I KNOW WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT THESE TRAGEDIES, AND WE BOTH AGREE THAT THIS KIND OF VIOLENCE, WHETHER IN MINNESOTA OR AT A MORMON CHURCH IN MICHIGAN OR THE ASSASSINATION OF CHARLIE KIRK, HAS NO PLACE IN OUR POLITICS OR IN OUR DEMOCRACY. AND THE BILL BANNED BUMP STOCKS, ENACTED RED FLAG LAWS, AND RAISED THE MINIMUM AGE TO PURCHASE A FIREARM IN FLORIDA FROM 18 TO 21.
WINDOWS, INJURING 21 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 18 KIDS, KILLING LITTLE FLETCHER, LITTLE HARPER AND EIGHT AND A TEN YEAR OLD MURDERING THEM WHEN THEY'RE IN MASS PRAYING 12 YEAR OLDS PROTECTING EIGHT YEAR OLDS. I KNOW WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT THESE TRAGEDIES, AND WE BOTH AGREE THAT THIS KIND OF VIOLENCE, WHETHER IN MINNESOTA OR AT A MORMON CHURCH IN MICHIGAN OR THE ASSASSINATION OF CHARLIE KIRK, HAS NO PLACE IN OUR POLITICS OR IN OUR DEMOCRACY. IN 2018, AFTER THE PARKLAND SHOOTING, YOU WERE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THERE WAS A BILL CALLED THE MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL PUBLIC SAFETY ACT. AND THE BILL BANNED BUMP STOCKS, ENACTED RED FLAG LAWS, AND RAISED THE MINIMUM AGE TO PURCHASE A FIREARM IN FLORIDA FROM 18 TO 21. AND YOU ACTUALLY DEFENDED THE LAW IN COURT FROM A CHALLENGE FROM THE NRA. AND WE KNOW THAT I'M IN FAVOR OF AN ASSAULT WEAPON BAN, PERIOD. I LOOK AT THESE BILLS AND I THINK, DOES THIS HURT MY UNCLE DICK IN THE DEER STAND? WE HAVE A PROUD TRADITION OF HUNTING IN MINNESOTA. I DON'T THINK THEY DO. BUT AS I TALKED TO DIRECTOR PATEL AND HE TOLD ME IN THE CHAIR YOU'RE SITTING IN RIGHT NOW, THAT ASSAULT WEAPON BAN COULD PREVENT FUTURE ATTACKS. I TALKED TO HIM ABOUT BETTER BACKGROUND CHECKS, ABOUT RED FLAG LAWS, AND THEN THAT PERHAPS WE COULD FIND COMMON GROUND ON WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN FLORIDA, WHICH WOULD BE TO AT LEAST CHANGE THE MINIMUM AGE FOR PURCHASING ASSAULT WEAPON. BECAUSE, WE'VE GOT 18 TO 20 YEAR OLDS COMMIT GUN HOMICIDES AT OVER TRIPLE THE RATE OF ADULTS 21 YEARS AND OVER, EVEN THOUGH THAT WOULDN'T HELP IT HASN'T HELPED IN ANNUNCIATION CHURCH, BECAUSE HE WAS A FEW PURCHASING ASSAULT WEAPONS COULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF THESE SHOOTINGS?
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SENATOR, FIRST, THAT THAT'S PENDING LITIGATION, AND I CAN'T DISCUSS THAT AT ALL. THE 21 IS PENDING LITIGATION. I CANNOT DISCUSS THAT. BUT IF I COULD GO BACK.
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I REALLY.
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21 AGE IS PENDING LITIGATION. I CAN'T DISCUSS THAT. BUT SENATOR, BACK TO TO WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN MINNESOTA. THERE IS NO PLACE FOR THAT. AND I BELIEVE I SPOKE TO YOU AFTER THAT HORRIFIC, HORRIFIC THOSE MURDERS. AND, I'M SO SORRY THAT THAT HAPPENED AND ALL OF MY FEDERAL AGENCIES WERE PARTNERING WITH STATE AGENCIES WORKING HAND IN HAND IN MINNESOTA. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE SECOND AMENDMENT IS THIS IS A VERY THIS IS THE MOST PRO-SECOND AMENDMENT DOJ IN AMERICAN HISTORY, AS YOU KNOW, BUT WE WANT TO KEEP GUNS, AS YOU SAID, WHERE THEY SHOULD BE IN THE HANDS OF LAW ABIDING AMERICAN CITIZENS WHILE KEEPING THEM OUT OF THE HANDS OF CRIMINALS AND GANGS. SINCE JANUARY 20th, THE ATF AND FBI HAVE SEIZED MORE THAN 30,000. ILLEGAL GUNS.
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I HAVE TEN MINUTES. 30,000 HAVE GIVEN THESE STATISTICS, AND I TRULY APPRECIATE THOSE STATISTICS. BUT WHAT I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET AT WAS SOMETHING WHERE MAYBE WE COULD FIND COMMON GROUND ON A BILL THAT YOU ACTUALLY DEFENDED IN COURT, IN A STATE WHICH DIRECTOR PATEL SEEMED OPEN TO, AND THAT WAS LOOKING AT, COULD WE AT LEAST RAISE THE AGE TO 21, THE PURCHASE OF AN ASSAULT WEAPON FEDERALLY? WHILE STATES LOOK AT BANNING THESE WEAPONS OVERALL, GIVEN THESE LITTLE BABIES THAT THIS GUN IS USED TO KILL. SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT LATER. BUT THAT WAS MY QUESTION. AND YOU DON'T WANT TO ANSWER IT.
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BECAUSE IT'S PENDING LITIGATION.
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OKAY. BUT YOUR VIEWS ON THIS IS NOT PENDING LITIGATION. SO I WANT TO GET TO THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AT YOUR NOMINATION HEARING, I SPECIFICALLY ASKED YOU TO PROVIDE ASSURANCE TO EVERY MEMBER OF THIS COMMITTEE THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WILL WILL ONLY FOLLOW THE FACTS AND THE LAW, AND THE WHITE WHITE HOUSE WILL PLAY NO ROLE IN THE CASES INVESTIGATED OR BROUGHT. YOU STATED IN RESPONSE RESPONSE. THIS WAS YOU. POLITICS WILL NOT PLAY A PART IN MY DECISIONS. AND YOU ALSO SAID THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MUST BE INDEPENDENT AND MUST ACT INDEPENDENTLY. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE UPHELD THAT COMMITMENT?
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I ABSOLUTELY HAVE UPHELD THAT COMMITMENT, SENATOR. I PLEDGE THAT I WOULD END THE WEAPONIZATION ALSO OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND THAT AMERICA WOULD ONCE AGAIN HAVE A ONE TIER SYSTEM OF JUSTICE FOR ALL. AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THIS COUNTRY.
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WE SAW THIS WITH THE