Grassley Opens Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting on Todd Blanche’s Nomination to be Attorney General

Prepared Opening Statement by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee
Executive Business Meeting
Tuesday, August 4, 2026

On today's agenda, we have one nomination.

We'll vote on Todd Blanche to serve as Attorney General of the United States.

Before we begin, I'd like to acknowledge that Mr. Blanche's nomination has drawn significant public interest.

I've started today's markup early because I'd like to afford my colleagues ample opportunity to make any statements that they may have. That said, we need to hold this vote today because of the limited floor time remaining before August recess.

I've encouraged my colleagues to remain present, but we're also accommodating scheduling conflicts, including votes in other committees. So, I want everyone to be aware that after we've had adequate opportunity for debate, we're going to move to the vote.

As I've said in the past, I'm happy to stay afterwards if any of my colleagues feel like they need more time to make their remarks.

Additionally, I'd like to thank Senators Cornyn and Tillis for their hard work related to today's nomination.

Their concerns about the Anti-Weaponization Fund and the IRS settlement were shared by many, including this senator. I'm grateful that they, as well as Mr. Blanche and the White House, worked in good faith to resolve them.

Formally rescinding the Anti-Weaponization Fund and clarifying the scope of the release of claims has put this issue to bed once and for all.

Turning to today's agenda, I'd like to say a few words about Mr. Blanche.

The Justice Department has thrived under his leadership.

Among other things, Mr. Blanche has led major successes in thwarting federal program fraud, ending racial discrimination and restoring the safety of every American.

I'd like to take a moment to reflect on that last one - the safety of Americans. That's the primary job of the Attorney General and the Justice Department.

At the hearing, Mr. Blanche stated that his job was "securing safety for every American."

He's right, and it's clear from his track record that Mr. Blanche has succeeded by that measure.

We've seen report -after report showcasing the Justice Department's increase in violent crime arrests, its disruption of terrorist activities and its seizure of illegal firearms and controlled substances.

The Council on Criminal Justice recently issued its 2026 mid-year report on crime trends. The results were astounding.

The reported rates for homicide dropped 51% from its peak over the past nine years. Carjacking dropped 73%, residential burglary dropped 56% and motor vehicle theft dropped 51%.

Critics might say, "Well, there was a spike in crime in 2020."

So, let's look at the reported crime rates in 2026 compared with the same timeframe from 2019.

Sexual assault is down 13%, assault with a firearm is down 17%, robbery is down 41%, drug offenses are down 15% and I could go on.

Without objection, I'll enter this report into the record so the American people can see it themselves.

The Washington Times noted, "Homicides are on track to hit their lowest point in recorded U.S. history amid an overall decline in crime nationwide."

Based on these stats, it's evident that no Justice Department in our nation's history can boast the successes of this Justice Department under Mr. Blanche's leadership.

Still, the critics can't bring themselves to acknowledge this reality.

The Washington Times stated, "The encouraging news was met with little explanation as to why crime, especially homicides, had cratered after spiking from 2020 to 2022."

That's a strange thing for them to say.

The press has no explanation for what's changed between then and now?

Because I can think of an explanation, and I think every American in this country who feels safer at home and in their towns and cities can think of an explanation.

It's obvious.

Todd Blanche's Justice Department has reprioritized the safety of Americans after the Biden administration opened the borders to violent criminals and then turned a blind eye to the heinous crimes that were happening around the country.

The Biden administration was too busy weaponizing the Justice Department against political opponents to stop real crime.

Don't forget, whistleblowers and media outlets reported that the Biden FBI even reassigned personnel from investigating child sex crimes to work on January 6th cases.

So, it's no surprise that when the Trump administration secured our borders, and Mr. Blanche did his job prioritizing the safety of Americans, crime rates went down.

But despite clear evidence that America is safer under Mr. Blanche's leadership, some have alleged that he doesn't care about victims.

I can think of plenty of victims who disagree.

The committee received a letter from more than 300 Angel Families who strongly support Mr. Blanche.

They praised his commitment to "core public-safety priorities: stopping illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, ending trafficking in dangerous drugs and human beings and protecting American communities from violent crime."

And we heard from one of those Angel Moms at the hearing - Jennifer Bos.

Her testimony was heart-wrenching as she told us about her daughter's tragic and gruesome death.

She stated, "From the time that I've spent talking with Todd Blanche, I knew immediately that he makes victims a priority. Under his direction, the DOJ has engaged directly with the Angel families and treated us not like political props, but as partners in preventing future tragedies, and that's all that we've ever asked for."

Ms. Bos concluded by stating, "I 100% believe Todd Blanche will be the one who can deliver justice, saving lives of people who will never know it."

Ms. Bos knows that America is safer with Mr. Blanche at the helm. The Angel Families know it. And Americans across our country know it too.

Today, I'm not only voting to advance Todd Blanche's nomination. I'm voting for the safety of the American people.

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