[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 7939-7940]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           DONALD TRUMP AND THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the Republican nominee of our great country 
continues to attack a Federal judge because of his Mexican heritage. 
This is not only wrong, it is racist and un-American. It is also a 
fundamental attack on the American judiciary system.
  When issues like these arise, the Nation has historically looked to 
the Senate for leadership. In particular, throughout our history, the 
Senate Judiciary Committee has been a bastion of independence and 
bipartisanship. When Federal judges are under assault, we should expect 
the chairman of the Judiciary Committee to rise above politics and 
condemn racism--but not this Judiciary chairman who is now the chairman 
of the committee in the United States Senate, not the senior United 
States Senator from Iowa.
  Instead of a bold feat of bipartisanship, we are left with yet 
another example of how he has become the most partisan Judiciary 
chairman in the history of America. Instead of rising above 
partisanship and condemning Trump's racist attacks on a highly 
qualified judge--by the way, who was born in Indiana--Senator Grassley 
kisses Trump's ring and toes the party line. Instead of condemning 
Trump, Grassley defended him.
  His rationale is mind-boggling. Listen to this: Senator Grassley says 
that Trump must respect the Judiciary because over the course of 
hundreds of lawsuits and years of litigation, Trump has actually won 
some cases. I can't make up something like this.
  For example, a quote from a newspaper article:

       Grassley also suggested Trump's propensity for filing 
     lawsuits showed some level of respect for the judicial 
     branch.
       ``He must respect the Judiciary,'' Grassley said. ``I've 
     seen statistics that he's won over 400 cases, only lost 30.''

  How about that. I find it curious that the chairman doesn't have time 
to read Merrick Garland's questionnaire or give him a hearing, but he 
has time to study Donald Trump's success rate in the courtroom. This 
says a lot, and one of the things it says is what Senator Grassley's 
priorities are.
  In spite of everything coming out of Donald Trump's mouth, Senator 
Grassley remains loyal to Donald Trump. According to an Iowa newspaper, 
the Ames Tribune, Senator Grassley told his constituents on Friday: 
``He isn't concerned by any of the controversial or inflammatory 
rhetoric coming from the Trump campaign.''
  I am a little disappointed, but--with what has happened the last 
couple of months--not surprised. I believe no Member of the Senate has 
done more for Donald Trump than the chairman of the Senate Judiciary 
Committee.
  In January, when many Republicans were still trying to distance 
themselves from Donald Trump, Senator Grassley introduced Trump at an 
Iowa campaign event. Since then, despite dozens of editorials against 
Senator Grassley and pressure from his constituents, Senator Grassley 
has done everything in his power to hold open a Supreme Court seat for 
Donald Trump to fill. I am surprised Senator Grassley has yet to 
acknowledge these racist attacks on Judge Curiel because these attacks 
are beyond the pale. Instead, Senator Grassley chose to further 
establish himself as a Trump cheerleader, just like the Republican 
leader has done.
  Last week Senator Grassley told his constituents:

       He's building confidence with me.

  Talking about Trump.

       I've already said I'm going to vote for him. . . . I'd 
     campaign with him.

  But this is not the beginning of Senator Grassley's campaign for 
Donald Trump. Senator Grassley's entire chairmanship the past 6 months 
has been one big campaign push for Trump. His committee has become an 
extension of the Trump campaign. The Republican Judiciary Committee has 
done everything to focus on boosting Trump but has neglected to do its 
job in the process.
  Under Chairman Grassley, the committee is reporting out almost no 
bills, fewer judicial nominations than any time in recent history, and 
because of this inaction by the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, 
the Senate has confirmed fewer judges than in decades. We heard the 
report yesterday of how the Federal system of courts in our country is 
in disrepair. Why? Because the Judiciary Committee is processing none 
of the appointments President Obama has made.
  What has the Judiciary Committee done instead? It has spent its time 
carrying out a political hit job on Secretary Clinton. Senator Grassley 
has wasted countless dollars and staff time developing partisan 
opposition research that he hoped could be used to help Trump's 
candidacy against Secretary Clinton. It hasn't helped, but it has 
shortened the pocketbook of the American people. Senator Grassley has 
been so desperate to drag Secretary Clinton's name through the mud that 
he even encouraged the FBI to leak an independent review of Secretary 
Clinton's use of email.
  At every turn, the senior Senator from Iowa has used his committee 
for partisan purposes that benefit only one person: Donald Trump. There 
is no better example than the current vacancy on the Supreme Court. 
Rather than doing his constitutional duty and processing Merrick 
Garland's nomination, Chairman Grassley took his marching orders from 
Trump, and Trump said: Delay, delay, delay. And that is exactly what 
the Senator from Iowa has done--delay, delay, delay.
  Chairman Grassley is hoping to run out the clock. He is hoping 
President Trump gets to nominate the next Supreme Court Justice. That 
is why last month Senator Grassley said of Trump: ``I think I would 
expect the right type of people to be nominated by [Trump] to the 
Supreme Court.''

[[Page 7940]]

  After Donald Trump's latest attack on the Judiciary, does Senator 
Grassley really believe that Trump is the right man to pick nominees to 
the Supreme Court or any court? Donald Trump said that a Federal judge 
should be disqualified from presiding over a case because of his 
Mexican heritage, even though he was born in Indiana. He said the same 
would apply if the judge were Muslim. Does Senator Grassley believe 
Trump's comments were racist? This is a place for the senior Senator 
from Iowa to start his quest for fairness.
  The Republican junior Senator from Nebraska agrees it was racist. 
This is what he tweeted yesterday: ``Public Service Announcement: 
Saying someone can't do a specific job because of his or her race is 
the literal definition of `racism.''' The junior Senator from South 
Carolina, also a Republican, called Trump's remarks ``racially toxic,'' 
but what does the senior Senator from Iowa say? Zero, nothing.
  Does the chairman of the Judiciary Committee agree with Donald Trump? 
Does Senator Grassley also believe judges should face a religious test? 
The senior Senator from Iowa said he trusts Donald Trump's judgment. He 
said, and I repeat: ``He's building confidence with me.''
  After everything we have heard from Donald Trump--all of his vile, 
unhinged rants--does Senator Grassley honestly have confidence that 
Donald Trump should pick the next Supreme Court Justice? I don't trust 
Trump to make that decision, the people of Iowa don't, and America 
doesn't. Senator Grassley must stop using his committee to do Trump's 
bidding. He must stop using the once-proud Judiciary Committee as an 
extension of the Trump political campaign.
  Instead of continuous delay, delay, delay, Chairman Grassley should 
give Merrick Garland a hearing and a vote, but do it now. Waiting for 
Donald Trump to choose the ninth member of the Supreme Court is not the 
answer.
  I yield the floor.

                          ____________________