During his remarks, Durbin raised serious concerns over Jeanine Pirro, nominated to be U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered remarks during today’s Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting where he reflected on Republicans cutting off debate and overriding Committee rules last week, resulting in Durbin leading Committee Democrats in a walk out of the Committee meeting. During his remarks today, Durbin rebutted the claim that Republicans’ actions were based on a precedent he set during his tenure as Chair of the Committee.
“We were surprised by the amount of time we were given to discuss the 10 nominees [on the agenda before votes were called] … I do want to address the claim that this action was based on a precedent that I established. The precedent for cutting off debate and overriding our Committee rules by a majority vote was established by three Republican Chairmen: Chairman Hatch, who in 2003 cut off debate on two judicial nominees; Yourself [Chairman Grassley], who in 2018 cut off debate on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court; and Chairman Graham, who in 2019 cut off debate on a partisan immigration bill, and who in 2020 cut off debate on Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court. I believe that what happened last week was very different from what I did in 2023 when I cut off debate on two district court nominees. In that case, the nominees were on the markup agenda for the fourth time,” Durbin said. Furthermore, there had already been nearly two hours of debate on the nominees and every member of the Committee had already had an opportunity to speak.
Durbin continued, “The bottom line is this: The Senate Parliamentarian has been clear that a Chairman can override Committee rules by a vote of the majority of the Committee. Both Republican and Democratic Chairs have done that in the past. I think each of us would say that we did not relish it. But this Committee has a long tradition of robust debate… I’m looking forward to respecting the fact that we all have busy schedules [while still having] ample time to debate these lifetime appointments.”
Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.
Durbin then spoke on the nomination of Jeanine Pirro nominated to be U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
“Ms. Pirro has demonstrated for decades that she prioritizes her relationship with Donald Trump, now President Trump, over almost everything else. [Although] Ms. Pirro initially condemned the January 6 rioters and their attack on the U.S. Capitol, she has done an about face. In January 2025, she called January 6 rioters ‘hostages.’ She also complained about the 22-year sentence imposed on Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, arguing [that] he should not be subject to such a long prison term… Ms. Pirro has also argued that prosecutors handling January 6 cases should be criminally prosecuted themselves. And now she is nominated to lead the office where many of these prosecutors, if they haven’t been fired by Emil Bove, will still work,” said Durbin.
“I am also concerned that she [Ms. Pirro] is willing to ignore the Constitution when justifying the unlawful actions of President Trump’s Administration. When discussing the Administration deporting immigrants without due process, Ms. Pirro said the Fifth Amendment ‘says nothing about illegals, so cut the crap…’ As Ms. Pirro knows full well, the Fifth Amendment applies to everyone present in the United States when it demands that, ‘No person shall…be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law,’” Durbin continued.
Durbin concluded, “Ms. Pirro’s fealty to President Trump extends to attacking any lawmaker who is not fully in line with his MAGA agenda, including many members on both sides of the aisle. Ms. Pirro’s record makes it clear that she will prioritize President Trump’s MAGA agenda, not the rule of law nor the Constitution. Trump is already using the Justice Department to protect his allies and go after his enemies, and Ms. Pirro will be a willing accomplice in weaponizing the justice system… I’m going to vote against her nomination.”
Video of Durbin’s statement on Pirro’s nomination is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s statement on Pirro’s nomination is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s statement on Pirro’s nomination is available here for TV Stations.
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