Christopher wray, and im proud to support him, as i was during the Judiciary Committee voting for hirm, as did for him, as did every other member of the Judiciary Committee. The reason is, quite simply, he is a professional as nonpolitically associated as anyone can be going into this position. And like the f. B. I. Itself, known for his independence and integrity. There are two qualities needed today in the f. B. I. And its director, and that is aindz integrity. And integrity. The f. B. I. Is one of the worlds most important Law Enforcement agencies, and certainly one of the most important in this country. The f. B. I. Director doesnt serve at the pleasure of the president alone. He has a tenyear term, and the f. B. I. Director does not serve the president alone. He serves the constitution and the people of the United States. He must be independent of political interference and his integrity, or hers, must be unquestioned. The f. B. I. Deserves a leader with the integrity and strength necessary for that solemn mission. Mr. Wray, in my view, has shown himself to be that kind of leader. Those qualities are especially important because never before have the rule the law and our Law Enforcement institutions been so threatened by political interference, and it begins at the very top. The reason that Christopher Wray has been nominated to serve as f. B. I. Director is that the vacancy was created by the firing of jim comey for reasons that have led to an aspect of the Ongoing Investigation by the special counsel. The reason that position is vacancy is vacant is because three months ago jim comey was fired by the president because of, quote, the russia thing. The russia thing was very much on the president s mind more so than any of the reasons given in the memos done by attorney general sessions and Deputy Attorney rod rosenstein, according to the president himself. The russia thing is the f. B. I. And the special counsels investigation into whether the Trump Campaign colluded with the russian government to influence our elections. Theres no question that there was a campaign of interference and meddling through cyber attacks, disinformation, propaganda, and other means. And theres no question that the russians will do it again unless they are made to pay a price. And others may well collude and conspire with them, americans, unless they are compelled to pay a price. We have only to look at the morning at this mornings headline to see how farreaching and significant this investigation may be. The news that the president himself wrote a statement to be issued in the name of his son about a meeting with the russians that promised dirt on Hillary Clinton and directly misled about that meeting shows what is at stake. The misleading words put into the president s sons mouth by donald trump himself are potential pieces of evidence relating to criminal intent fitting the mosaic that the special counsel is assembling. They add color and weight to that mosaic. They are not alone proof. The report, if proved, certainly describes a pattern of conduct pieces of a pattern that fit together into a mosaic providing evidence of intent concerning potential obstruction of justice. And so the likelihood of threat is increasing the threat of political interference, the threat of firing bob mueller, the threat that the attorney general Jeff Sessions may be used as a vehicle to lead to bob muellers firing. Even before jim comeys dismissal, i called for an independent special prosecutor at the department of justice. I was the only member of the Judiciary Committee to vote against rod rosensteins nomination to be Deputy Attorney general because he failed to commit to appoint a special prosecutor. I believe a special prosecutor was necessary not only to determine the full extent of russias meddling in our democracy, but also to protect that investigation from the president s efforts to shut it down. This belief was brought into stark relief by jim comeys firing and it precipitated the appointment of rob mueller. The firing of special counsel mueller would precipitate a firestorm on both sides of the aisle. It would put the president over a precipice that likely could lead to the most drastic action possible in this democracy. That precipice can be avoided and Congress Must play a role in avoiding it. We are in talks across the aisle about action that can be taken to provide a check and a firewall against that kind of firing, drastic action that would put the president over that precipice politically and morally and legally. And my hope is also the new chief of staff, general kelly, will add a voice of reason and wisdom perhaps to check some of the more rash and impulsive action that might otherwise be taken by the president. The special counsel was given a clear mandate to follow the evidence wherever it may lead. And i believe that special counsel mueller has the guts and backbone as well as the expertise to uncover the truth, to follow that evidence, to bring charges if they are appropriate and necessary if he is assured the resources and independence to do the job. Thats why Christopher Wrays nomination is so critically important. He will be a key Decision Maker in providing those resources, investigative agents that are necessary to do the legwork, and the review of documents and other hard work challenging work that is necessary