Kerry Statement on Legislation Restricting Indefinite US Attorney Appointments

Press Release

Kerry Statement on Legislation Restricting Indefinite US Attorney Appointments

Senator John Kerry today voted in favor of legislation that would strip the Attorney General of the power to appoint "interim" United States Attorneys for indefinite periods of time without Senate confirmation. Under this bill, the Attorney General's interim appointments would expire at the end of 120 days or when the President nominates and the Senate confirms a successor—whichever is sooner. The bill passed 94-2.

"Today the Senate voted to rectify a wrong that slipped through the cracks in a rush to reauthorize the Patriot Act. That little noticed provision set in motion the secret and destructive process that resulted in the termination of eight qualified and competent United States Attorneys, by giving the Attorney General the power to appoint "interim" U.S. Attorneys for unlimited periods of time—without Senate confirmation. It was an unacceptable end run around the Senate's role in insuring that all United States Attorneys will fairly and impartially enforce the law—rather than carry out the political agenda of the current Administration. I am proud that the Senate acted swiftly to rectify that wrong.

"Passing this bill is the first step towards remedying this horrible course of events—events which will have a significant and likely negative impact on the careers of eight decent and honorable United States Attorneys. It is not, however, the end of the process. Attorney General Gonzales must resign. He has demonstrated his inability to effectively run the Justice Department, and even worse, he has shown that rather than serving the American people as he should, he has one—and only one—client: the President of the United States. That would be fine if he were still White House Counsel, but he is not. He has to go. The third step is to have complete and full access to all the conversations leading up to this tragedy. This will require Congressional subpoenas. I hope my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee are ready to go to bat for this. I certainly am."

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