Jun 5, 2026 · 57 min · 12 segments
On June 3, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing entitled, “Oversight Hearing – Department of Justice.” Over…
Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess at any time.
I'll begin by recognizing myself for an opening statement.
And I want to welcome our witness, the Honorable Todd Blanch, Acting Attorney General of the United States, to testify before our subcommittee today.
Last month, the fiscal year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Bill cleared the full House Appropriations Committee.
And the Attorney General's leadership of the Department of Justice comes at a crossroads.
On the one hand, the subcommittee recognizes the strides taken by the Department to make communities safe again across the United States and to address the misguided priorities of the previous administration.
On the other hand, the subcommittee recognizes areas for improvement, such as communicating with the subcommittee and the lack of testimony ahead of our bill moving forward.
Additional areas of concern deal with getting appropriated dollars out the door and making progress with already approved projects.
from the proposed federal prison in Letcher County, Kentucky, in my district, that has been stalled to the delay of several grant programs, including the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, which I worked to start in response to the opioid crisis.
And that's vital for many communities like mine.
It's critical for this department to move with speed and meet congressional intent.
Finally, to date, we're still waiting on responses to questions for the record from two fiscal 26 Department hearings.
While I would have preferred to start the fiscal 27-year cycle differently, By having this conversation prior to last month's markup, this hearing is hopefully the start of productive dialogue between the Subcommittee and the Department under your leadership.
I look forward to hearing your priorities and vision for the Department and responses to our questions regarding the recent announcements.
Your testimony will still be valuable to the Committee as the fiscal year 27 appropriations process continues.
Over the past year, the Department of Justice has made great strides in combating drug cartels and curbing the flow of illicit drugs, including fentanyl.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Justice have taken down some of the most notorious cartel bosses, such as El Mayo, the co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, and Nicolas Maduro, the leader of the cartel of the Sons and former president of Venezuela.
While these are significant wins, the Department must continue this fight to eradicate the flow of illicit drugs and bring more cartel leaders to justice.
While issues such as illegal immigration have been addressed head on, other issues have emerged over the past year.
I applaud the Department's efforts to tackle emerging issues such as fraud, that pits the underworld against American and their hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and we look forward to hearing more about the Department's plans to continue these efforts.
I also look forward to hearing about the Department of Efforts in supporting state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.
Over the past year, from Washington to Memphis, Tennessee, The Department of Justice has aided local law enforcement agencies in the surge operations to combat violent crime.
American streets are safer now because of the actions of this department and the Trump administration.
General Black, I stand ready to support you in your efforts to ensure that the American public lives in a society that is free from crime and abuse.
Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess at any time.
I'll begin by recognizing myself for an opening statement.
And I want to welcome our witness, the Honorable Todd Blanch, Acting Attorney General of the United States, to testify before our subcommittee today.
Last month, the fiscal year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Bill cleared the full House Appropriations Committee.
And the Attorney General's leadership of the Department of Justice comes at a crossroads.
On the one hand, the subcommittee recognizes the strides taken by the Department to make communities safe again across the United States and to address the misguided priorities of the previous administration.
On the other hand, the subcommittee recognizes areas for improvement, such as communicating with the subcommittee and the lack of testimony ahead of our bill moving forward.
Additional areas of concern deal with getting appropriated dollars out the door and making progress with already approved projects.
from the proposed federal prison in Letcher County, Kentucky, in my district, that has been stalled to the delay of several grant programs, including the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, which I worked to start in response to the opioid crisis.
And that's vital for many communities like mine.
It's critical for this department to move with speed and meet congressional intent.
Finally, to date, we're still waiting on responses to questions for the record from two fiscal 26 Department hearings.
While I would have preferred to start the fiscal 27-year cycle differently, By having this conversation prior to last month's markup, this hearing is hopefully the start of productive dialogue between the Subcommittee and the Department under your leadership.
I look forward to hearing your priorities and vision for the Department and responses to our questions regarding the recent announcements.
Your testimony will still be valuable to the Committee as the fiscal year 27 appropriations process continues.
Over the past year, the Department of Justice has made great strides in combating drug cartels and curbing the flow of illicit drugs, including fentanyl.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Justice have taken down some of the most notorious cartel bosses, such as El Mayo, the co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, and Nicolas Maduro, the leader of the cartel of the Sons and former president of Venezuela.
While these are significant wins, the Department must continue this fight to eradicate the flow of illicit drugs and bring more cartel leaders to justice.
While issues such as illegal immigration have been addressed head on, other issues have emerged over the past year.
I applaud the Department's efforts to tackle emerging issues such as fraud, that pits the underworld against American and their hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and we look forward to hearing more about the Department's plans to continue these efforts.
I also look forward to hearing about the Department of Efforts in supporting state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.
Over the past year, from Washington to Memphis, Tennessee, The Department of Justice has aided local law enforcement agencies in the surge operations to combat violent crime.
American streets are safer now because of the actions of this department and the Trump administration.
General Black, I stand ready to support you in your efforts to ensure that the American public lives in a society that is free from crime and abuse.
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