Opening Statement Of Attorney General Sessions Before the

House Judiciary Committee

Washington, DC
~
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Remarks as prepared for delivery

On my first day in this job, I spoke about the critical role we at the
Department play in maintaining and strengthening the rule of law, which
forms the foundation for our liberty, our safety, and our prosperity. In this
rule of law, we are blessed beyond all nations. And at this Department, we
must do all that we can to ensure that it is preserved and advanced. Such
ideals transcend politics.

From that day to today, we at the Department of Justice have worked to be

faithful to that mission.

Let me share some things we have done: The President sent us an order to
reduce crime and embrace that mission. The violent crime rate has risen,
and the homicide rate has risen by more than 20 percent over the past two
years.

After careful review, we have established a reinvigorated Project Safe

Neighborhood program, as the foundational policy for public safety. It has
been proven to get results. In its first seven years, PSN reduced violent
crime overall by 4.1 percent, with case studies showing reductions in
certain areas of up to 42 percent. We are also focusing on criminals with
guns.

We have seen a 23 percent increase in gun prosecutions in the second

quarter of this fiscal year. And I am honored to lead the superb men and
women of the FBI, DEA, ATF, and US Marshals who work together every
day with our state and local partners in this core crime fighting mission of
the Department.

Last year, we saw a staggering 61 percent increase in the number of law

enforcement officers killed in the line of duty because of a felony, and on
average, more than 150 officers were assaulted every single day. These
numbers are unacceptable. Fortunately, we have a President who
understands this. President Trump directed us at the beginning to back
our men and women in blue.
We are making it clear that we stand with our law enforcement partners
100 percent. They are the solution to crime, not the problem.

We have also protected the rule of law in our own Department. We have
prohibited so-called third party settlements that were being used to
bankroll outside interest groups.

We have settled civil cases regarding the Affordable Care Acts birth control
mandate and settled the cases of many groups whose tax-exempt status
was significantly and wrongly delayed by the Internal Revenue Service. We
have also provided legal counsel to this administration in favor of ending
several other unlawful policies.

This includes President Trumps order ending billions in funding for

insurance companies that were not appropriated by Congress under the
Affordable Care Act.

This action, which the House had filed a lawsuit to stop, put an end to one
of the most dramatic erosions of the Congressional appropriations power
in our history. We put an end to actions by the previous administration to
circumvent Congress's duly passed immigration laws under the DACA
policy. That policy gave individuals that were here illegally certificates of
lawful status, work permits, and the right to participate in Social Security.
We withdrew that unlawful policy, and now the issue is in the hands of
Congress where it belongs.

We have filed briefs defending properly enacted state voter identification

laws, lawful redistricting plans, religious liberty, and free speech on college
campuses. In short, it is our mission to restore the American peoples
confidence in the Department of Justice by defending the rule of law and
enforcing the laws as you have passed them. And it is a mission we are
honored to undertake.

In response to letters from this committee and others, I have directed

senior federal prosecutors to make recommendations as to whether any
matters not currently under investigation should be opened, whether any
matters currently under investigation require further resources, or whether
any matters merit the appointment of a Special Counsel.

And, as you are also aware, the Departments Inspector General has an
active review of allegations that FBI policies and procedures were not
followed last year in a number of these matters you have raised.
And we will make such decisions without regard to politics, ideology, or
bias.

As many of you know, the Department has a long-standing policy not to

confirm or deny the existence of investigations. This policy can be
frustrating, especially when there is great public concern or interest about
a particular matter. But it enhances justice when we act under the law and
with professional discipline.

This policy necessarily precludes any discussion on what cases I may be

recused from because to do so would confirm existence of an underlying
investigation. To the extent a matter comes to the attention of my office
that may warrant consideration of recusal, I review the issue and consult
with the appropriate Department ethics officials.

Lastly, I would like to address the false charges made about my previous
testimony. My answers have never changed. I have always told the truth,
and I have answered every question as I understood them and to the best of
my recollection, as I will continue to do today.

I would like to address recent news reports regarding meetings during the
campaign attended by George Papadopoulos and Carter Page, among
others. Frankly, I had no recollection of this until I saw these news reports.

I do now recall the March 2016 meeting at Trump Hotel that Mr.
Papadopoulos attended, but I have no clear recollection of the details of
what he said during that meeting. After reading his account, and to the best
of my recollection, I believe that I wanted to make clear to him that he was
not authorized to represent the campaign with the Russian government, or
any other foreign government, for that matter. But I did not recall this
event, which occurred 18 months before my testimony of a few weeks ago,
and would gladly have reported it.

As for Mr. Page, while I do not challenge his recollection, I have no

memory of his presence at a dinner at the Capitol Hill Club or any passing
conversation he may have had with me as he left.

All of you have been in a campaign. But most of you have not participated
in a presidential campaign. And none of you had a part in the Trump
campaign. It was a brilliant campaign in many ways. But it was a form of
chaos every day from day one. We traveled all the time, sometimes to
several places in one day. Sleep was in short supply.
And I was still a full-time Senator keeping a very full schedule during this
time.

During this year, I have spent close to 20 hours testifying before Congress
before today.

I have been asked to remember details from a year ago, such as who I saw
on what day, in what meeting, and who said what when.

In all of my testimony, I can only do my best to answer all of your questions

as I understand them and to the best of my memory. But I will not accept
and reject accusations that I have ever lied under oath. That is a lie.

Let me be clear: I have at all times conducted myself honorably and in a

manner consistent with the high standards and responsibilities of the
Office of Attorney General. As I said before, my story has never changed. I
have always told the truth, and I have answered every question to the best
of my recollection as I will continue to do today.

With that, I am happy to take your questions.