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Senate Democrats have delayed for at least one week the review of Pam Bondi, President Donald Trump’s choice for U.S. attorney general. The Judiciary Committee has canceled the hearing that was originally planned for Wednesday in order to expedite Bondi’s nomination to the full Senate.
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The Committee’s notice explained that, under its rules, any member can request to delay an agenda item for a minimum of seven days. This is a common practice, and the Minority Party has chosen to hold Bondi’s nomination for that period. As a result, the Committee will not meet in person for its executive business meeting this week. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has stated that the Committee will reconvene on January 29 to hold a final vote on Bondi’s nomination.
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Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, testified before the Committee last week. During her testimony, she emphasized her commitment to restoring integrity to the Department of Justice. Bondi stated that, if confirmed, efforts would be made every day to restore confidence and integrity to the Department of Justice and its components. She further added that partisanship and weaponization would be eradicated, ensuring that America would have one tier of justice for all.
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Her confirmation hearing was not without contention. Bondi clashed with several Democrat members of the Committee, including California Sen. Adam Schiff. Schiff sought a commitment from Bondi to advise President Trump against granting blanket pardons to individuals convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Schiff continued pressing her about whether she could handle the extensive workload. Bondi reassured him saying that she would look at every file she’s asked to look at, before calling out Schiff for his previous censure by Congress after the 2022 Republican takeover. It was shot back by Bondi, as Schiff attempted to interrupt, that the Senator had been censured by Congress for comments that were considered reckless, just like those being made.
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Bondi’s comments also suggested she might be behind the push for the public release of Jeffrey Epstein’s client list, a topic that has garnered widespread interest. In a recent Fox News interview, Bondi indicated her support for making the list public, echoing Trump’s earlier statements that he would not oppose the release of more files related to Epstein, who died under mysterious circumstances in 2019 while awaiting prosecution for sex trafficking. Epstein’s client list is rumored to contain powerful individuals whose names could shake the political establishment.