Stop. Stop whatever you’re doing and watch this 5-minute exchange between U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (yes, that Jeff Sessions) as he questions Deputy Attorney General nominee Sally Quillian Yates (yes, that Sally Yates) about...well, I won’t spoil it; just watch.
Trust me.
SESSIONS: What they're asking for and could indeed be corrosive of the rule of law, could diminish the respect the Department of Justice has, could diminish the rule of law in the United States? Are you aware of that?
YATES: You're right. I'm not from here. I have only been here for a couple of months. But I can tell you i am committed to the department of justice. I love our department. I care deeply about our mission. And i would do everything in my power to protect the integrity that is the Department of Justice.
SESSIONS: Well, I understand that. And Senator Lee asked you about this tax situation, where the President I think i heard him say just decides that 35% tax rate's too high, he's going to say we're not going to collect more than 25%. And you said doesn't sound like something i'd agree with. I'd say that shouldn't take you too long to say no. This isn't right.
YATES: I agree, Senator. I think what I was telling you that was my gut reaction to it, but if I'm going to be doing battle with anybody, I want to make sure I have the law and the facts and the precedent behind me to be able to give a reasoned judgment. And if i'm in a discussion where people have different views, I want to make sure i've got what I need to back up my views.
SESSIONS: Well, you have to watch out because people will be asking you to do things, you just need to say no about. Do you think the Attorney General has a responsibility to say no to the president if he asks for something that's improper? A lot of people have defended the Lynch nomination, for example, by saying well, he appoints somebody who's going to execute his views. What's wrong with that? But if the view as a president wants to execute are unlawful, should the Attorney General or Deputy Attorney General say no?
YATES: Senator, I believe that the Attorney General or the Deputy Attorney General has an obligation to follow the law and the constitution and to give their independent legal advice to the president.
SESSIONS: Does the Office of Legal Counsel, which makes many of these opinions that impact policy, does it report through the Deputy's office or directly to the Attorney General?
YATES: Well, when you look at the office of legal counsel reports to the deputy's office, it's important that the Office of Legal Counsel be independent because federal agencies across our government regularly come to the office seeking advice and guidance about what is permissible and what isn't. And it's critically important that the OLC advice be just that and that it not be advocacy.
SESSIONS: Well, that's true. And like any CEO, where the law firm, sometimes, the lawyers have to tell the CEOs, Mr. CEO, don't do that. We'll get us sued. It's going to be in violation of the law. You'll regret it. Please. No matter how headstrong they might be, do you feel like that's the duty of the Attorney General's office?
YATES: I do. To fairly and impartially evaluate the law and provide the President and administration with impartial legal advice.
SESSIONS: And justice in a fraud case. Or any other drug case you might have prosecuted excellently over the years, immigration law is important to be consistently and effectively enforced. Should it not?
YATES: I believe that all of our laws should be consistently and effectively enforced and within the confines of the Constitution.
SESSIONS: Well, that's a good answer, but they're not. So you're taking over as deputy to the Attorney General of the united states of America and we have a just a collapse of integrity and immigration enforcement. And the President's position on executive amnesty just accelerates collapse of integrity resulting this for example the lowest morale in the Department of Homeland Security officers who enforce the law of any department in the entire government. They've even sued their supervisors because they're being told to not follow their oath, to enforce the law, but to carry out political policies. There's a lawsuit over that. They sued their bosses over that. I think they're correct. I remember John Ashcroft, attorney general for bush, he's been celebrated, when he was in the hospital, they tried to get him to sign a document that dealt with terrorism that he thought went too far, he refused to do so. So, I hope that you feel free to say no. In the character of john Ashcroft and others who said no to president nixon on certain issues. Let me just ask you briefly, this question. I'd like to have a clear answer if I could. Do you think that the President's executive action announced on November 20th is legal and constitutional? Can you give us a yes or no answer?
YATES: Since mid-January, i've been serving as the Deputy Attorney General of the department of justice. And the Department of Justice is currently litigating this matter. And so, since i'm the acting Deputy Attorney General of the Department of Justice when it's litigating this, it's really not appropriate for me to give you by personal opinion about this matter or any other matter that the department