Being late. I really dont have any opening remarks but i welcome all of our colleagues that will do introductions and alternate over to senator feinstein. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. As you can see we have four nominees before the committee today. I would like to welcome the majority leader, thank you for being here. We have not had a Senate Confirmed director of the atf since march 2015. In fact, weve only had one Senate Confirmed head of the agency since the director position was subject to Senate Confirmation in 2006. I am very pleased that members of this committee will have the ability to question not only on his record but also on his priorities for combating gun violence should he be confirmed to this position. I really have been at this for so long and i have seen as experience so many senseless tragedies at the hands of firearms. From parkland to newtown from San Bernardino to sullivan springs, from las vegas to the streets of chicago, and most recently at a Food Festival in gilroy. It is a very rural community. Gun violence has cut short to many lives in this country, i was so saddened at the picture of a 6yearold boy and two others who were gunned down at the gilroy garlic festival on sunday. What is most to be a time of Summer Celebration in my state has instead become another tragedy inflicted by guns. No American Community today is safe from the harmful impact of firearms. Students and teachers, concertgoers and Police Officers, we all suffer from this countrys failure to address guns. I just want to point out, the atf plays a vital role in enforcing the nations existing gun laws. So the position to which mr. Canterbury has been nominated is really critically important to an effort that we should never abandon and thats the intent to put an end to gun violence that is cost so many in this country. We also as you know have three judicial nominees and i will not go into that. We will have their hearing and i thank you for this opportunity. We will now hear from senator mcconnell. Senator paul came out at ten todays hearing in a statement of place in the record. Without objection and senator mcconnell foragers. Thank you mr. Chairman, senator feinstein, it is a great pleasure to be here this morning to introduce him. President trump made a wise choice and nominating justin to be a district judge for the Western District of kentucky. I would like to share with you how i first met him. His grandfather called me and said my grandson is in high school and he is doing a paperwork on the 1984 republican sweep of congress. Would you be willing to let him interview you . I had sort of routinely done High School Interviews but i said sure. He came in and asked a whole lot of incredibly insightful questions and when he finished i said how about sending me a copy of your paper. I would like to read it. He did, and i did. It read like a phd dissertation. He one to do and graduated with distinction went to Harvard Law School and graduated with distinction. Clerk for judge kavanaugh, clerk for judge kennedy and Justice Kennedy and this is unquestionably the most outstanding nomination ive ever recommended in the course of my career to serve on the bench in kentucky. Its a particular pleasure to be here today on his behalf. I just mention the clerkship that he had at the highest level of the judiciary. During his Supreme Court clerkship Forbes Magazine recognized justin as part of his 30 under 30 list for law and public policy. Since he returned home to kentucky he began teaching at the law school. Justin has worked hard to in the trust of his colleagues in the respect of his students. His Committee Received over a dozen letters on more than 200 kentuckians who have known him as a teacher, colleague and a friend. These letters share a common theme. Justin is a thoroughly impressive nominee with all the necessary qualifications to succeed on the federal bench. His fellow protesters including the dean of the law school wrote that his dedication to others will be a great benefit to the federal bench. To his students, he is a teacher, mentor, career coach and a constant source of encouragement. Justin and his wife invite all the students over for dinner at the start of the first year of law school, he worked individually with each of them to improve skills and prepare them to join the profession. These are examples of the dedication and focus he puts forward helping his students reach their full potential. In the courtroom he is known for immersive preparation, advocacy for his class and excellence in trial. He has made quite an impression on the legal communities. And his openminded approach will surely benefit all appear before him. These responsible these might be enough for most people but not just appear he and his wife also lead a Nonprofit Organization called global Game Changers with a focus on underserved children, this Organization Helps young people improve their lives and make a positive impact on their community. Simply put, our commonwealth and the nation would be lucky to have a remarkable individual Justin Walker on the bench and through the course of this confirmation process i expect you will see what i have described. Joining me too support justin commitment to