• 8 months ago
Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Transcript
00:00:00 the science and related agencies will come to order.
00:00:03 Welcome to today's hearing to review the president's fiscal year 2025 funding request for the Department
00:00:09 of Justice.
00:00:10 Our witness today is Attorney General Merrick Garland.
00:00:14 Welcome, General Garland.
00:00:17 Because this is our first hearing for the subcommittee of the year, I also wanted to
00:00:22 recognize and thank my colleague and ranking member, Senator Moran.
00:00:26 We have worked very cooperatively throughout 2024 and our other years on this subcommittee
00:00:32 and I know that that will continue and I appreciate that.
00:00:35 So thank you, Senator Moran.
00:00:38 I fully believe that this subcommittee will continue its important and bipartisan work
00:00:45 this year, both in this subcommittee and under the leadership of full committee chair Murray
00:00:49 and vice chair Collins.
00:00:51 And once again, I'm ready to get to work and look forward to continuing that bipartisan
00:00:56 effort.
00:00:58 And I think that we will probably be joined later by chair Murray and vice chair Collins.
00:01:05 This year, the president's fiscal year 2025 budget request for the Department of Justice
00:01:10 is 39 billion in direct discretionary spending.
00:01:14 That's a 5% increase compared to fiscal year 2024 enacted for the department.
00:01:21 But unfortunately, we are in a fundamentally different position than the last time you
00:01:26 appeared before this committee, Attorney General.
00:01:30 Last year, we were discussing increases provided in the fiscal year 2023 funding legislation
00:01:36 and where the department was proposing program increases to reflect a decade of efforts to
00:01:41 rebuild after the impacts of the Budget Control Act and post sequestration.
00:01:46 Now we're faced with the impacts of significant cuts in FY 2024 that came as a result of the
00:01:53 Fiscal Responsibility Act's discretionary spending limits.
00:01:57 Our bill faced a 3% cut compared to 2023.
00:02:02 That's roughly 2.5 billion less than we had in the prior year to fund our bill.
00:02:07 Those effects are real and we're hearing for good reason from all of our affected agencies
00:02:12 about what this truly means for staffing and daily operations.
00:02:17 For the Department of Justice, those cuts met $1.2 billion less in fiscal 2023.
00:02:24 And we don't know what 2025 will bring, but we remain under the constraints of the Fiscal
00:02:30 Responsibility Act and I am concerned about those continued cuts to discretionary spending.
00:02:37 Those cuts have very real consequences as we know.
00:02:40 The FBI is a good example of those impacts.
00:02:44 Despite a relatively modest cut of $32 million or .3% to salaries and expenses, the amount
00:02:52 needed for the FBI to maintain its current services for 2024 is actually $484 million.
00:03:01 And this directly affects the FBI's ability to counter threats of terrorism and keep our
00:03:05 country safe.
00:03:07 The cuts will reduce FBI's ability to counter threats of terrorism, combat violent crime,
00:03:12 drugs, gangs, and transnational organized crime.
00:03:17 Increases are also requested to combat drug trafficking and prevent overdose deaths in
00:03:22 our communities and that's a particular issue for my home state of New Hampshire.
00:03:28 As I noted last year, critical grant programs rely on the Crime Victims Fund, which continues
00:03:34 to experience historically low deposits.
00:03:37 I look forward to continuing to work together to ensure that the Crime Victims Fund remains
00:03:41 solvent and welcome a discussion today about how the Department is pursuing both short
00:03:47 and long-term solutions to ensure the Crime Victims Fund remains a dependable source of
00:03:52 funding for survivor resources.
00:03:55 As we said earlier, I also look forward to working with the Department as we look at
00:03:59 the resources for the Antitrust Division to ensure that they can continue to do their
00:04:04 work.
00:04:05 Now, before I close, I want to thank the over 116,000 career employees of the Department
00:04:11 of Justice, including law enforcement personnel, intelligence analysts, and attorneys for their
00:04:17 tireless work each day to keep Americans safe.
00:04:20 Their work's not easy, but it's vital to our country and I'm grateful for their service.
00:04:25 Mr. Attorney General, I look forward to your testimony in our discussion today and I will
00:04:30 submit my full statement for the record and now I'd like to recognize the subcommittee
00:04:34 ranking member, Senator Moran.
00:04:37 Chairman Shaheen, thank you very much.
00:04:38 Thank you for convening this hearing and thank you for the cooperation that you've exhibited
00:04:42 with me and this side of the dais.
00:04:45 I enjoy working with you and I look forward to doing so in this new fiscal year.
