00:00Mr. President, I was never going to come out here and support Todd Blanche for a long list of reasons.
00:06I do believe he is one of the most corrupt Justice Department officials in our country's history, for one.
00:12He was Trump's former personal lawyer, and it seems that he never quit.
00:17The only difference now is that taxpayers are signing its checks instead of Trump.
00:22He was the one who negotiated a $1.8 billion slush fund to pay off violent insurrectionists,
00:31and who cut a backroom deal to give the President and his entire corrupt family immunity from IRS investigations.
00:39Not to forget Todd Blanche is the guy who botched the Epstein files so badly, survivors had their names and
00:47faces exposed,
00:48while the names of alleged abusers were hidden.
00:52This is a man who wouldn't meet with survivors until Senators put him under a tremendous amount of public pressure,
01:00and when the meeting eventually got on the books, survivors made it crystal clear Blanche didn't listen to them.
01:06He was more interested in checking a box than hearing their stories or bringing them justice.
01:12All of that is, of course, absolutely unacceptable and disqualifying.
01:18But I come here today to sound the alarm on some of the most disturbing comments I have ever heard
01:23from the nation's top law enforcement official.
01:27Mr. President, I guess Todd Blanche thought no one was listening,
01:30because on a private call with anti-abortion activists,
01:34Mr. Blanche told us all exactly what he plans to do if Senators confirm him.
01:39His goal was to make the Dobbs decision, and I quote,
01:44permanent in every single state.
01:47Every single state.
01:49Not just Texas or Idaho.
01:52He wants to ban abortion in Washington State, in California, in New York, in every state.
01:57He told them, quote,
01:59We will have victory.
02:01And victory will be soon.
02:03And it will be permanent.
02:05Victory over what exactly?
02:08Victory over women who just want to make their own health care decisions?
02:13Victory over patients in states where abortion is legal?
02:17Where voters have said over and over at the ballot box,
02:21keep your hands off our rights.
02:24Now, a DOJ spokesperson tried to clean up Blanche's words,
02:29saying he was only focused on restricting access to medication abortion in all 50 states,
02:34as if that's somehow better.
02:36Well, I'm here to say I believe the tape.
02:39I believe Todd Blanche's own words.
02:41So let's be crystal clear about what this vote is.
02:44A vote to confirm Todd Blanche is a vote to endorse his fight to ban abortion in all 50 states.
02:55Whatever happened to this state's decision?
02:59So every Republican who votes yes is voting for exactly that.
03:03His words, not mine.
03:04And any Republican who votes to confirm him will own that.
03:08In every state.
03:10In every election.
03:11So, Mr. President, this isn't just a confirmation vote anymore.
03:15It is a roll call vote on which senators endorse banning abortion in all 50 states from the federal level.
03:23I'm voting no.
03:24Thank you, Mr. President.
03:26I yield the floor.
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