for the special counsel to have the facts and the evidence. And the f. B. I. Director is also going to be important in assuring the independence of that special counsel as an ally and a source of support. The f. B. I. Director will be critical. The most important priority, in fact, for Christopher Wray will be to protect the independence and integrity of that special counsel investigation, just as he must protect the f. B. I. s because they are intertwined and identified at the core. They involve the rule of law, the essence of our democracy. The belief and trust that wrongdoing will be investigated and prosecuted no matter how powerful the target, no matter how wealthy or powerful the wrongdoing. And that investigation has expanded appropriately to include financial dealings on the part of the president of the United States, any attempt by the president to set limits on that investigation are inappropriate and potentially illegal and further evidence of criminal intent. The mandate in short for both director wray and special counsel mueller must be unconditional. There must be no limit set by political interference. The nominee that we vote to confirm today must sustain and secure that ongoing independent investigation from any interference no matter how powerful the source, including the president of the United States. No one can set limits because no one is above the law. And the special counsel must have the freedom to decide where the investigation will lead because he will follow the facts to where they lead. The f. B. I. Director has a broad and inclusive mandate in addition to protecting the United States against corruption and wrongdoing involving misuse and abuse of power. He must also protect the United States against terrorism and foreign intelligence threats. He is charged with providing Leadership Services to state, federal, and ne municipal agencs and partners, and he is responsible for protecting civil rights. On friday, july 28, 2017, President Trump gave a speech in brentwood, new york, in effect encouraging Law Enforcement to use or misuse excessive force. More specifically, he directed Law Enforcement not to be, quote, too nice, end quote, and he described graphically how officers should potentially allow arrestees to be banged on the head or otherwise mistreat mistreated. With his comments President Trump encouraged the worst intents of our law enforcers, the instints of a insting ins of Law Enforcement, and the vast majority take one is seeking to stop in any misuse of authority. I will be joining with colleagues and working with the very distinguished senator of california who has joined us on the floor in asking that our Law Enforcement leadership take action to express its disapproval of that kind of misconduct. And my hope is that specifically the department of justice will express its disapproval of such instincts and misconduct. The f. B. I. Has a special obligation to condemn such violation of standards and law, and i hope that the new director, mr. Wray, will join dozens of Law Enforcement leaders across the country in making clear that the president s remarks have no place at the f. B. I. And i believe that Christopher Wray has the experience and credibility and the expertise to lead the f. B. I. In that effort as well as protecting the special counsel. Based on his career and testimony before the Judiciary Committee, i believe he will bring that leadership to the f. B. I. I regret that he will be the f. B. I. Director only because it is the result of an abusive and improper firing of james comey and the special counsels investigation of that firing as a potential obstruction of justice is well warranted. And i know that mr. Wray will do Everything Possible to enable it to be fair and effective, comprehensive and thorough and to do justice. He will help the special the special counsel will do justice just as he will help prosecutors and Law Enforcement agencies across the country to do justice. The future of the f. B. I. And our nation are truly at stake. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from california. Mrs. Feinstein thank you. I want to thank the distinguished senator from connecticut for his remarks, and id like to make a few remarks with respect to my position as Ranking Member on the Judiciary Committee. As has been well described, shortly we will vote on the nomination of Christopher Wray to be the next director of the federal bureau of investigation. The Judiciary Committee has reviewed his record and held a full and complete hearing. His nomination was sent to the floor for consideration by a vote of 200, a very good vote. Im very satisfied that mr. Wray has the qualifications and independence necessary to lead the f. B. I. So i will support mr. Wrays nomination to be f. B. I. Director. I want to begin by saying just a few words about what i think after 24 years in this place what is necessary going forward. First, it is really important that we have a strong f. B. I. Director. There can be no manipulation. Secondly, special Counsel Robert Mueller must be allowed to proceed with his investigation undisturbed. Third, the f. B. I. Director must manage and speak for the f. B. I. On the basis of the constitution and the laws of the United States, not the dictates or requests or statements of any politically elected person in this country. Fourth, the f. B. I. Director must be independent from the white house and any political figure. This is what the f. B. I. And the American People need now. The f. B. I. As you and i know is a critically important Law Enforcement agency. It must be able to move forward with its work and with its Senior Leadership in place. As i noted at mr. Wrays hearing and just noted again, the f. B. I. Must be an independent Law Enforcement organization, free from political influence. During his hearing and in his written responses to followup questions, mr. Wray stated that the f. B. I. Director must maintain strict independence. He committed to doing the job by the book. These are quotes. And, quote, without regard to any partisan political influence. He also testified that his loyalty is to the constitution and the rule of law, not to any ideology or individual, including the president. And he was believable to all of us in those statements. Mr. Wray also testified that he would resist any efforts to interfere with f. B. I. Investigations and that he would not, quote, pull any punches. When asked what he would do if the president asked him to do something unlawful or unethical, mr. Wray replied he would first try to talk him out of it. And if that failed, he would resign. These commitments are important, especially at this moment in history. We need an f. B. I. Director who has the strength and fortitude to stand up and do whats right by the law when tested. Mr. Wray has received bipartisan support from more than 100 former United States attorneys who enthusiastically endorse his nomination and state their belief that mr. Wray and i quote from their letter is a strong and effective leader with unassailable integrity, judgment, and courage. According to this group, which included former bush administration, Justice Department officials like Larry Thompson and ken waynestein as well as eric holder and sally yates, mr. Wray will discharge the duties of f. B. I. Director, and i quote, with honor, independence, and a tireless commitment to the rule of law. End quote. Earlier this year when we considered other nominees for the Justice Department, i pointed out that we need leaders with steel spines, not weak knees. I believe that mr. Wray will be such a leader. Now, the issue of torture is very important to me, and on this issue i was encouraged by mr. Wrays acknowledgment that torture is wrong, unacceptable, illegal, and ineffective. He testified under oath that he did not participate in the drafting of the socalled torture memos issued by the office of Legal Counsel some time ago. Mr. Wray has further testified that interrogation techniques such as waterboarding, painful stress positions, threatening detainees with dogs, forced nudity and mock execution are, quote, abusive under all circumstances, end quote. Importantly, for me, he has committed that the f. B. I. Under his leadership will never engage in such techniques or other forms of torture and that it will adhere to the policy of using the informed interrogation approach outlined in the army field man which, thanks to john mccain, was added as a new law to last years authorization military authorization bill. Mr. Wray also committed that he will read the Senate Intelligence committees report on c. I. A. s detention and Interrogation Program under a former administration. On the issue of torture as well as his independence and integrity, i take mr. Wray at his word. As we discussed, when mr. Wray and i met in his office, i believed that the next f. B. I. Directors integrity and commitment to the rule of law, sadly, will likely be tested by this administration. One early test may come in relation to the investigations being conducted by special counsel mueller. This committee and other committees in congress. Mr. Wray as committed to supportinsupporting the investin being conducted by special counsel mueller, and i trust that mr. Wray will keep the Judiciary Committee of our house informed of any attempts to interfere with that investigation. Now, hes got a tough job ahead of him. The f. B. I. Is our premier Law Enforcement agency. It faces new criminal terrorism threats every day. I remember f. B. I. Director comey telling us that the f. B. I. Had a counterterrorism investigation going on in virtually every state in the union. That was last year, but i assume many are still going on. On top of that, his predecessor washings as we all was, as we all know, suddenly fired by the president for questions that are reasonable, and that is the subject of Ongoing Investigations. And lately we have seen the president attempt to bully his own attorney general. But even in the light of these challenging circumstances, i believe mr. Wray is up to the task. Based on his testimony and the commitments he has made to me and other members of our Judiciary Committee, i believe we will all vote on the committee to support his nomination. And if he is confirmed, i commit to working with him to support the f. B. I. , its mission and some 30,000 30,000plus agents who work every day to help protect our nation. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. I yield the floor. The presiding officer the senator from iowa. Mr. Grassley i thank the senator from california for her fine remarks on mr. Wray, and im here for the same reason she is and i thank her for also facilitating getting this through the committee in a very quick way. Thank you. Im pleased to support the nomination of Christopher Wray to be director of the f. B. I. Mr. Wray supposes the skills, the character, and the unwavering commitment to impartial enforcement of the law that we need as an f. B. I. Director. Based on a unanimous vote that mr. Wray received from the Judiciary Committee, im confident that my colleagues believe this as well. Mr. Wray has an accomplished record as a lawyer. He was a federal prosecutor for a number of years and went on to serve in various senior roles at the department of justice, including leading the Criminal Division at the department. Mr. Wray earned the departments highest award for Public Service and leadership. His prior record of service demonstrates his competence in leading within the federal government and demonstrates that l a be able to that hell be able to lead effectively at the f. B. I. He has shown that he has the expertise needed to address the wide range of policy issues currently facing the f. B. I. Of course, my colleagues and i asked mr. Wray about his positions on many such issues during his hearing. He answered those questions very well, but the most important thing that we wanted to learn from him had to do with his view of the job and where his loyalties lie. As all of us in this body know, when we take the oath of office, we affirm that we will support and defend the constitution of the United States. We dont pledge support to any member of the government or even to a political party. We pledge our loyalty to the constitution and to the rule of law. Many members asked mr. Wray very pointed questions about loyalty during his hearing. I was impressed with his plainspoken, candid answers, and i take hum at his word him at his word when he says that his, quote, loyalty is to the constitution and the rule of law, end of quote, and when he says that he will, further quoting, never allow the f. B. I. s work to be driven by any other than the facts, the law, and the impartial pursuit of justice, period, full stop, end of quote. Now, if he is confirmed, mr. Wray will step into this role at a crucial moment, not only in the history of the f. B. I. But in the history of the nation. As we know, multiple investigations are under way, including by this body, to clearly lay out russias activities that attempted to influence the 2016 election. These are important and sensitive investigations, and they cannot be inappropriately influenced by people in powerful positions in any way whatsoever. This applies to the f. B. I. Director. Mr. Wray was asked very directly what he would do if presented with the opportunity to influence these investigations in any way. He told the committee that he wont condone tampering with investigations and that he would resign rather than unduly be unduly influenced in any manner. Mr. Wrays record of service and his reputation give us no reason to doubt him. He was forthright when he was asked specific questions about the events leading up to his being offered the job of f. B. I. Director by President Trump. He made no loyalty pledges then, and i expect him never to make such a pledge moving forward. Mr. Wray will also face the challenge of running the f. B. I. , motivating its staff, and ensuring that the f. B. I. Operates effectively and efficiently. My colleagues know that i havent been pleased with how the f. B. I. Has or has not replied to Judiciary Committee inquiries and requests for information, and this doesnt apply just to this senator but all the senators on the committee, and it doesnt matter whether theyre republican or democrat. Theyre entitled to ask questions, and they ought to get answers. Thats the constitutional responsibility of oversight that all 535 members of congress have. So, not being satisfied with the f. B. I. In the past, i asked mr mr. Wray directly about the f. B. I. s responsiveness to members of this body. He promised me, and in turn other members of this body, that hell prioritize responsiveness and transparency to this body. This will allow us to do our vitally important job of oversight over the nations top Law Enforcement agency. Im glad that mr. Wray is ready to work in partnership with the senate to help us perform our role very effectively. I expect to see improved responsiveness from mr. Wray to our letters and to see enhanced protection for whistleblowers within the f. B. I. Who come forward, and they do that at graving risk to themselves at great risk to themselves to let this body know where abuses of power are going unnoticed. We owe it to these brave people that we call whistleblowers, but theyre patriotic people, to give them the protection they deserve and the culture for giving this protection starts at the top with the new f. B. I. Director, mr. Wray. As i mentioned before, mr. Wray was voted out of our committee unanimously. The fact that all of my colleagues, democrat and republican, trusted mr. Wray with their aye vote says what we need to know about mr. Wrays ability to perform the Important Role of f. B. I. Director and to do it with integrity, with competence, with professionalism, and the utmost respect for the constitution and the rule of law. We cant ask for mr. Wray to do anything more than that. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm Christopher Wray as the next director of the f. B. I