The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S681 on Jan. 25, 2019.
The Department is one of the oldest in the US, focused primarily on law enforcement and the federal prison system. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, detailed wasteful expenses such as $16 muffins at conferences and board meetings.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. WYDEN (for himself and Mr. Merkley):
S. 230. A bill to require a report on foreign nationals who flee from the United States while awaiting trial or sentencing for a criminal offense committed in the United States, to establish a list of countries who have assisted or facilitated with such departures, to penalize parties connected to such departures, and to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit the exclusion from gross income from certain investments made by foreign governments who are identified on such list; to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Preserving American Justice Act to ensure that foreign governments face serious consequences if they assist their citizens to escape legal accountability in the United States.
Recently, Oregon's largest newspaper, The Oregonian, uncovered that five Saudi nationals with criminal charges departed the Nation before facing justice. These men were arrested for serious crimes including vehicular murder of an innocent teenager, sexual assault, rape, and child pornography. According to news reports, U.S. government officials believe the Saudi government helped these five men with actions ranging from posting bail to facilitating their escape from the United States. These reports claiming the Saudi government is whisking away criminals facing justice in Oregon show a shocking disdain for our Nation's criminal justice system. Given the disturbing similarities in these five cases, a thorough investigation is essential to better understand the involvement of the Saudi government.
When anyone commits a crime in the United States, they must be held accountable. The Trump administration has failed to explain what, if anything, it is doing to ensure these men face American justice. That failure is completely unacceptable. Foreign governments cannot disregard our laws and abuse diplomatic privileges by helping criminals escape. No one is above the law, and I am committed to making sure the Saudi government understands that it cannot behave this way here in Oregon or anywhere in the United States.
The legislation I introduced today would direct the Department of Justice to investigate these five cases and bring to light the involvement of the Saudi government. If the Department of Justice concludes that the Saudi government was involved, then my bill would bar Saudi Arabia's leaders from the United States until their government returns the suspects who have fled. The legislation would also create a major tax penalty on governments and sovereign wealth funds for any country that help its citizens escape American justice. More broadly, my legislation would help Americans understand how widespread this practice is, direct the Department of Justice to maintain a list of any foreign governments that help their citizens evade American justice, and create tough consequences for those governments and their leaders.
I believe that my colleagues who talk about ``putting America First'' would agree that foreign governments cannot undermine American laws. I'm all for doing more to protecting Americans from real threats and ensuring that the victims of these crimes get the justice they deserve in an American court of law. So I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting measures that would hold foreign governments accountable.
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