public servic sere his member under mother, family, friends and colleagues and of course his wife and their daughter isabella. Thank you again for the opportunity to come by and put in a good word for this impressive young man. Thank you, senator mcconnell. Next we will have senator shelby will introduce mr. Robert, nominee to the United States district judge the middle district of alabama. Thank you chairman and Ranking Member feinstein. A distinguished colleagues. I am here today to speak on behalf of of austin, he has been nominated by the president to be the u. S. District judge for the middle district of alabama. Austin is joined by his wife suzanne, children mary virginia and im sure hell introduce them later in other family members who travel to be here today. I know that his mother is also probably watching this hearing. Also an excellent choice for this role he is well respected among his peers and widely recognized in the Legal Community. From a young age he demonstrated a determination to succeed in just about everything he was involved in. He was recruited to play the Ivy League Football but he chose to focus on his studies and went to vanderbilt and majored in Chemical Engineering the law. He graduated with honors with the distinction. After graduation in Chemical Engineering he returned home to alabama to pursue his study of law with the university of alabama where he graduated. While in law school he was a hugo black scholar and a member of the review, the honor society, the john kamel court team. Following his law school he went to work with the distinguished firm in Montgomery Alabama where he made partner after a few years of hard work and dedication. Hes also been involved in his community and the Bar Association and everything related to it. He was chosen by the federal judges of the middle district of alabama to select a new federal magistrate judge, just some of this in his experience and proficiency in the courtroom show his ability and he comes from a long line of distinguished lawyers including his late father and his brother. His father was recently inducted in Alabama Lawyers hall of fame. I have my utmost respect for him. I have been watching them move over the years and recently he was reprimande recommended by tn Bar Association with highest recommendation can make. I am here today to recommend him to this Committee Without any reservation. I think you. Thank you, mr. Chairman and senator feinstein. I would first like to say what a pleasure it is to be in front of this committee. I started my career on the wall back there when senator kennedy was a chair and Ranking Member. I was the low person in the rank and they kept me back in the anteroom. I am pleased to be here with senator shelby to recommend to the committee the consideration of austin for the seat on the United States court for the middle district of alabama, thats in Montgomery Alabama. I appreciate and will not recount all the senator said. Youve heard austins impressive career and his resume. I reviewed that record as well. I knew his father well and so he comes from really wonderful stock. I am absolutely confident that austin has experience in the integrity and the temperament to be an outstanding federal judge. I met with him, my staff met with him he will be candid with you. He was thoughtful and will be thoughtful with the appear he is fair and i expect he will serve the people of alabama with distinction. I have received a number and provided the committee with a number of absolutely superb letters of recommendation from judges and colleagues from former clients and opposing counsel. That support austins nomination in late yesterday i received an additional letter to submit for the record, this one is particularly important. It comes from jc love, an attorney in montgomery who is a past president of the capital city Bar Association which serves the city of montgomery minority attorney population. He is known for a number of years and he writes in particular, it is not just austins legal experience, its his personal qualities that gives me confidence that he will be a great judge. It is worth connect and family values. His passion for the profession and his compassion for all those involved in court cases that sets austin apart from other attorneys. I witnessed firsthand how tirelessly he works, how his compassion for others can influence lives and how dedicated he is to his community. You will hear more from him himself, i am confident of his abilities and the fact he will make an outstanding judge and i highly recommend him to this committee. Thank you, mr. Chairman for allowing me too be here. Next senator bozeman and cotton will introduce mr. Lee, the United States district judge for the Eastern District of arkansas. Take you mr. Chairman. And Ranking Member feinstein to serve as a u. S. District judge for the Eastern District of arkansas. He has a long history of public service, he served the great state of arkansas and its his first general for the clerk of appeals for the ninth circuit, the Supreme Judicial Court of massachusetts, the office of counsel to the governor of massachusetts. In the office of counsel to the president of the United States during the George W Bush administration. In recent years, he was a professor of George Mason University school of law teaching lawyers about environmental and a ministry the law. The graduate of cornell and harvard, he also spent years with complex commercial and constitutional cases in private practice. In his current role hes a senior director for intercorruption compliance at walmart simply put he has legal experience in law firms in the courtroom and the judges chamber. He is certainly very wellqualified. In closing i very much support his nomination and encourage this committee to do the same. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I joined senator bozeman and introducing and expressing my support of the president s nominee to the United StatesDistrict Court of arkansas. He is exactly the type of tourist we want in arkansas. Intelligent, impartial and cemented to the rule of law. Thats why senator bozeman and i recommended him and we suspect you will agree. He was not born in arkansas but he got here as fast as he could. He and his wife feel blessed to raise their three children. He graduated from cornell at Harvard Law School. He worked during school in the White House Counsel Office and the office of the counsel to the governor of massachusetts he even volunteered with committee during the confirmation of chief justice roberts. He fought for the Judicial Court of massachusetts and the court of appeals of the ninth circuit. He worked for the law firm in ellis. He served inhouse counsel for organizations with just a couple dozen employees in another with millions. He served ably other states solicitor general. He sacrificed a lot to sacrifice our state. He left a great job at walmart and moved three hours away from his family. He sometimes slept in his office because he is said that commitment our taxpayers deserve. And the sacrifice has made a difference. The Bipartisan Group of notable has written to you by the end of his career tenure he had established the Arkansas Office is one of the finest Legal Practices in the state. Lee is also served of the Arkansas Advisory Committee to the United States commission on civil rights and an active member to american inns of court. He teaches at the university of Arkansas School of law where he helps recruit topnotch faculty. Two of his colleagues stated we come to rely only in the same way we rely on our alumni. Lee is a leader in his local synagogue where he volunteers as an outreach. I know he will draw and all these experiences as a District Court judge for the people in arkansas and indeed every american. Every american deserves fair impartial and justice. I commend the president for nominating him and think the Community Members for their consideration. I am proud to call him a friend and soon look forward to calling him judge. Thank you both very much. Now is my pleasure to introduce mr. Kenneth canterbury the ats director, he is from South Carolina and has more than 40 years of Law Enforcement service in 1979 he began his Law Enforcement career as a patrol officer. Hes a fine man with a wealth of experience and im pleased to nominate him for this important job. Hes a member of the South CarolinaLaw Enforcement hall of fame so when a young man gets the panel ready the names just about done if you would all come forward, i will swear you and we will begin questioning from the panel. The g. Raise your right hand please do solemnly swear the testimony youre about to give is the whole truth the full truth and nothing but the truth so help you god . Congratulations to each of you for your nominations and welcome to your families and we will start with mr. Canterbury. Good morning mr. Chairman ranked member feinstein and distinguished members of the committee and the judiciary. Id like to thank you for holding this hearing for my nomination to be the next director of the bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms and exposed in explosives but im humbled and honored by the presence conference confidence in me as well as attorney general barr im thankful for the opportunity to testify today and hope to earn your trust and confidence as well. Im grateful to be joined by my wife alice my son casey was a Police Officer and have three other children and six grandchildren who could not be with me here today that are supporting me from a distance. I am forcefully able to have to my Close Friends my pastor Sean Harrison ford Vice President to be with me remembers the committee i prepare appear before u. S. The 26th veteran of Law Enforcement that i have direct good and prep tickle experience required to effectively lead a Law Enforcement agency. Served on the front lines. Ive responded to emergency calls for service and ive been there to help a citizen in need. I have always tried to make it clear that Law Enforcement is a nonpartisan act 70. There is no republican or democrat way to enforce the law whether its the federal, state or local level. The ability of the Law Enforcement agencies to faithfully execute the laws as passed by congress as a paramount concern. To establish justice is listed first in the preamble of our nations constitution. One of the highest principles of our nation and Public Safety is the foremost responsibility of government. Ive dedicated my entire life to the ser