Thursday, March 24, 2016
Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made the following statement in response to a speech given by Vice President Joe Biden regarding his tenure as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. As Chairman, Biden refused to consider 44 judicial nominees.
“No matter how hard the White House tries to rewrite history, it can’t change then Chairman Biden’s remarks explaining how the President and Senate should handle a Supreme Court nomination arising during a heated presidential campaign. As Chairman Biden explained, the hyper-political environment is bad for the nominee, the court, and ultimately the nation.
“While the Vice President and others have tried to recast his 1992 speech as merely a call for greater cooperation, they neglect to mention that such cooperation, according to Chairmen Biden, was to occur, “in the next administration,” and only after the Presidential election.
“We now have a unique opportunity for the American people to have a voice in the direction of the court. The Vice President noted today that “the meaning and extent of your federal constitutional rights” are heard and decided by the Supreme Court. He’s right. And the American people should be provided an opportunity to weigh in on whether the court should move in a more liberal direction for a generation, dramatically impacting the rights and individual freedoms we cherish as Americans.”
Click here to read the 1992 Biden speech.
Click here to read Grassley’s speech on the “Biden Rules.”
Senators Send Letter to Treasury Asking for USDA, FDA to be Included in CFIUS Review of Syngenta/ChemChina Merger
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley, Debbie Stabenow, Joni Ernst and Sherrod Brown are calling on the U.S. Department of the Treasury to review China National Chemical Corporation’s (ChemChina) proposed acquisition of Syngenta for any potential effects on U.S. national security and the American food system.
“The food and agriculture sectors are part of the nation’s critical infrastructure, and this merger raises questions about national security because of the need to ensure a safe food supply. While foreign direct investment is generally positive, allowing state ownership of a major player in the seed and chemical business is something that needs to be carefully reviewed. The Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration are the experts on the food system, so it’s a natural fit for them to be a part of any CFIUS review. It’s clear that China is looking at these recent purchases of companies with food production expertise as part of a long-term strategic plan and a component of their national security. We need to be looking at it the same way,” Grassley said.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ review process is a voluntary system of notification by investors. Firms largely comply with the provision, because foreign acquisitions that do not notify the committee remain subject indefinitely to divestment or other actions by the President. Upon receiving written notification of a proposed acquisition, merger, or takeover of a U.S. firm by a foreign investor, the process can proceed.
A signed copy of the letter is here.
