mr. leahy: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, you know, the senate has often been called the world's greatest deliberative body. we can thoroughly and respectfully debate weighty matters regardless of the pressures imposed by any given moment. and what i've seen during my time here is that at its best the senate can be and actually should be the conscience of the nation. so as we move to vote on the nomination of gina haspel, with very little debate and gaping holes in her record, i fear the senate's failing to fulfill its basic duty to provide advice and informed consent to her nomination. remember, we're supposed to advise and consent. and worst yet, we're failing in our duty to serve as the nation's conscience. now much of what is publicly known about ms. haspel's role in the c.i.a. is disturbing. to begin with -- and i've listened to senators on both sides -- i don't question ms. haspel's commitment to our country or to our national security. that, i think she's established. but what i question is her judgment and

mr. leahy, thanks for being here today. metro link has been a model for commuter rail in terms of ptc, and i can't think of anyone better to ask for the big challenges that you faced that would be instructive to other systems and also the advice you have after going through this process. >> thank you, senator. it was a very difficult process. we started on it early on, but it was new technology. it was being developed realtime with us with the contractors. we had to do a great deal of troubleshooting and training and retesting and validating. it took a great deal of time. i think my recommendation to somebody is you should start as soon as possible because you're going to confront unique challenges. i am pleased that -- by the way, we would help any railroad in the country by chairing our experiences and bringing our people to bear on them. we've been involved in the trade association doing that, and we continue to do it to anybody who would like us to do so. >> and mr. leahy, part of getting started immediately is being aw

. >> mr. leahy. good arrange chairman collins and ranking member reed, thank you for having us here to scomphent on rail safety. metrolink is the first commuter railroad in the nation to have operating ptc. metrolink is all -- regional provider. travels more than 400 miles of track. i should note we operate out west which is the second largest growing corridor. our free aways in southern california are at capacity. our population is still growing and splitting out. the only way to relieve traffic or congestion in southern california is getting cars off the freeway, and metrolink does that. our folks take the train better than driving. we've done a number of things at metrolink the past couple years to improve safety. and we're facing this. and cards that were implemented year ago. our memory was triggered by a tragedy between 2008. the day of that accident, the board of metro and metrolink and others were at the scene. they were there all night long. they saw the horrible consequences and it was that

mr. leahy: i ask the call of the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: the senate is not in a quorum call. the senator is recognized. mr. leahy: mr. president, we new members don't think to look up at the lights. i apologize. i appreciate being recognized. let me be serious for a moment. i am the longest serving member of the senate. i'm a former chairman of the senate judiciary committee. i feel obligated to speak up about the steady erosion of the norms and traditions that protect the senate's unique constitutional role. there are only 100 senators. we should be the conscience of the nation. we have a unique role. but this week, we're witnessing a further degradation of the once-respected role of the blue slip in the judicial confirmation process. now, bipartisan basis value political expediency and argue that blue slips are mere slips of paper, but instead they represent and help preserve something far more meaningful. for much of this body's history, blue slips have given meaning to the constitutional requirement of advice and

mr. wylie: that was not everything they did, but yes, that is something they did do. sen. leahy: how does traditional online americans compare with how cambridge analytica used the information? mr. wylie: when you are looking at traditional marketing, it does not misappropriate tens of millions of people's data. if they are performing their duties legally. it is not or should not be targeted at people's mental vulnerabilities, such as paranoia. or racial biases, traditional marketing does not exacerbate and coerceejudices them and make them believe things that are not necessarily true. sen. leahy: you also said that they were a full-service propaganda machine that discouraged voters are voting -- who are more prone for voting for democratic or liberal candidates. some of their u.s. clients prevailed extremely close races. why did cambridge analytica's american clients investors like the mercer family invest $20 million that these tactics might be helpful? mr. wylie: steve bannon is a follower of something called the breitbart doctrine, which posits that politics is downstream fr

mr. chairman. senator udall. >> thank you madame chairman and senator leahy, good to have you here today and help us lead all. mr. secretary, thank you for appearing before the subcommittee as we begin our examination of the fiscal year 2019 budget for the department of the interior. we appreciate been able to hear from you and ask questions about your budget request. i also want to welcome the deputy assistant secretary for budget and finance performance and acquisition and ms. denise flanagan, director of the budget. we cannot do this without the support of the budget office so want to recognize the terrific work that you and your staff do everyday as in the face of a challenging budget request. thank you very much. as he began to talk about the department's budget i want to emphasize just how important the department is to my home state of new mexico. the decisions made were determined our natural and cultural resources are protected and managed responsibly and whether we uphold our trust and treaty responsible these for the tribes that lived there. that's why i want to begin by thanking you, mr.

leahy. was defended public by guess who? mr. brennan himself. he wrote an op-ed. he was not a nominee for judge then saying johnson's right to hold the seat open should be respected. now he's here on the floor with the blue slip being ignored for the first time since i've been here. that's since 1998. how is senator baldwin's right to consult on judges for her state any less important than senator johnson's? it's mind-bending hypocrisy. it's an appalling double standard. and it's another erosion of minority rights and the tradition of comity that i know so many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle wish played a greater role here in the senate. furthermore, there's been a -- senator baldwin has talked about -- there's always been a bipartisan commission recommending judges in wisconsin. and there were several nominees who got through that bipartisan commission. you need both democratic and republican support to get through that commission, as i understand it. they were ignored by the white house and here senator -- judge brennan or mr. brennan, a hard right

mr. chairman. >> senator leahy. >> thank you, mr. chairman, and senator durbin for holding this hearing. of course, i appreciate it when secretary mattis and general dunford and those with him are here. i might just say personally i appreciate the fact that the secretary and the general, every time i've had a question for them to reach out on a response, they've been there and durbin h about the budget for our national defense accounts for more than half of our nation's discretionary spending. it's larger than any other country by far. and i voted for it. i said when the subcommittee met with you last year, i'm grateful you understand the importance of both adequately funding our troops, our national defense program and the domestic and foreign assistance programs that support families, improve educational opportunities, promote diplomacy and democracy abroad and fulfill our promise to our veterans. secretary mattis, the consolidated appropriations act which has been passed by bipartisan majorities in the senate and the house, signed into law by the president, including 654 billion for d

mr. chairman. >> senator leahy. >> well, thank you, mr. chairman and senator durbin probably deceiving.i appreciate secretary mattis and general dunford and those with them are here. personally, i appreciate the fact that the secretary and the general, every time i have a question, reach out on a response, they have been there and they have responded, and that makes it a lot easier. now, senator durbin has talked about the budgetor our national defense account that's more than half of our nation's discretionary spein it's larger than any other country by far. i said when the subcommittee, and i voted for it. i said when the subcommittee met for your latch, you're grateful come you would attend the boards of both adequately funding our troops, our national defense program, and the domestic and foreign assistance programs to support families, improve educational opportunities, promote diplomacy and democracy, pride, and fulfill our promise to our veterans. secretary mattis, the consolidated appropriations act which we passed by bipartisan majority in the senate and house, signed into law

mr. chairman, why don't you and chairman leahy, who has been a stalwart on these issues, why don't you all lead an effort to try to write the rules of the road for the internet, because by and large there weren't any. and he kind of smiled at me, that quintessential john mccain smile, and he basically said why don't you go out and figure out how to do it, and we'll have a hell of a good time making the case. and what we did under john mccain's leadership was, in fact, write the rules of the road. 10,000 taxing jurisdictions in america. as a result of those early days, you can't discriminate against electronic commerce, which would have clobbered the internet with thousands of discriminatory decisions. there was digital signatures. we wrote the regulatory rules that are often cited as why we have the social media, often cited as creating a trillion dollars worth of wealth in the private economy. and to a great extent, john mccain brought his typical passion to those new areas that he would be the first to say he didn't know everything about, but he says hey, look, we ought to do something t

