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.
“Judicial Nominations (Executive Session)” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the in the Senate section section on pages S435-S436 on Feb. 16.
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:
Judicial Nominations
Mr. President, on one final matter, yesterday, the Judiciary Committee witnessed another disaster of a performance from one of President Biden's nominees. This time, the President wants a lifetime appointment for a New Hampshire lawyer who represented an ultra-elite private high school against a 15-year-old girl who was suing the school after she had been sexually assaulted on campus.
Lawyers serve unpopular tasks all the time, but while representing the powerful prep school, Michael Delaney subjected the teenage victim and her family to unusually aggressive hardball tactics. They were, frankly, shocking.
The young lady and her family had hoped to file a lawsuit anonymously as Jane Doe and persuade the school to change its ways. That was the path to accountability. But Mr. Delaney fought the girl's desire for privacy and anonymity to use as a weapon against her. He said he would only let the girl remain anonymous if she was subjected to a gag order about the incident. And he threatened that if the family refused to settle on terms favorable to the school and went to trial, he would ask the court to reveal her name. In other words, Delaney tried to turn a teenage victim's privacy into a hostage to help a prep school avoid accountability. The girl's father saw Delaney's behavior for what it was. He called it a ``threat.''
The victim says she spoke to the Biden Department of Justice while they were vetting Mr. Delaney. Apparently, the administration ignored her. So, apparently, did her two Senators. According to the Boston Globe, the victim's parents pleaded their case against Delaney to both our colleagues from New Hampshire. But instead of taking the family's pain to heart, both of their Senators returned blue slips anyway. They even personally introduced Delaney at his hearing.
Democrats have long claimed they want empathy in their judges. I prefer, frankly, neutrality and faithfulness to the Constitution, myself, but empathy is what liberals say they want. I defy anyone to watch yesterday's hearing and find one ounce of empathy in Delaney for this child victim.
My colleagues across the aisle will have to catch a rerun because almost none--listen to this--almost none of the Judiciary Committee Democrats could even bring themselves to show up for yesterday's hearing. They avoided the hearing. They didn't want to hear it.
But guess who did attend. The brave young woman's family was there. They wanted Delaney to know they will never forget how he treated their daughter.
So I would urge the President to reconsider this nomination and urge my colleagues to reject it.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
