American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Floor Speech
AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009 -- (Senate - February 02, 2009)
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Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I thank the Chair, and I thank the distinguished vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee for his words. It is a pleasure to work with him on the committee. I think we are both looking forward to a new relationship with the Department of Justice under a new Attorney General.
I see my friend and colleague, Senator Sessions, here waiting to speak, so I just wanted to make two quick points. The first is that this is a man of really exceptional experience. Our distinguished Presiding Officer--who I don't think can be seen on the television right now--is the distinguished Senator Udall from New Mexico who was an Attorney General himself. He understands the value of experience in these jobs. This is a man who has been a U.S. attorney, who has been a Federal judge, who has been the Deputy Attorney General of the United States--the No. 2 position in this Department, and who, by all standards, has acquitted himself with remarkable distinction during the course of his tenure in those three positions.
It is also noteworthy that the Department of Justice has fallen on very hard times recently. People from both sides of the aisle from recent and distant administrations have come forward to try to be helpful to express their concern and their dismay about what was allowed to happen to this great Department. From all of my experience with the--I guess you could call them group of friends at the Department of Justice, people who served there and who have great affection for that Department, they view Eric Holder as a special person who has a unique capacity to fight for the principles the Department has long prided itself on: independence, talent, pure legal analysis, and courage. I think it is going to be very reassuring for the friends and family of the Department of Justice who have been so concerned about what has happened to it in the last few months to have this man now in charge.
There will be a huge sigh of relief. I compliment my colleagues on the bipartisan way in which this has gone forward. Clearly, there were concerns early on and they were addressed fairly. This is a nomination that passed out of the Judiciary Committee 17 to 2, which, in a highly partisan environment in Washington, is as close to a perfect score as I think you are going to get. It continues to receive broad support from both sides of the aisle on the floor. I know many people who are significant in the history of the Department of Justice have spoken in support of Eric Holder, including former Attorneys General Barr and Jim Comer, two of the most distinguished people who have done so.
Without further ado, I will yield the floor so my friend, Senator Sessions, can speak. I think this is a great moment of opportunity for the country and the Department of Justice. I hope we can confirm Eric Holder to be Attorney General with a very strong number when we get to the vote.
I yield the floor.
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