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Patrick Davis pledges improved DOJ responsiveness to congressional oversight at confirmation hearing
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Summary
Patrick Davis, nominee for assistant attorney general for the Office of Legislative Affairs, told the Senate Judiciary Committee he would strive to improve the Justice Department's responsiveness to congressional oversight while respecting constitutional and statutory constraints.
Sen. Chuck Grassley introduced Patrick Davis as the nominee to lead the Justice Department's Office of Legislative Affairs, the office charged with liaison between the department and Congress and with coordinating departmental legislative reports.
During his opening remarks and his answers to senators, Davis emphasized experience both inside the Justice Department and as a congressional staffer, saying that background helped him appreciate the needs of both branches of government. He told the committee he would work "to maintain and hopefully strengthen the working relationship between the [department] and Congress."
Why it matters: the Office of Legislative Affairs is the department's principal contact for congressional oversight requests and for preparing and submitting departmental legislative reports. Senators pressed Davis on a pattern they say shows inadequate responses to oversight requests.
Ranking Member Durbin told Davis that he had sent more than 20 overnight oversight requests to the administration with little meaningful response, including seven to Justice. Durbin said he hoped Davis "will take that to heart." Davis responded that where the department appeared deficient he would "seek to review the policies, procedures, and decisions that have caused the issues, consult with the relevant officials within the department, and pursue appropriate corrections." He added: "If confirmed, I'm committed to being transparent to the fullest extent consistent with the constitutional and statutory obligations of the department."
Committee members also touched on the nominee's prior work on COVID‑19 origin investigations. Davis said his classified report to the House Intelligence Committee could not be discussed in detail but that he believed additional transparency about intelligence‑community processes would help the public understand unresolved questions.
Chairman Grassley set a written‑question deadline for Davis of March 27 at 5 p.m. The committee will review the nominees' written answers before scheduling confirmation votes.