mr. chairman, why don't you and chairman leahy,, one of you are leading the effort to try and write the rules of the road for the internet? because by and large, they weren't any. and he kind of smiled at me. that quintessential john mccain smile. he basically said, why don't you go out and figure out how to do it? and who have a hell of a good time making it. and what we did, under john mccain leadership was in fact, break the rules of the road, 10,000 taxing jurisdictions in america as a result of those early days, you cannot discriminate against electronic commerce. which would have clobber the internet with discriminatory decisions. there was digital signatures. we wrote the regulatory rules that are often cited as while we have the social media. creating $1 trillion worth of wealth in the private economy. and to a great extent, john mccain, brought his typical passion to those new areas that he would be the first to say he didn't know everything about. he said, look, we ought to do something that is in america's interest. we didn't care about democrats and we didn't care about republican

i recognize senator leahy. >> thank you, mr. chairman. attorney general, last week i sent you a letter regarding your commitment to recuse any future investigation of any matters related in any way to the campaign for president. are you recused from the federal investigation of the president's attorney michael cohen which you purportedly relates to possible campaign violation? >> senator leahy, i'm honoring the recusal in every case and every matter that comes before the department of justice. you i've committed to that in my confirmation hearing and i have honored that and i'll continue to honor that. >> does it include michael cohen? >> it is the policy of the department of justice that those who have recused themselves not state the details of it or any -- or confirm the existence of an investigation or the scope or nature of that investigation. >> i understand that. >> and so i feel i'm following the rules of the department which i'm trying to teach all our people to do, that i should not answer that question. it would be inappropriat

mr. secretary. and thank you for the job you're doing and being on top of that and other issues, even before brought up here. >> letter will be entered into the record without objection. senator leahy. >> thank you, mr. chairman. secretary perdue, welcome. i appreciate the conversations we've had since the time of your nomination. i like your slogan about do right and feed everyone, but i also look at the budget and the programs you want to eliminate or cut benefit our rural communities, and you certainly are familiar for your own state's rural communities, as am i. these communities face housing, infrastructure, opioid crisis, and they eliminate some important work being done around the world to feed people. we need to make investments so we actually do right by all and feed everyone. it's going to be more than a slogan. now, president trump agreed with the republican leadership and the democratic leadership on our bipartisan budget agreement, and we passed it, knowing that he had said he'd sign it. a few days later, he starts tweeting he doesn't like it, he's changed his mind, and he wants to send it up for rescissions, package of rescissions that would go back on his word and ev

mr. chairman. >> ends recognize vice chairman of the full committee, senator leahy. >> thank you, very much, mr. chairman. and interesting the comment at last hearing i was at, going on with the appropriations committee. senator shelby and i are trying to make the committee work and we have a whole lot of committee meetings going on at once. so i apologize for coming in late. but, chairman pai, i wanted to come here because i disagree with many of the decisions you made at the fcc. so i'm concerned about the tone you have adopted. i think you have shown contempt for the public through your decisions. you've ignored overwhelming public support, i have never seen such overwhelming public support for net neutrality. you have gone against the will of congress, seeking to undermine media ownership rules. you engage in blatantly partisan activity. you mock those who disagree with you, with ill-advised attempts at, you may think as humor. too many people in the administration sometimes forget they serve all americans, not just one person. and perhaps appearances at partisan political events, posting in

senator leahy: it may somewhat broke, but i'm awfully proud of the men and women who train there. thank you. >> thank you, mr. chairman. gentlemen, thank you for your service and for appearing before the committee today. secretary mattis, you have appropriately noted that russia as well as china, but russia is a strategic competitor is the word that you used. seeking to create a world consistent with their authoritarian models and veto power over other nations. very we see that very, clearly up in the arctic region in the past 10 years we have seen the russians move dramatically. senator murkowski: and actually in the past year even more so. and yet our u.s. arctic strategy has yet to evolve to this changing dynamic. the concern i have is that rather than the arctic being this place for commerce, a stable area, with freedom of maneuver, that russia is positioning themselves to control the arctic, control its resources, control the sea lanes. at the northern sea route becomes a major shipping lane, russia is poised to be that sole power that could effectively anction or threaten to coerce, project power. we h

