The first confirmation hearing for President-Elect Donald Trump’s cabinet got underway today in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) appeared amid a swirl of controversy to be questioned by his colleagues over his nomination to become attorney general.

The hearing was interrupted multiple times throughout the morning by protesters shouting “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA” and yelling about Sessions’ alleged racism. The question-and-answer sessions between Sessions and his Senate colleagues was, by contrast, almost entirely respectful and calm.

The interruptions from protesters were a reminder of the controversy that has swirled for weeks over Sessions’ nomination, since his last appearance before a confirmation hearing in 1986 revealed multiple allegations of racist behavior. He addressed those concerns in an opening statement and in his answers to the panel.

Here are the most important things said so far by the man who may become the highest law enforcement officer in the United States.

“I was accused of failing to protect voting rights of African Americans in a voter fraud case, and even harboring — amazingly — sympathies for the  KKK. These are damnably false charges.”

Sessions said that the investigations into voter fraud case in 1985 was brought at the request of African Americans, and was often painted out of context. He also said repeatedly that he had witnessed the very real systematic discrimination against African Americans in the South and vowed that the country could never go backwards.

“In last several years law enforcement as a whole has been unfairly maligned and blamed for actions of a few bad actors.”

Sessions said that under his leadership the Department of Justice would better support local and state law enforcement, help them rebuild ties with their communities, and would crack down on rising crime rates, in particular murder rates in places like Chicago and Baltimore.

“If the attorney general is asked to do something plainly unlawful, he or she cannot do that. I would have to resign before executing policy that would be unlawful or unconstitutional.”

Several senators asked Sessions what he would do if President-Elect Trump asked him to enact policies that were unlawful, including reinstituting torture by the military. Sessions said he would follow the rule of the law and resign rather than break it, though he would try and advise and convince the president to act differently first.

“Fundamentally we need to fix the immigration system, it’s not working right.”

Sessions said that Trump could easily reverse Obama’s immigration order known as DACA, or Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals, which allows child immigrants to legally stay in the country temporarily. But he would not say what he would do in terms of deportations as head of the DOJ, only that Congress and the White House should figure out a solution.   

“I believe [Roe v. Wade] violated the Constitution and attempted to set policy, but ... it is the law of the land, it deserves respect, and I would respect and follow it.”

Sessions said he would follow laws that protect a woman’s right to have an abortion and would not allow protesters or demonstrators outside of abortion clinics prevent a woman from getting one. And though he identified himself as pro-life, he said the country’s abortion laws were working and he would make sure they continued to do so.

“I have no belief and do not support the idea that Muslims should be denied admission to the United States.”

When asked whether he supported a ban on all Muslims entering the country, Sessions said he did not, and suggested that his future boss, President-elect Trump, no longer did either. But he did say that he wants religion to be able to be considered in immigration decisions:

“My view and concern is … that you could not seriously consider a person’s religious views even, when many people have religious beliefs that are inimicable to the public safety of the US. I did not want a resolution suggesting that it couldn’t be a factor in the vetting process.”

“My question was, ‘Do we need an expansion in federal law?’”

When asked why he didn’t support an expansion of the federal hate crimes laws to protect gay and transgender people, Sessions gave this reasoning, saying he was protesting the overreach of the federal government in cases where state courts sufficiently handled hate crimes.

“I don’t know anything about it.”

Sessions said he would try to read up on the alleged Russian hacking of the U.S. election soon.

“Congress has taken an action now that makes it improper and illegal to use waterboarding or other form of torture in the US by our military.”

Sessions was asked “Does waterboarding constitute torture?”

“No American is above the law, and no powerful special interest will cower this department.”

Repeatedly throughout his opening statement and answers, Sessions said his chief goal as AG would be to follow the Constitution and the law.