00:04:52 The complaint yesterday in a hearing was, well, you did get your appropriation bills
00:04:56 done but they were six months late, so maybe we can get them done and get them done on
00:05:00 time and would be a great significant accomplishment, although something that ought to – every
00:05:07 city, every county, every school board in Kansas passes a budget in a timely fashion
00:05:12 and deals with third issues and I hope that our committee can do the same.
00:05:17 And General, thank you for your presence here.
00:05:18 Thanks for the new time and adjusting to the Senate schedule today.
00:05:24 We are – what we faced last year, I think, was a 2.9 percent cut.
00:05:28 We reduced the spending in the commerce justice science arena by $2.5 billion and we'll
00:05:37 work to see if we get a good and fair allocation to hopefully make things slightly different
00:05:43 and better in this fiscal year.
00:05:45 This hearing is timely and critically important.
00:05:47 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
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00:49:14 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:49:22 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:49:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:49:38 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:49:46 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:49:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:50:02 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:50:10 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:50:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:50:26 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:50:34 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:50:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:50:50 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:50:58 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:51:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:51:14 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:51:22 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:51:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:51:38 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:51:46 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:51:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:52:02 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:52:10 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:52:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:52:26 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:52:34 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:52:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:52:50 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:52:58 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:53:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:53:14 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:53:22 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:53:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:53:38 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:53:46 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:53:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:54:02 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:54:10 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:54:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:54:26 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:54:34 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:54:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:54:50 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:54:58 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:55:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:55:14 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:55:22 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:55:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:55:38 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:55:46 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:55:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:56:02 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:56:08 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:56:14 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:56:20 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:56:28 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:56:34 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:56:40 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:56:46 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:56:52 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:56:58 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:57:04 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:57:10 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:57:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:57:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:57:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:57:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:57:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:57:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:57:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:58:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:58:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:58:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:58:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:58:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:58:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:58:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:58:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:58:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:58:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:59:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:59:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:59:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:59:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:59:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:59:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:59:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:59:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:59:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
00:59:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:00:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:00:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:00:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:00:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:00:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:00:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:00:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:00:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:00:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:00:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:01:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:01:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:01:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:01:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:01:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:01:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:01:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:01:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:01:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:01:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:02:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:02:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:02:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:02:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:02:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:02:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:02:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:02:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:02:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:02:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:03:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:03:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:03:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:03:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:03:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:03:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:03:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:03:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:03:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:03:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:04:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:04:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:04:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:04:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:04:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:04:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:04:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:04:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:04:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:04:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:05:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:05:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:05:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:05:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:05:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:05:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:05:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:05:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:05:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:05:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:06:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:06:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:06:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:06:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:06:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:06:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:06:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:06:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:06:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:06:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:07:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:07:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:07:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:07:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:07:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:07:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:07:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:07:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:07:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:07:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:08:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:08:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:08:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:08:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:08:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:08:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:08:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:08:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:08:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:08:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:09:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:09:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:09:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:09:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:09:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:09:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:09:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:09:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:09:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:09:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:10:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:10:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:10:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:10:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:10:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:10:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:10:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:10:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:10:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:10:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:11:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:11:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:11:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:11:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:11:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:11:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:11:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:11:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:11:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:11:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:12:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:12:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:12:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:12:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:12:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:12:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:12:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:12:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:12:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:12:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:13:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:13:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:13:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:13:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:13:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:13:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:13:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:13:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:13:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:13:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:14:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:14:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:14:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:14:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:14:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:14:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:14:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:14:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:14:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:14:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:15:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:15:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:15:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:15:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:15:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:15:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:15:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:15:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:15:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:15:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:16:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:16:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:16:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:16:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:16:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:16:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:16:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:16:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:16:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:16:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:17:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:17:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:17:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:17:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:17:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:17:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:17:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:17:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:17:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:17:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:18:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:18:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:18:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:18:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:18:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:18:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:18:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:18:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:18:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:18:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:19:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:19:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:19:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:19:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:19:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:19:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:19:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:19:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:19:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:19:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:20:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:20:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:20:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:20:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:20:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:20:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:20:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:20:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:20:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:20:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:21:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:21:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:21:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:21:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:21:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:21:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:21:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:21:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:21:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:21:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:22:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:22:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:22:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:22:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:22:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:22:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:22:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:22:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:22:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:22:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:23:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:23:06 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:23:12 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:23:18 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:23:24 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:23:30 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:23:36 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:23:42 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:23:48 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:23:54 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:24:00 We've had a number of issues that have come up.
01:24:06 >> Senator, are you comfortable with the house version of the legislation?
01:24:12 >> Not knowing exactly what the house version is, I'm comfortable with the provisions that provide for the fixes that we have
01:24:20 administratively put into place.
01:24:26 >> Thank you, Madam Chair.
