This week, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) attended her first-ever meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she questioned President-elect Donald Trump's pick to serve as the next attorney general, Pam Bondi.
Britt earned her spot on the committee just before the beginning of the 119th Congress. The committee evaluates all judicial nominations for the federal judiciary, including the Supreme Court, and has broad jurisdiction over immigration, Constitutional issues and other legislative areas.
This week, Britt kicked off her new position by questioning Bondi on her qualifications to take the seat.
Unsurprisingly, Senate Democrats pursued a hostile and oftentimes irrelevant line of questioning.
However, Britt praised Bondi for her actions while serving as Florida's attorney general and bashing Democrat suggestions that Bondi would "weaponize" the DOJ in light of the previous administration's actions.
"The United States of America could only be so fortunate if you were confirmed and to have someone of your caliber, of your intellect, and of your experience running a department that unfortunately has been run into the ground," Britt said.
She continued, "I am so thrilled about what you've done when it comes to opioid use and human trafficking, and I look forward to you instituting that at the Department of Justice. Your credentials speak for themselves. When opioid and fentanyl overdoses are the leading cause of death between the ages of 18 and 45 in this nation, we need someone who takes it serious[ly]. You not only take that serious[ly], you have a track record of proving to the American people. You've done it for the people of Florida, and I look forward to what that means to the families that I have met."
In keeping with Britt's and the GOP's priorities in the upcoming Trump administration, Britt began her questions by pointing to perceived failures with the Biden-Harris Administration's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) within the DOJ, which administers the government's immigration court system.
"Over the course of the Biden Administration, the immigration court backlog has grown from 1.4 million at the end of 2021 to 3.5 million at the end of 2024," Britt said. "Over that same period, the Biden Administration pursued policies both at DOJ and DHS to foster a culture within EOIR of failure to adjudicate cases."
She continued, "Between cases dismissed, terminations, administrative closures, and failures to adjudicate EOIR during the Biden Administration has allowed around 1 million illegal aliens to remain in the United States on an indefinite basis."
Britt asked Bondi if she would pledge to reform EOIR and ensure federal judges pursue and adjudicate cases before the court, to which Bondi emphatically responded yes.
Lastly, Britt questioned Bondi about security concerns that arose in 2022 after some Supreme Court justices were targeted in their homes following a leaked draft opinion of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which struck down Roe. V. Wade. Britt joined several senators in seeking answers from outgoing AG Merrick Garland without ever receiving a response.
"Section 1507, as you well know, makes it illegal to picket or parade near a judge's residence with the intent of influencing them in the discharge of their duty," Britt stated. "It was openly and flagrantly violated on numerous occasions in the summer of 2022. Yet, never enforced by U.S. Marshals stationed at the homes of the Justices, in large part because of the evidence that we showed that [the Marshals] had been actively discouraged from making arrests."
Bondi concluded Britt's questioning period by confirming that she would respond to Britt's questions while pledging to uncover why the law was seemingly not enforced.
Britt is also expected to question FBI director nominee Kash Patel when he has his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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