

everybody in martha maccallum, that "the story" this hour after