01:24:32 >> Thank you, Senator Reed.
01:24:38 Senator Fischer.
01:24:44 >> I notice that President Biden's budget request for the Justice Department states that its goal is to uphold the rule of law.
01:24:50 I'm not sure that that's the kind of budget that truly supports this vision.
01:24:56 I see cuts to resources for local law enforcement who are struggling right now.
01:25:02 I see the elimination of a program that helps put criminal, illegal aliens in jail.
01:25:08 And I'm seeing cuts like these in favor of more spending to fulfill President Biden's political goals.
01:25:16 I think that budget cuts are important.
01:25:22 But if you really want to uphold the law, cuts to law enforcement programs aren't the right place to start.
01:25:28 For example, your funding request for the community-based violence intervention and prevention initiative is $110 million more
01:25:34 than the funding you're seeking for the regional information sharing systems program, known as RISC.
01:25:40 RISC is a proven communications program that helps state and local law enforcement combat criminal activity.
01:25:46 As nice as community intervention programs are, they'll never replace the men and women in uniform who hold the thin blue line every single day.
01:25:52 The President's request actually tries to cut funding for the RISC program by several million dollars.
01:25:58 Did the Department of Justice and the Justice Department have a plan to do that?
01:26:04 Did the Department of Justice and the Justice Department have a plan to cut funding for the RISC program by several million dollars?
01:26:10 Did the Department assess a reduced need for RISC funding for FY25?
01:26:16 Because that's not what I'm hearing from Nebraska sheriffs.
01:26:22 I have to say that funding for state and local police is a high priority for the Justice Department.
01:26:28 We're asking for more than $4.3 billion in funding for state and local police,
01:26:34 and $16.5 billion in the mandatory program over five years.
01:26:40 We're asking for an increase in our COPS hiring program of 893.5 percent, $2.5 billion total, $2.3 billion increase.
01:26:48 That money goes for state and local police hiring.
01:26:54 We've asked for $524.5 million for bird and jag grants, $323 million, $7.5 million increase for our Office of Violence Against Women grants,
01:27:00 which focus on local law enforcement and prosecutors.
01:27:06 We've asked for $133 million for our public safety officers benefit program.
01:27:12 I know, excuse me, I have limited time, but I know there are a number of programs out there,
01:27:18 but specifically to the RISC program, which is a program that really offers secure information sharing
01:27:26 and communications capabilities, investigative support services, and that all enhances our officer safety.
01:27:34 And so what I'm hearing is the priority for that program,
01:27:40 which we're looking at a $4 million decrease,
01:27:46 and the president's requesting $40 million.
01:27:52 You compare that to the community-based violence intervention prevention initiative,
01:27:58 that has increased a top line to $250 million over five years.
01:28:06 So while we're looking at, in the FY24 budget, $0 for that program,
01:28:16 we're now looking at $150 million increase in that program.
01:28:22 So I'm just curious, if you reach out to local law enforcement, which I know you do,
01:28:30 but do you hear a priority being for the RISC program as well?
01:28:36 I'm sorry, I may be even embarrassed to say that I'm not sufficiently familiar with the RISC program.
01:28:42 I have spoken constantly. We meet quarterly with state and local law enforcement,
01:28:48 and I've gone to more than 40 U.S. attorney's offices to meet with state and local.
01:28:52 This issue hasn't been raised for me, but I will ask my staff to get back to you.
01:28:56 Many of the things you're talking about sound like things that are also covered by the other grant programs.
01:29:02 We also face issues because of the chaos that we see at our southern border.
01:29:12 There's a program that you have there.
01:29:14 It's one of the few programs that helps states with that.
01:29:20 It's the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, which the president has proposed to cut funding to that entirely.
01:29:32 Reason being that it's a duplicative program.
01:29:38 My time is up, but I'd like to submit a couple more questions to you, if you could respond to it,
01:29:44 and specifically that program, because we are seeing across this country cities, states,
01:29:52 seeing increased needs for these assistance programs because of the chaos that we see at our border.
01:30:02 To find one that, again, is working for my state, and to see that being cut,
01:30:10 I'd like to explore the answers that you provide for that.
01:30:16 I'll be happy to answer the questions.
01:30:18 Thank you, sir, very much.
01:30:19 Thank you, Senator Fischer.
01:30:21 Madam Chair, if I could, I realize I confused my answer to the senator's question about the House bill for 702,
01:30:30 because there have been quite a number of House bills.
01:30:33 The one that passed the House is the one that we do very strongly support.
01:30:37 It's the one that passed last week, and I do urge the Senate to pass that bill.
01:30:42 Well, thank you for that clarification.
01:30:44 Senator Coons.
