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Thune: Pam Bondi Will Restore Faith in the Justice System

“Pam Bondi has promised to get the department back to its core mission: prosecuting crime and protecting Americans from threats to their safety and their freedoms.”

February 4, 2025

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:

Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):

“Mr. President, later today the Senate will vote on the nomination of Pam Bondi to serve as attorney general.

“Ms. Bondi is an experienced prosecutor who’s earned a reputation as a tenacious lawyer who’s tough on crime.

“In her 18 years as a state prosecutor in Florida’s Hillsborough County, Ms. Bondi worked with law enforcement, visited crime scenes, and spent countless hours in the courtroom.

“Those who know Ms. Bondi have spoken of her toughness and her skill as a prosecutor.

“They have also spoken of her character.

“Of her willingness to work with anyone to solve a problem.

“And of her deep commitment to the victims of crime and their families.

“Mr. President, in 2011 Pam Bondi became Florida’s first female attorney general.

“At that time, so-called ‘pill mills’ were a major problem in the state and a major contributor to the opioid crisis.

“On the campaign trail, Ms. Bondi would hear heartbreaking stories of addiction and loss, and families would give her photos of loved ones lost to the scourge of drugs.

“As attorney general, she filled her office with those photos and got to work.

“She worked with the Florida legislature to pass a bill to crack down on the ‘pill mills,’ which our colleague, then-Governor Rick Scott, signed into law.

“And that was just the start.

“She tracked issues like human trafficking and she worked with her counterparts in other states regardless of party and politics.

“She also worked to keep politics out of the important work of enforcing the law in Florida – something she’s committed to doing at the Department of Justice if she is confirmed.

“Mr. President, in recent years many Americans have lost faith in the Justice Department.

“They’ve seen federal prosecutors go after pro-life activists – while attacks against churches have gone unprosecuted.

“There was Attorney General Garland’s infamous memo targeting parents who attended school board meetings.

“And another infamous FBI memo suggesting traditional Catholics could be violent extremists.

“Mr. President, the American people should be able to trust that the Department of Justice is not targeting Americans based on their political opinions or religious beliefs.

“Pam Bondi has promised to get the department back to its core mission: prosecuting crime and protecting Americans from threats to their safety and their freedoms.

“And I look forward to confirming her later today.”