WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Wednesday night that Amy Klobuchar will be a new member on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The Minnesota Democrat will be the only senator to serve on both the Senate Commerce Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee — posts that will put her at the nexus of U.S. business and law.
Before becoming a senator, Klobuchar served for eight years as chief prosecutor of Hennepin County. She will be the first Minnesotan to serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee in nearly 75 years. (Former Sen. Knute Nelson, a Republican, was chair of the Judiciary Committee from 1919 until his death in 1923.)
Klobuchar called the assignment “a tremendous opportunity”
“As a former prosecutor, I have seen firsthand the importance of this committee to ensure that law enforcement has the tools they need to keep our streets safe and ensure equal justice for all Americans,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “I also believe it will provide a unique platform to promote consumer rights and fairness.”
Klobuchar will continue to serve on her other committees, including the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee.
The Judiciary Committee’s jurisdiction includes issues such as criminal justice, consumer issues, terrorism, human rights and antitrust law. The committee also reviews the president’s nominees for federal judgeships, including Supreme Court justices, and provides oversight of the Department of Justice, including the FBI.