01:30:46 Thank you, Chair Shaheen.
01:30:47 Thank you so much, Attorney General Garland.
01:30:49 Senator Fischer and I may find some things to work on out of her questioning.
01:30:54 We are the cosponsors of the Recruit and Retain bill that has already passed the Senate
01:30:59 and would strengthen the COPS program's ability to help state and local law enforcement with recruitment and retention.
01:31:07 As the co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus on the Judiciary Committee with Senator Cornyn
01:31:11 and someone who spent a decade in local government responsible for the second-largest police department in our state,
01:31:17 I've focused in my 14 years here on partnerships like RISC, like information sharing and ways to support local law enforcement.
01:31:26 As you said in your opening testimony, the investments, the initiatives that you've taken,
01:31:31 the Department of Justice and the brave men and women who serve us every day through DOJ are having an impact.
01:31:36 In my hometown of Wilmington, murder is at a 20-year low.
01:31:41 The broad perception of crime is not improving at the rate we would hope, but the reality.
01:31:46 In my hometown, we had a crisis of shootings and murders that lasted for a decade.
01:31:52 We are now seeing a persistent, sustained, significant drop in violent crime, and I thank you for your leadership on that.
01:31:58 The American Rescue Plan was the single largest investment in law enforcement and public safety by the federal government in our history,
01:32:05 and I'm pleased your request builds on that success.
01:32:08 I wanted to reference four different things briefly in my questioning.
01:32:12 The Victims of Child Abuse Act and the critical work you're doing to help fund and implement that,
01:32:17 boosting hiring through the COPS program, as I referenced, protecting those charged with upholding the law,
01:32:23 our judges at the both federal and local level, and enforcing IP rights.
01:32:28 I also think it's key that we continue funding the implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act,
01:32:34 a critical gun safety measure that passed by a broad bipartisan margin here in the Senate.
01:32:39 I worked hard with Senator Blunt to reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Act programs,
01:32:45 and I appreciate the department's effort to increase by 7% the funding for this.
01:32:51 Children's advocacy centers are a critical resource to ensure that law enforcement, mental health professionals,
01:32:59 medical professionals come together to work on child abuse investigations in a child-centered way that is effective.
01:33:07 I'm proud of the work Representative Krista Griffith and her team at the Children's Advocacy Center of Delaware have done.
01:33:13 I used a CDS to strengthen that. The need is great. There are a significant number of unserved children.
01:33:21 Can you explain why the Children's Advocacy Center program is important and what role it plays in helping solve crimes?
01:33:29 I have to say I'm not intimately familiar with the center.
01:33:33 Obviously, we need children's advocates when children are victims. They can't advocate for themselves.
01:33:42 Mr. Attorney General, I would be happy to familiarize you with the investigatory tool that it is.
01:33:49 It's a unique model. Its name is somewhat misleading, but I've seen it work on the ground in our community.
01:33:57 I appreciate your commitment to law enforcement hiring and funding new positions.
01:34:02 How are you working to ensure that small departments can fully access the COPS program?
01:34:08 The agency I was responsible for was the second largest in our state, but frankly, COPS programs have made a real impact in smaller agencies.
01:34:17 The director of the program is very sensitive to the concerns of the small agencies, both in urban areas and in rural areas,
01:34:30 and he's been very helpful in helping us to make sure that we're providing the right tools for the right purposes.
01:34:38 I think the agency is doing a great job of understanding that they don't have the luxury of having administrative officers
01:34:47 who can fill out the forms and do the appropriate collection of data, nor even necessarily interrelate with respect to the Internet program.
01:34:59 I think it's a great opportunity for us to make sure that we're providing the right tools for the right purposes.
01:35:06 I'm very pleased to be working with the agency to make sure that we're providing the right tools for the right purposes.
01:35:13 I'm also pleased to be working with the agency to make sure that we're providing the right tools for the right purposes.
01:35:20 I think the Department of Justice's Department of Justice and Justice Department,
01:35:24 which is the agency that I'm responsible for, is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:35:29 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice,
01:35:33 and I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:35:37 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice,
01:35:41 and I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:35:44 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice,
01:35:50 and I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:35:54 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:35:58 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:02 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:05 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:08 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:14 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:18 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:22 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:26 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:30 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:34 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:38 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:42 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:46 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:50 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:54 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:36:58 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:02 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:06 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:10 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:14 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:18 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:22 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:26 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:30 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:34 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:38 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:42 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:46 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:50 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:54 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:37:58 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:02 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:06 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:10 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:14 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:18 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:22 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:26 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:30 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:34 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:38 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:42 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:46 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:50 I think the Department of Justice is a great partner in the Department of Justice.
