Hearing Wrap Up: Oversight of the Department of Justice

Washington, D.C. – Today, Attorney General Loretta Lynch testified before the House Judiciary Committee on the issues facing the Department of Justice. Here are some key takeaways and videos from today’s oversight hearing. Takeaways:

• Attorney General Lynch defended the Obama Administration’s efforts to screen Syrian refugees but admitted that there are challenges posed to screening refugees from war-torn countries. FBI Director Comey testified before the House Judiciary Committee last month that the U.S. government does not have the information and dramatically lacks the resources to fully vet Syrian refugees. 
• Attorney General Lynch told members of the House Judiciary Committee that the law currently does not allow the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States. Despite current law, recent media reports claim the Obama Administration is contemplating a plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and transfer remaining detainees to the United States without congressional approval.
• Although a Justice Department report cited mismanagement at the IRS, Attorney General Lynch refused after repeated questions to name any individual at the IRS who was responsible for the mismanagement.
• Despite repeated questioning, Attorney General Lynch refused to answer why the Justice Department has not withheld grants from jurisdictions that defy federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Key Videos: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s (R-Va.) exchange with Attorney General Lynch on Syrian refugees:   Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner’s (R-Wis.) exchange with Attorney General Lynch on the current restrictions placed on transferring Guantanamo Bay detainees to the U.S.: Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) questions Attorney General Lynch on the IRS scandal and employees responsible for “mismanagement” at the agency: Congressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.) questions Attorney General Lynch about the Justice Department’s refusal to cut off funding for lawless sanctuary cities: