Klobuchar grills acting AG Todd Blanche over ICE at Senate hearing

[0:00] Chair. Mr. Blanche, after both the assassination of Melissa Hortman, our former Speaker of the [0:07] House, and after the Annunciation school shooting in which 20 people were gunned down through [0:15] stained glass windows, federal law enforcement, as you and I discussed in my office a few weeks ago, [0:20] worked cooperatively with state and local. And we also know that they've worked together on the [0:27] important work going on in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota with regard to fraud and the [0:33] ongoing fraud investigation. And I know we have your commitment to continue giving resources for [0:39] that investigation. Is that correct? Yes, absolutely. Thank you. So we also discussed my concern about [0:47] the lack of cooperation we saw after the horrific killings of Renee Goode and Alex Preddy, [0:53] with the federal government refusing to cooperate with state law enforcement for months, blocking [1:00] Minnesota investigators from accessing the scene of Alex's death, even though they had a judicial [1:07] warrant. They also failed to secure, according to news reports, failed to secure and process the scene, [1:15] failed to process Renee Goode's car for evidence. When we met a few weeks ago, at length, I asked you [1:22] to ensure full cooperation. And I appreciated that the department shared evidence with state [1:29] investigators early this week. Will you commit to continued information sharing between federal and [1:37] state investigators in these cases, as well as with regard to the recent shootings in Texas and Maine? [1:45] I expect that these investigations should be run as every investigation of similar kinds. And so that [1:51] necessarily includes working with state and locals in the appropriate way. I think that the definition [1:58] of full cooperation can be disputed, but I very much expect that whether it's the inspector general [2:05] or the U.S. attorney's office or the FBI or who's ever on the federal side of the investigation, [2:11] where appropriate to work with state and locals, I think a lot of the news reporting that you referenced [2:17] is actually not accurate with what has been happening since the unfortunate events several months ago. [2:23] Okay, but that aside, we've seen these recent shootings in Maine and the reactions of the [2:29] communities understandably concerned, as well as Texas. And I think that this is, people are going to want [2:36] accountability in these cases. And one of the things that doesn't get as much attention is [2:41] the non-death cases. The Hmong elder pulled out of his house in Minnesota in his underwear and Crocs [2:49] in 10 below zero weather. And as the nation's chief law enforcement official, do you agree that it is [2:54] unacceptable for federal agents to forcibly enter someone's home without a warrant and drag them onto [3:01] the street without even checking that they have the right person? [3:04] Well, it depends on the circumstances, as you know. I mean, yes, obviously, law enforcement agents [3:10] need a warrant to enter a house, except for limited exceptions to that. So yes, we very much believe in [3:19] the constitutional protections afforded of American citizens. The same protections are not afforded [3:25] people who are here illegally. So it's not a black and white answer where I can say yes or no. But yes, [3:32] I very much expect the law to be followed by our law enforcement agents. [3:36] So since the civil war along those lines, federal law has made it clear that the president does not [3:42] have the authority to deploy armed federal officials to election sites. Will you commit to following clear [3:49] federal law and not deploying federal agents to polling locations? [3:54] I will commit to following the law center, of course. [3:56] Okay. Does that include not deploying federal agents to polling places? [4:01] I will absolutely follow the law, no matter what it includes. So yes. [4:07] Do you understand why voters, U.S. citizens, are concerned about armed agents at polling places? [4:14] I'm not aware of armed agents being at polling places. [4:18] Thank you. [4:19] So I'm not aware of that concern, but I will tell you we will follow the law, Senator. [4:23] All right. The DOJ has carried out a campaign to push states to turn over voters, sensitive [4:31] and private data to the administration. 