01:38:54 We have the most really drug-related deaths per capita than any other state, and most of it's tied to fentanyl.
01:39:00 Do you think that the $2.7 billion is an adequate budget for the DEA,
01:39:04 and how could our resources be better prioritized to reduce and one day eliminate
01:39:10 the amount of deaths we experience from fentanyl?
01:39:13 Obviously, to stop the flow of fentanyl would be number one, but how would you respond to that?
01:39:20 We would always like more money, but we're obviously trying to live within the caps that were agreed to.
01:39:28 I think the budget that we've asked for is a 6% increase over the enacted 424,
01:39:35 includes an addition of 40 agents, which will be very helpful.
01:39:41 This also includes money for diversion control, which was part of the problem in quite a number of states
01:39:47 with respect to opioids.
01:39:50 Then there's the money that we have available in grants with respect to state and local opioid addiction treatment and protection.
01:40:01 That's the more than 490 million in counter drug-related OJP grants, including the CARA grants and the GUSOP grants.
01:40:10 We took a trip to Mexico, met with the president of Mexico, Senator Moran was on that trip just briefly.
01:40:16 He was on the trip the whole time, it was a brief trip.
01:40:20 Anyway, we sat in and listened to the president of Mexico basically tell us that you have a demand problem in the United States.
01:40:29 You've heard him say this publicly.
01:40:32 Because we were imploring him to stop the flow of the chemicals that are coming in from China
01:40:38 and then having the development and production in Mexico and then flowing into the United States.
01:40:44 What is the current state of that disruptive, that needed disruption between the Mexican border and the United States
01:40:52 in terms of getting the Mexican government to cooperate with our government, law enforcement, to be able to shut these things down?
01:41:00 Senator, I've sat through that same discussion three times by the president of Mexico, so I'm familiar with your frustration.
01:41:09 I would say cooperation is improving, but much, much more is required.
01:41:15 They have increased the number of precursor chemicals on the list that have to be registered to come in.
01:41:23 They have at our request, extradited a number of the people who we've indicted, the heads of the Sinaloa cartel, the Chapidos, the sons of El Chapo.
01:41:33 They have destroyed labs, and I will say in connection, for example, with their arrest of Ovidio, the son of El Chapo,
01:41:42 a number of their Mexican Marines lost their lives.
01:41:45 They are facing an organization which in many ways has more heavy weaponry than some small countries.
01:41:56 So it's dangerous for them, but it is not sufficient.
01:42:00 And that's why I keep going, that's why my deputy attorney general keeps going,
01:42:05 and that's why our law enforcement agencies at all the operational level keep going to try to get more cooperation.
01:42:11 Thank you. Thank you for coming.
01:42:13 Thank you, Senator Capito. Senator Britt.
01:42:17 Excellent. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.
01:42:21 Mr. General, thank you for being here today. Really appreciate it.
01:42:24 During last year's hearing, I asked you about training materials that were used to prepare the U.S. Marshals assigned to protective details at the homes of our Supreme Court justices in the aftermath of the Leak Dobbs decision.
01:42:37 Those training materials made it clear that far from having the full authority to arrest people under any federal statute, as been previously testified,
01:42:45 the Marshals on the ground at the homes of the justices were actively discouraged from making arrests under 18 U.S.C. 15, Section 1507.
01:42:54 As we discussed last year, Section 1507 makes it a crime to picket or parade near a residence occupied by a judge
01:43:01 with the intent of influencing any judge, juror, witness, or court officer in the discharge of his duty, as I know that you are fully aware.
01:43:09 In the aftermath of that hearing, I and several of my colleagues sent a letter to you on May 3, 2023.
01:43:16 That letter recounted the contents of some of the training materials discussed during the hearing and also discussed new materials that we had received afterwards.
01:43:25 Those new materials consisted of several different versions of post orders that were provided to U.S. Marshals assigned to protect the homes of the justices
01:43:33 and further confirmed that they had been actively dissuaded from making arrests under Section 1507.
01:43:40 The letter asked for a response to 19 different questions and/or document requests by May 24, 2023.
01:43:48 To date, almost a year after it was transmitted to DOJ, I have yet to receive any response to that letter.
01:43:55 My staff repeatedly reached out to DOJ to inquire about the status of the response, including via email on May 26, June 13, and July 11, and by phone on numerous other occasions.
01:44:08 Staff for this subcommittee actually got involved and also reached out to DOJ's Appropriation Liaison Office in August to inquire about the status of the response to my letter.
01:44:20 Neither my staff nor the staff of this subcommittee, to my knowledge, have received any type of update regarding the timeline provided for a response or an answer to any of the questions that were in that document.
