{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-meets-attorney-general-nominee-sessions", "Grassley Meets with Attorney General Nominee Sessions", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IA", "Charles Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley made the following statement after meeting with Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions.\u00a0 The meeting focused on a number of issues important to Grassley, such as congressional oversight, the False Claims Act, and criminal justice reform.\u00a0 Grassley has indicated that Sessions is currently completing the committee questionnaire and once that is returned, Grassley will announce a hearing date.\u00a0 As he noted prior to the meeting, Grassley said that he intends to hold the hearing before the President-elect is sworn in.\u00a0 Note that it is customary to hold a hearing for the Attorney General prior to the Inauguration as was the case with both Attorney General Eric Holder and Attorney General John Ashcroft.\u201cI was glad to have Senator Sessions in my office today.\u00a0 Members of the Judiciary Committee know him to be an honorable man, and a person of integrity. \u00a0He knows the Justice Department well, and cares deeply about the even-handed application of the law.\u201cThe process for Attorney General Holder\u2019s hearing was fair, and a good model to follow.\u00a0 Every nominee to be Attorney General has a long record, and Senator Sessions\u2019 record of public service is just that, public. \u00a0Unlike most recent nominees for Attorney General, members of the committee are extremely well acquainted with Senator Sessions, after having served with him for up to twenty years.\u201cDemocratic members of the committee have pledged a fair process. Based on those commitments, I trust the other side will resist what some liberal interest groups are clearly hoping for \u2013 an attack on his character. The confirmation process of John Ashcroft to be Attorney General turned into a reckless campaign that snowballed into an avalanche of innuendo, rumor and spin. That will not happen here.\u201cThe hearings for the four most recent Attorneys General lasted one to two days each. And at each of those hearings, three to nine outside witnesses testified. Nine witnesses testified at the hearing for Attorney General Lynch, seven witnesses testified at the hearings for Attorneys General Holder and Mukasey, and three witnesses testified at the hearing for Attorney General Gonzales.\u201cSenator Sessions will receive the fair and thorough vetting process he deserves, as have the last four nominees to be Attorney General.\u201d-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-meets-attorney-general-nominee-sessions"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.61548494361341, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}