Prepared Opening Statement by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee
Executive Business Meeting
Thursday, October 16, 2025
On today’s agenda we have six nominations listed.
We’ll vote on Thomas Albus and Adam Mildred to be U.S. Attorneys.
Both nominees are highly qualified and I look forward to supporting them.
We’ll hold over the remaining nominations listed on our agenda for later consideration.
Before we get to our agenda, I want to once again celebrate the historic peace agreement to end the war in Gaza.
I commend President Trump for brokering this deal, and for employing American strength to create peace.
I’d also like to address the ongoing shutdown of the federal government orchestrated by Senate Democrats.
Today marks the 16th day of the Schumer Shutdown, and now many federal workers have missed out on pay.
I urge my Democratic colleagues to put aside partisanship and vote to reopen the government.
The American people deserve better than this.
Turning to today’s business: we’re voting on Thomas Albus, who’s been nominated to be U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Mr. Albus has an impressive resume, including 17 years of service as a federal prosecutor.
He also served under Senator Schmitt as the First Assistant Attorney General in the State of Missouri.
In those capacities, he developed a broad range of criminal and civil legal experience.
Mr. Albus also spent several years as a Circuit Judge in St. Louis County, presiding over many cases in the state’s busiest judicial circuit.
There’s no doubt that Mr. Albus is a highly qualified nominee.
We’re also voting on Adam Mildred, who’s been nominated to be U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana.
He’s also highly qualified.
Mr. Mildred has been a state and federal prosecutor for nearly three decades.
The majority of that time was spent in the Allen County and Noble County Prosecutor’s Offices.
He also had a brief stint as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Indiana.
Mr. Mildred has handled a wide array of criminal matters and tried well over a hundred cases to verdict.
He will serve the people of Indiana well in this new role.
I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting these nominees.
And lastly, regarding Arctic Frost.
Republican members of this committee and the others affected sent letters to the Justice Department and telecommunications companies last week.
These letters were about the Biden Administration secretly obtaining member tolling data.
I have other investigative activity ongoing and plan to update members soon.
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