01:44:34 And so my question to you is, is there a reason that I didn't get a response to that letter, and will you commit to me to getting one before the end of the week?
01:44:44 I'll speak to my staff about the responses to your letter, but as you no doubt know, the Director of the Marshals Service testified extensively February of this year on the precise questions that you're asking.
01:44:57 He was subject to further questioning, and he explained.
01:45:00 He confirmed that what I testified to before this committee was correct and accurate and true, that I had – he testified that I had directed him that his first priority is to protect the lives and safety of the justices and their children,
01:45:19 and that they have full authority to make arrests under any other statute, including Section 1507, but that they –
01:45:28 Mr. General –
01:45:29 – ensure that they do not do so in a way that would risk the lives.
01:45:33 With respect to someone standing post who sees a –
01:45:38 Yes, sir. Well, Mr. General, my question is really about the letter. I mean, I just – yes, sir.
01:45:42 I'm trying to answer you. There was a testimony in person –
01:45:46 Right. Well, then that would have been – sir, if I may, then that would have been an easy thing.
01:45:50 You're now recounting all of the things that you could have put in the letter.
01:45:53 I'm actually a member of the United States Senate. I may sit on an opposite side of the aisle.
01:45:57 I may be from a state that doesn't maybe come to your radar.
01:46:02 There may be some other reason, but I actually deserve an answer, and so I would respect that you respect that, and even if that answer is not something I like,
01:46:11 over a year with no response after we're trying to get one, and you could have very easily sent a letter that pointed to those things right there.
01:46:18 It's disrespectful, and I really don't appreciate it.
01:46:21 I have the greatest respect.
01:46:22 So in the future, though, too, and as a former staffer myself, I would assume that somebody sitting behind you knows that you didn't respond to me,
01:46:30 and I just want to say I deserve your respect, and I would hope that you would give it to me in the future,
01:46:36 and so even if it's what you just said right here, I'd like a letter by the end of the week.
01:46:40 I greatly respect you, Senator.
01:46:42 I greatly respect the Senate.
01:46:44 Thank you.
01:46:45 I guess I'd assume that the call --
01:46:46 Then we will get it.
01:46:47 Then you can put that in a letter.
01:46:49 Be sure that the transcript of the testimony gets to you in a letter, yes.
01:46:53 Thank you.
01:46:54 I appreciate it.
01:46:55 Given that I actually have a similar concern as Senator Coons just about our federal judiciary,
01:47:03 and when I look at what is happening across the country, I just want a commitment from you that DOJ and marshal services will enforce all applicable laws,
01:47:13 all of them, including, obviously, 1507, to protect federal judges, and that, as he said, that we're doing everything that we can,
01:47:21 and if there's anything that we need to be doing more of, that we can communicate on that
01:47:25 and certainly look forward to partnering on making sure that we're doing it.
01:47:29 As a longtime federal judge who cares very much about the safety and security of my former colleagues,
01:47:35 I have done way more than any attorney general in history has done in this respect,
01:47:40 and I can promise you that I will continue to do so.
01:47:43 Excellent.
01:47:44 It looks like I am out of time.
01:47:45 Thank you.
01:47:46 Thank you, Senator Britt.
01:47:47 Senator Van Hollen.
01:47:48 Thank you, Madam Chairman, Mr. Attorney General.
01:47:50 Great to see you today.
01:47:52 I do want to start by thanking the President and the Biden administration for all their help and rapid help in response to the bridge collapse in Baltimore.
01:48:05 There are many pieces we need to pull together, but the FBI was -- they were among the first on the scene to try to rule out foul play, terrorism,
01:48:14 and they've been continuing to be present, so thank you, and the Justice Department.
01:48:21 We, the State of Maryland, has now been enrolled in what's called the Emergency Repair Program.
01:48:26 It's a program at the DOT, and we're really glad to be part of it.
01:48:30 Senator Cardin and I have introduced legislation to ensure that the President's pledge that we, as a federal government,
01:48:38 will come together and make sure that we cover the costs of the bridge replacement are met,
01:48:44 but we also are writing into that legislation a clear directive that any funds recouped as a result of lawsuits
01:48:53 or other liability will be returned to the federal taxpayer.
01:48:57 That reinforces a provision already in law.
01:49:01 I just want to ask you and the Department for your commitment to work with us to make sure that if there has been malfeasance,
01:49:09 negligence, that federal taxpayers will recoup expenses that they're putting out for bridge replacement.
01:49:17 We will, of course, use every tool we have with respect to recovering from any wrongdoers,
01:49:24 if we find the kind of wrongdoing that allows us to make those recoveries.
01:49:29 And as I understand it, whether the suits are brought by the federal government or by states' attorney generals,
01:49:33 the federal government has the first priority claim on any monies that come in as a result of that.