mr. chairman appreciate you moving forward as others are to get our bills done. >> thank you, senator leahy. secretary mnuchin, we are pleased to receive your oral testimony now as well. >> thank you very much chairman lankford, ranking member coons and members of the subcommittee. it's good to be here with you today to discuss the president's budget and priorities for the treasury department. i would like to begin by thanking you for your support in the fiscal year 2018 omnibus for tax reform implementation and the treasury's office of terrorism and financial intelligence. the tax cut and jobs act is the most significant tax reform legislation since 1986. the resources appropriate rate willed allow the irs to update its systems, implement the new tax law and provide guidance to taxpayers and business. the community support for tfis initiative must continue as we support efforts to denuclearize the korean peninsula. additionally, funds for tfi are helping to enhance the work of the terrorist financing targeting center. the tftc is a an effort with saudi arabia to fight terrorism, counter ir

mr. leahy: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, you know, the senate has often been called the world's

mr. leahy: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: madam president, i ask consent the call of the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. leahy: madam president, notwithstanding what we sometimes hear about a deadlocked washington, there are times when both parties work together. three months ago republicans and democrats came together and we reached a bipartisan budget agreement. we reached an agreement, republicans and democrats together, to lift the budget caps, provide relief from sequestration, but most importantly, make responsible and new investments in the american people over the next two years. and then president trump, as he stated earlier he would do when we reached that agreement, he signed it into law. but now even though he signed it into law, even though the agreement had been worked with republicans, democrats, and the white house together, the president has proposed and unfortunately house republicans have dr

mr. leahy: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, you know, the senate has often been called the world's greatest deliberative body. we can thoroughly and respectfully debate weighty matters regardless of the pressures imposed by any given moment. and what i've seen during my time here is that at its best the senate can be and actually should be the conscience of the nation. so as we move to vote on the nomination of gina haspel, with very little debate and gaping holes in her record, i fear the senate's failing to fulfill its basic duty to provide advice and informed consent to her nomination. remember, we're supposed to advise and consent. and worst yet, we're failing in our duty to serve as the nation's conscience. now much of what is publicly known about ms. haspel's role in the c.i.a. is disturbing. to begin with -- and i've listened to senators on both sides -- i don't question ms. haspel's commitment to our country or to our national security. that, i think she's established. but what i question is her judgment and

obstruction, yet senator leahy faithfully preserved the blue slip tradition and kempt the circuit seat vacant for six years. listen to this. during those six years, none other than mr. brennan himself, the nominee, wrote an op-ed defending senator johnson's write to refuse a return -- right to refuse to return a blue slip for the seventh circuit vacancy. of course, irony of ironies, it is now mr. brennan who is up for confirmation over the objection of one of his home state senators. where is the defense office senatorial courtesy today? making matters worse, is the fact that the hard, hard right is pushing very conservative nominees way out of the mainstream, and the pressure on my friend, and he is my friend, the republican leader, to ignore all of the traditions, the blue slip above all, and create this double standard to me is really galling. now, on wednesday of this week, the judiciary committee will hold a hearing on ryan bounds, for the ninth circuit of oregon. he has not received a blue slip from either senator, senators wyden or merkley. it will be the first time -- the first time the judiciary chairman has allowed a nominee to proceed who lacks the suppo

mr. kishler's nomination for more than two years since the district of columbia has nor senators. this decision allowed president obama then to stack the d.c. circuit and also the fourth circuit with liberal judges. chairman leahy also declined to hold hearings for two sixth court nominees to ohio seats even though both ohio senators had returned positive blue slips. the dc circuit senators from michigan asked chairman leahy to halt proceeding on all six circuit nominees, not just those from michigan. so chairman leahy honored this request and denied a hearing to ohio nominees even though the blue slips had been returned. this was the first time ever a chairman allowed senators to halt committee proceedings on nominees for seats in other states. as chairman leahy's example shows, there isn't just one reason, there will multiple reasons for any chairman of the judiciary committee to deny a hearing to a nominee. likewise, my decision not to hold hearings for the four nominees in 2016 wasn't based solely on the lack of blue slips. it's simply false then for my colleagues to say that i changed my blue slip policy since last -- since that particular time. as to my decision then to hold a hearing on the nominee now b