30 states, including Republican-led states like Georgia [4:37] and West Virginia, have refused. In doing so, the West Virginian Republican Secretary of State [4:43] said, quote, I will not break the law, give up our state's rights, or compromise the privacy [4:48] of our citizens. Fifteen federal courts and decisions from Democratic and Republican-appointed judges [4:55] have all found that these actions to force the states to turn over this data is unlawful. [5:05] Could you discuss how cutting off anti-terrorism funding to states that refuse something that [5:12] 15 federal courts have found to be illegal enhances our national security? [5:18] So those cases are still being litigated, so I can't talk specifically about the cases that [5:25] you mentioned. But overall, what I will say, Senator, is that election integrity is extraordinarily [5:32] important to this administration. It's important to this body. And so to the extent that the work [5:37] that we're doing is to make sure that we have fair and honest elections, that the only people [5:42] voting are the people who are eligible to vote and that they're only voting once, that's important. [5:47] If secure election is important, how does stopping the longstanding practice of critical information [5:53] sharing and scenario planning between the DOJ, other federal agencies, and state and local election [6:00] officials promote election security? Because we have heard from our own Secretary of State that, [6:08] Steve Simon, that these standard briefings trainings have not happened. [6:11] We're not doing that. So I'm not sure what you're referring to, but I'm happy to follow [6:18] up with your office about that. [6:19] Appreciate that. Appreciate that. So you and I talked about some of the antitrust concerns [6:27] I have, the independence of the department. I was very concerned by the department's weak [6:33] settlement of the monopolization suit against Live Nation Ticketmaster. Do you believe that this [6:40] settlement was good for consumers? And if so, then why didn't there was another case, of course, [6:47] that the state attorney generals brought that is going to result in much better protections for [6:53] consumers? Why didn't the DOJ join them, stay in that suit? [6:56] I share your concerns. And yes, I do believe that settlement was good for consumers. [7:01] The American people got a lot out of that settlement with Live Nation. And you talk about [7:07] another case that's separate, that's ongoing litigation that could potentially take years [7:12] to resolve. And so when we make a decision as a department to settle a case, we are only thinking [7:18] about the American consumer and making sure that we're complying not only with the laws, [7:23] but with what's right for America. Did the White House have any involvement in that decision? [7:29] In the decision regarding which case? To settle the Ticketmaster case. [7:33] We work at times closely with White House counsel on certain issues. I am sure that I wasn't directly [7:42] part of discussions, so I can't speak to that, but I'm mostly not saying they were not part of it. [7:48] So, okay. Are you concerned that former Republican Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Roger [7:54] Alford, who has appeared before this committee as a Republican witness in the past, has said that [8:01] in your department, antitrust cases are being resolved based on political connections, not the legal merits? [8:09] No, his words don't concern me because they're not true. [8:14] Well, a lot of us disagree on that front. So I want to turn to some sort of number of [8:20] issues involving security. So in the wake of the shooting last year, Annunciation Catholic School [8:28] was approved to receive funding through the Office for Victims of Crime, for mental health, [8:33] and other support services. And I appreciate that the department has worked closely with the Annunciation [8:38] community on this issue, but the delays in the release of these funds are creating budget concerns. [8:45] Could you commit to work with me on getting those funds to the school? [8:48] Yes, absolutely. [8:50] Thank you. The president's most recent budget reduces COPS office funding by nearly $500 million, [8:57] eliminates the stop school violence program that I championed with Senator Hatch. He was the lead on it. [9:04] Are you concerned that cutting this funding will impact school safety? [9:08] No, we have, we have, I understand the question. I fully expect that the grants that ultimately are included in the budget that's passed will make sure that we're providing appropriate funds to our communities so that they can continue their good work. [9:25] I have concerns about, and I've heard this from several law enforcement and domestic violence groups, about the DOJ plan to consolidate the COPS program, HIDA program, Office on Violence Against Women. [9:39] And why do you think this will be helpful? Because we believe that they have very different functions. [9:47] I agree with you. That's not what we're doing. There will still be three separate functions. [9:51] What we're doing is consolidating above them to one group so that the application process is smoother and easier for grantees to do their work. [10:00] And also so that internally, some of the bureaucracy that was involved in having three separate bureaucratic streams doing the same work, [10:09] even though you're right, the underlying programs serve different functions, was not efficient. [10:14] So we're making that efficient. [10:16] And I'll follow up with you with some of the domestic violence grants. [10:20] And also just want to mention the continued enforcement under the Take It Down Act that Senator Cruz and I passed and how important that is going forward. [10:28] Thank you, Senator. Yes. [10:30] Before I go.