01:49:41 Let me also thank you and the President for the regulations, guidelines that you put forward in response to the Safer Communities Act,
01:49:50 specifically work to close the gun show loophole.
01:49:54 So I chair the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees the FCC.
01:49:59 One of the issues that they try to track and prevent are robocalls, which I think every American has been the victim of robocalls.
01:50:12 And I want to congratulate the Department, DOGA.
01:50:16 I think in 2021 there was a major recovery of about $10 million from one of these operators who was violating the various federal laws.
01:50:25 But in testimony by the chair of the FCC, Chair Rosenworcel, she has asked for authority for the FCC to directly bring these cases.
01:50:38 Because as you can imagine, there are lots of robocall cases.
01:50:43 Understandably, not all of them rise to the level where DOJ would use its assets to prosecute.
01:50:52 But the FCC doesn't have the authority to prosecute.
01:50:55 They can impose a penalty, but they can't enforce it.
01:51:00 So my question to you is, does the DOJ have any opposition to Congress empowering the FCC to bring these cases directly in court and enforce them?
01:51:11 So I haven't thought about that specifically, so I have to get back to you.
01:51:15 I would say as a general matter, it's proven to be an element of good government to have all of the litigation in the hands of the Justice Department,
01:51:24 overseen by the Attorney General, with respect to all of civil and criminal enforcement,
01:51:30 and make sure that the United States is always taking the same position in different cases.
01:51:35 These cases involve not just a specific question under a statute, but many other civil procedure kinds of questions.
01:51:42 So I'd say as a general matter, the Department favors the litigation remain in the hands of the Department.
01:51:49 I have not heard of any problems from the FCC with respect to us not moving vigorously or aggressively enough on those cases, but I will get back to you.
01:52:00 [Reuben Cahn] Well, Mr. Attorney General, I'm happy to share with you the testimony of the Chair.
01:52:04 Again, she wasn't being accused, Corey, with respect to DOJ, but I think it's a fact that given all the cases that you're facing,
01:52:13 you don't have the time and the resources to commit to many of the robocall cases.
01:52:19 My understanding is the FTC has some authority to bring cases directly?
01:52:23 [Corey Smith] Some, yeah.
01:52:24 [Reuben Cahn] Right.
01:52:25 So I hope you would agree that we can provide the FCC some limited authority to bring cases that are pending to . . .
01:52:33 I mean, there are lots of penalties that are not collected, right?
01:52:36 So it's not a hit on DOJ, but it's a question of making sure that we enforce federal law.
01:52:42 [Corey Smith] I'll look into those circumstances and I'll ask my staff to talk to yours.
01:52:46 [Reuben Cahn] Thanks.
01:52:47 So one other question.
01:52:48 I know the FISA legislation has come up.
01:52:51 I heard your response to that.
01:52:53 Many of us believe that at the FISA court, there should be even more of an opportunity for the people's advocate to weigh in in these cases.
01:53:08 There is a process, as you well know, to file amici briefs, but there's legislation that Senator Durbin, I think Senator Wyden have proposed,
01:53:18 where one element of that would be to require the court to appoint amici in certain narrow cases involving Americans' First Amendment rights,
01:53:31 cases involving the investigation of religious figures, members of the media, cases involving new technologies or new surveillance programs.
01:53:44 Would you object to ensuring that an amici is appointed in those kind of circumstances?
01:53:52 [Reuben Cahn] So I take it this is separate from the 702 legislation that you're talking about.
01:53:56 This would be separate legislation?
01:53:58 [Corey Smith] I think this would be relates to all the FISA legislation, including the section 702.
01:54:04 This goes beyond 702.
01:54:06 [Reuben Cahn] This isn't part of the reauthorization?
01:54:08 [Corey Smith] Yes.
01:54:09 [Reuben Cahn] This is not part of that?
01:54:10 [Corey Smith] This is part of the reauthorization of the--
01:54:13 [Reuben Cahn] 702.
01:54:14 [Corey Smith] I think that's where they're proposing to include.
01:54:16 [Reuben Cahn] I see.
01:54:17 So we strongly support the bill that passed out of the House as it is.
01:54:21 We need this finished by the end of the week or our authorization expires.
01:54:28 So anything that would get in the way of that happening, I'm reluctant to tell you, but I have to, that I couldn't support.
01:54:37 I think the judges know well when they need amicus and they have the ability to appoint amicus.
01:54:45 From my own experience, during the time I was in the same courthouse with the FISA judges, they are very pleased with the amicus that they have,
01:54:52 and they know well when difficult cases arise, how to appoint one and to appoint one.
