Prepared Opening Statement by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee
Nominations Hearing
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Good morning.
I’d like to welcome everyone to this hearing to consider the nominations of Stanley Woodward, to serve as Associate Attorney General; Elliot Gaiser, to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel; Joseph Edlow, to serve as the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; and John Squires, to serve as the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
I’d like to thank the family and friends of our nominees for coming today. They should be very proud of you.
Over the last several years, we’ve seen an unprecedent flood of illegal immigrants into our country. Millions have poured in.
Some were drawn by the promise of a better life. Some fled various forms of economic or other hardship. Some were hardened criminals and gang members.
But all decided to break our laws to come here.
Rather than stop this, the Biden administration and Democrats threw open the doors, and in doing so, openly flouted our immigration laws.
The humanitarian parole statute was brazenly violated; mandatory removal language in statutes became optional; “public charge” requirements were ignored; sanctuary cities were praised as heroic rather than criminal; and most tragically, actual victims of violence by illegal immigrants were downplayed, ignored and forgotten.
The courts contributed to this crisis as well, and often stood passively by as our immigration laws were ignored.
Now that President Trump is trying to enforce our immigration laws and carry out his campaign promise to the American people to reverse the flood of illegal immigrants, suddenly the courts have decided to step in.
Democrats encouraged this lawless behavior.
The Democratic nominee for Vice President called ICE “Trump’s modern-day Gestapo,” practically inviting violence against them.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE officers are now facing a 413 percent increase in assaults.
I suppose concerns about threats of political violence only goes one way.
I agree with my Democratic colleagues that the rule of law is a cornerstone of our Republic. But some of our nation’s most important laws are those that protect our border.
Several nominees before us today will have an important role in faithfully executing these laws, and the will of the American people expressed in our most recent national election.
Turning to the nominees, I’d like to start by introducing Mr. Woodward to the Committee.
Mr. Woodward received his bachelor's and master's degrees with honors from American University, and his law degree with honors from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law.
After clerking for three different judges in the District of Columbia, he joined Akin Gump, where he practiced for 10 years.
There, he handled a variety of complex litigation matters and government investigations and was awarded for his pro bono service.
His practice during this time involved many of the issues he’ll oversee as Associate Attorney General.
In 2020, Mr. Woodward took a leap and co-founded his own firm.
He took on many high-profile representations and defended many clients staring down the full might of the United States government.
He earned a reputation for defending his clients zealously, for considerable courtroom talent and for poise and composure under pressure.
Most importantly, he demonstrated that he would stand up for his clients, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
When someone asked him how he juggled so many prominent cases, he reportedly responded, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
This kind of work ethic is commendable and will serve him well at the Department of Justice.
Mr. Woodward has the experience, legal talent and work ethic to capably serve the American people as the Associate Attorney General.
I’m confident he’ll use his skills to help Attorney General Bondi implement the critical change needed at the Department.
I’ll also briefly mention the other nominees before us today.
Mr. Edlow has been nominated to lead USCIS.
There are few questions more important to a nation than who should be part of it.
Mr. Edlow has a wealth of experience in immigration, and the kind of deep knowledge needed to help right the ship.
Mr. Gaiser has been nominated to lead the Office of Legal Counsel.
He clerked for Judge Jones on the Fifth Circuit, Judge Rao on the D.C. Circuit and for Justice Alito on the Supreme Court.
Most recently, he’s ably served as the Solicitor General of Ohio.
His nomination has been supported by more than 20 state attorneys general and dozens of state solicitors general.
They praise his intellect and hard work. But most importantly, they say, “Above all else, Elliot is a good man. He’s the son of a small-business owner, a family man and a devoted American, as honest as the day is long.”
Mr. Squires is nominated to serve as the Director of the Patent and Trademark Office.
He began his career in private practice, focusing on patent litigation and technology.
He went on to gain experience at major corporations and national law firms counseling on intellectual property issues, emerging technology startups, AI, blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
He’s also extensively spoken on, and written about, the patent system, including before this Committee in 2007.
All of the nominees before us have unique qualifications for their roles, and I look forward to hearing from each of you today.
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