Senate Resolution 207--Calling on the President of the United States Immediately to Recommend New Candidates for the Positions of Attorney General...
Floor Speech
SENATE RESOLUTION 207--CALLING ON THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IMMEDIATELY TO RECOMMEND NEW CANDIDATES FOR THE POSITIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT (COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE ``WORLD BANK'') IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY AND THE EFFICACY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND THE WORLD BANK -- (Senate - May 17, 2007)
Mr. DODD submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 207
Whereas the Department of Justice is responsible for upholding and enforcing the law throughout the United States of America;
Whereas the Attorney General, as the Nation's chief law enforcement official, must place the rule of law above partisan political gain;
Whereas Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has consistently provided misleading and incomplete testimony to Congress regarding his role in the inappropriate and politically motivated firings of at least 8 United States Attorneys, as well as refusing to acknowledge widespread concern within the Department of Justice on the legality of its domestic surveillance program;
Whereas, according to the testimony of former Deputy Attorney General James Comey, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, while White House Counsel, attempted to pressure then-Attorney General John Ashcroft to authorize a domestic surveillance program that the Department of Justice itself had determined had ``no legal basis'', while he was in the intensive care unit of George Washington University Hospital and had relinquished the powers of the Attorney General;
Whereas the current controversies surrounding the Attorney General have undermined the effectiveness and integrity of the Department of Justice and have contributed to a reduction in morale among employees who have important work to accomplish;
Whereas the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, in this resolution referred to as the ``World Bank'', plays a vital role in global efforts to reduce poverty, aid development, and promote good governance in all nations in which it operates;
Whereas anti-corruption efforts have been a key element of the World Bank strategy under both the current and previous Bank Presidents;
Whereas Paul D. Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank, arranged for a pay and promotion package for Shaha Ali Riza, a bank employee with whom he had a personal relationship, upon becoming President in 2005;
Whereas, on May 14, 2007, an Ethics Committee of the World Bank investigating this incident reported to the World Bank's Board of Directors that ``Mr. Wolfowitz's contract requiring that he adhere to the Code of Conduct for board officials and that he avoid any conflict of interest, real or apparent, were violated'' in arranging for a pay raise and promotion for Shaha Ali Riza, thus contravening World Bank ethical and governance rules;
Whereas, on April 26, 2007, more than 40 members of the Bank's anti-corruption unit issued a statement declaring that due to corruption allegations against Mr. Wolfowitz, ``The credibility of our front-line staff is eroding in the face of legitimate questions from our clients about the bank's ability to practice what it preaches on governance'';
Whereas several of the World Bank's largest donors, including European nations who supply a major portion of the World Bank's operating revenue, have warned that they might withhold funds for the World Bank so long as Mr. Wolfowitz remains in office; and
Whereas the actions of Attorney General Gonzales and Mr. Wolfowitz have created a crisis of confidence and credibility within two vital institutions with serious national and international consequences and merit decisive action by the President of the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate calls on the President of the United States immediately to recommend new candidates for the positions of the Attorney General of the United States and the President of the World Bank in order to preserve the integrity and the efficacy of the Department of Justice and the World Bank.
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I send a resolution to the desk, which next week I will ask my colleagues to consider. I do so with some reluctance, but we have reached a point where the concerns revolving around the Attorney General's Office as well as the head of the World Bank have come to a point where I think this body ought to express itself, given the concerns that are mounting about these individuals' ability to perform their functions.
Washington, DC, has always been home to controversies. We know that. But the ones currently swirling around the Department of Justice and the World Bank are simply unacceptable and I think must come to an end. The President, in my view, must assume the responsibility here.
We are focused on calling for resignations, but the Commander in Chief, the President, is where the buck stops. He bears the responsibility to replace these individuals if they have reached a point where they no longer have the ability to run these institutions, instilling the kind of confidence and global support the American public would expect.
I do not say this with any sense of glee at all, but I think we have arrived at a moment where a change of leadership in these two offices is essential.
Let me begin with Mr. Gonzales, if I may, whose saga continues to unfold, with each revelation more disturbing than the last.
The Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer of the country. He must be above politics, and put administration of justice above partisan gain. Clearly, that is not the case here. It is now abundantly clear the Attorney General has placed his friendship and allegiance to the President above the sworn duty to defend and protect the Constitution. These are not allegations I have made alone; others have also made these points.
We heard Tuesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing the shocking testimony of the former Deputy Attorney General of the United States
about Mr. Gonzales' role while White House Counsel, attempting to pressure then-Attorney General John Ashcroft to authorize domestic surveillance despite the fact that the Justice Department, under John Ashcroft, determined that would be illegal. He went to Attorney General Ashcroft's bedside when he was in critical condition to try to secure his signature to allow those practices to go forward. This is not healthy. It is hurting our country, hurting the morale of the Justice Department, and it is time for the President to step forward and appoint a new Attorney General.
Let me, if I quickly can, turn to the President of the World Bank, Mr. Wolfowitz. The World Bank, as we all know, plays a vital role in global efforts to reduce poverty, aid development, and promote good governance in all nations in which it operates. Mr. Wolfowitz in particular made fighting corruption his signature issue at the bank; yet we know of the allegations here. I don't need to go into detail about them. My colleagues know what they are; they have been widely reported. A World Bank ethics committee investigating this incident reported to the World Bank's Board of Directors:
Mr. Wolfowitz's contract requiring that he adhere to the Code of Conduct for board officials and that he avoid any conflict of interest, real or apparent, was violated.
That is their conclusion. In short, I believe Mr. Wolfowitz broke the World Bank's ethical and governance rules, and instead of combating corruption abroad, as he pledged to do, his actions brought it to the heart of the World Bank.
I point out that 40 members of the Bank's anti-corruption unit issued a statement saying this:
The credibility of our front-line staff is eroding in the face of legitimate questions from our clients about the bank's ability to practice what it preaches on governance.
These are not my words; again, these are the words of the World Bank staff. Their work is being compromised by the actions of their President.
Moreover, several of the World Bank's largest donors, including European nations who supply a major portion of the World Bank's operating revenue, have warned they might withhold these funds for the World Bank so long as Mr. Wolfowitz remains in office.
I don't take any pleasure in suggesting this. But when the Justice Department and the World Bank are under assault because of the actions of their two leaders, it is time for the American President, who has the authority to replace these individuals, to do so. I know there is reluctance on the part of my colleagues to involve themselves in some of these matters, but when institutions as important as the Justice Department and the World Bank are suffering from loss of credibility, I think it is incumbent on this body to express itself.
At an appropriate time next week I will ask for this resolution to be considered by this body. I know we have the important matter of immigration to consider, but this matter is also important.
Of course, should the President move forward and call for the resignations and replace these individuals, then this resolution would be moot. In the meantime, I intend to press forward with this idea. I urge my colleagues in both parties to support this resolution, regardless of their feelings about these individuals or their personal relationships with them--we bear a responsibility that goes beyond personalities here.
The Justice Department deserves better. The World Bank deserves better. I hope my colleagues will join in a bipartisan way to express the sense of the Senate that the President ought to replace these individuals and restore the confidence and the good feelings we all ought to have about both of these institutions.
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