01:54:59 There's nothing that prevents them from doing that now.
01:55:03 [Judge Gerrard] No, I appreciate that, Madam Chair.
01:55:05 I just end by saying, in a typical adversarial proceeding, there's a representative there for the adversary.
01:55:14 Here, the question is just whether to make sure that the people who may be on the receiving end of the investigation have their rights protected.
01:55:24 But we can continue that conversation.
01:55:26 I will say there's quite a bit of concern about this provision that came up today that was added in the House-passed bill that was not part of the Warner/Rubio bill.
01:55:38 I'm sure that will be a subject of conversation in the coming days.
01:55:41 [Judge Fischer] I'm sure it will.
01:55:42 Thank you, Senator Van Hollen.
01:55:44 Mr. Attorney General, I understand you have a hard out at 11.30.
01:55:48 I would like to just raise two brief points before we close the hearing.
01:55:54 In March of '23, you testified in front of the committee, and we discussed anomalous health incidents.
01:56:01 I relayed the situation of someone I had met on a congressional delegation visit to the country of Georgia.
01:56:11 She was the wife of a career employee with the Department of Justice, and her life and career had been upended because she had been affected by an anomalous health incident.
01:56:23 She had not been able to get satisfaction from the Department of Justice for that.
01:56:31 You talked about taking a look at that and coming up with a rule that could be implemented.
01:56:39 Can you tell me when that draft rule is expected to go into effect?
01:56:44 I can tell you.
01:56:45 I signed the rule.
01:56:46 I believe it's with the Federal Register now.
01:56:49 As soon as they publish, we'll be able to reach out and start processing these claims.
01:56:55 I'm grateful for your bringing that to my attention.
01:56:58 Thank you.
01:56:59 I'm delighted to hear that that is progressing.
01:57:02 Hopefully, we can ensure that people who have been affected get some satisfaction and some help for what's happened to them.
01:57:09 The other issue is one that you raised earlier in the questions from Senator Moran and Senator Capito about recruitment and retention of our federal corrections officers.
01:57:21 FCI Berlin, which is a prison in northern New Hampshire, has had similar recruitment issues.
01:57:28 It's a very rural part of our state, far away from lots of urban areas.
01:57:34 While lots of people really like that, it makes it hard to recruit.
01:57:40 Further, a number of officers have been called down to facilities in New York, which have even more extreme challenges with hiring,
01:57:54 and have been asked to go serve there for a period of time, which creates more concern and pressure in Berlin.
01:58:03 We are also considered in the Boston metropolitan area,
01:58:09 which means that the issue you raised about people being able to get more pay in other areas is exacerbated,
01:58:17 because even though New Hampshire has a lot of rural areas to put us in with the Boston metropolitan area,
01:58:27 it creates a real problem, and that's what the Office of Personnel has done.
01:58:30 Can I just ask that you work with us and with the Bureau of Prisons as we take a look at this issue,
01:58:37 because it creates real challenges for what is already a problematic situation.
01:58:42 Absolutely. We would be happy to do that.
01:58:45 As I mentioned, we have a request for some $205.4 million for hiring and retention incentives.
01:58:53 We're just going to have to improve the pay scale for correctional officers if we're going to solve this problem in the end.
01:58:59 Absolutely. It's complicated because of that designation of what area you're included in and what that means for pay.
01:59:12 Yes.
01:59:13 Thank you. Thank you very much. You've been very generous with your time this morning.
01:59:17 If there are no further questions, Senators may submit additional questions for the official hearing record,
01:59:24 and we hope that the Justice Department will respond to those questions within a reasonable period of time.
01:59:29 We usually ask 30 days, but we understand that may not always be possible, but hopefully within a reasonable period of time.
01:59:36 Thank you. We will.
01:59:37 Thank you very much. At this point, I will close the hearing.
01:59:40 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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2:22
Dr. Fauci Asked Point Blank About How 6-Foot Social Distancing Rule Came About
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1:10
Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Funding Government 'Does Not Matter' After Trump Guilty Verdict
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1:07
VIRAL MOMENT: John Rose’s Son Steals The Show Making Funny Faces Behind Dad’s House Floor Speech
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7:42
JUST IN: Senate Democrats Warn Of Threats To Reproductive Rights After Dobbs Decision
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11:28
'Enormously Disappointed': Chrissy Houlahan Fires Back At Beth Van Duyne Over Abortion Amendment
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1:19
JUST IN: Famed Sex Therapist, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Dies At 96
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4:05
Political Scientist Reveals Issues In Minnesota Under Gov. Tim Walz
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7:25
‘SBA Has Failed To Substantially Produce Documents’: Beth Van Duyne Presses Offical On Delay
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