[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 201 (Thursday, December 20, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S7976]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ACHIEVEMENTS

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I now would like to go to a final set of 
remarks--probably the final set of remarks for this Congress as we draw 
to a close--to summarize some of the work of the Judiciary Committee, 
as I have been chairman for the last 4 years.
  I have served on the Judiciary Committee for each of my 38 years in 
the Senate. Four years ago, I became chairman. Senator Leahy, my 
colleague from Vermont, who served as chairman before I took the reins, 
marked the occasion by presenting me with a larger than life gavel. Of 
course, that was a lighthearted moment, and I appreciated his gesture 
of good will and collegiality. It is this spirit of camaraderie that 
sustains the Senate and has guided the bipartisan accomplishments of 
the Judiciary Committee.
  The work we do on the Judiciary Committee shapes our way of life in 
America to a great extent. Its legislative jurisdiction includes 
constitutional amendments, bankruptcy laws, civil liberties, 
immigration, patents, copyrights and trademarks, antitrust laws, 
juvenile justice, criminal laws, and more. The committee conducts 
oversight of the Justice Department, including the FBI and sections of 
the Homeland Security Department. It also handles consideration of 
judicial nominees.
  As chairman, I put forth a number of legislative priorities. I wanted 
to increase oversight efforts to hold government accountable and 
advance judicial confirmations. I wanted to strengthen whistleblower 
protections and increase competition in the pharmaceutical markets to 
lower the cost of prescription drugs. I wanted to enact juvenile 
justice reform and update our criminal justice system. I wanted to 
protect election integrity and bolster victims' rights. At the close of 
this Congress, I am happy to report that the committee has made 
progress in all of these areas.
  This week, the Senate passed the FIRST STEP Act, a historic criminal 
justice reform bill that had overwhelming bipartisan support in 
Congress and the backing of the President.
  Earlier this month, the Senate unanimously passed bipartisan juvenile 
justice legislation, which legislation hadn't been updated since 2002.
  The Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act, the Missing 
Children's Reauthorization Act, and Kevin and Avonte's Law to help 
families locate people with dementia and others who wander and go 
missing all became law during the 115th Congress.
  Overall, 61 bills were reported out of committee, all of them 
bipartisan. Of those bills, 45 were passed in the Senate, and 29 became 
law in the past two Congresses under Presidents Obama and Trump. And if 
the House passes our criminal justice reform bill today, that figure 
will be 30 bills that have gone through Congress. Again, I want to 
emphasize that all were bipartisan.
  The committee also delivered on judicial nominees. This wasn't so 
bipartisan. The Senate confirmed a historic number of lifetime 
appointments to the Federal bench this Congress. That includes 53 
district court judges, 30 circuit court judges, and 2 Supreme Court 
Justices--85 Federal judgeships in the last 2 years. This reflects an 
alltime record for the first 2 years of any Presidency. These lifetime 
appointments will uphold the rule of law and preserve freedom and 
liberty for generations to come.
  These accomplishments weren't easy. There was contention, and there 
was rigorous debate and, as I said, plenty of disagreement.
  The confirmation hearing for Justice Brett Kavanaugh was the height 
of discord on the committee. As chairman, I was determined to uphold 
order and the rule of law, protect due process, and maintain 
credibility in our constitutional responsibility of advice and consent. 
I took the allegations that were brought forth very seriously. The 
committee conducted the most thorough, comprehensive, and transparent 
confirmation process in history. And if that word ``history'' bothers 
you, it is numerically justifiable by saying that we had more documents 
on Kavanaugh than we had on the previous five Supreme Court Justices 
combined. So I hope, after half a million documents, it is shown that 
we left no stone unturned. In the end, another extremely well-qualified 
Justice was confirmed.
  However, the divisions that defined the Kavanaugh hearings do not 
define the body of work produced by the committee this Congress. The 
Judiciary Committee passed seven bipartisan bills to help families, 
healthcare professionals, and law enforcement address the opioid crisis 
in their local communities. The President signed these measures into 
law with the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. We also passed 
the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act in 2016 to rapidly respond 
to the opioid crisis and prevent others from falling into addiction.
  With hearings and legislation, the Judiciary Committee also worked 
toward ending the pervasive problem of human trafficking. In all, the 
Senate adopted a series of five bills that were signed into law to 
enhance Federal efforts to protect victims and prevent and prosecute 
enslavement for forced labor and sex trafficking.
  As a committee, we have made great progress on behalf of the American 
people. We tackled the priorities I outlined at the beginning of my 
chairmanship and achieved success on a bipartisan basis. That is what 
our constituents expect from those of us who are Senators. That is what 
I strive to deliver every day.
  The 115th Congress is drawing to a close. Although I won't serve as 
chairman during the next Congress, I have every confidence that my 
friend Senator Graham of South Carolina will build upon the successes 
we have accomplished. I look forward to continuing my service on the 
Judiciary Committee in the next Congress, and I am thankful to all of 
my colleagues on the committee and even some off the committee for 
their hard work and cooperation on behalf of the American people.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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