American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Floor Speech

AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009 -- (Senate - February 02, 2009)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, today I wish to support the nomination of Eric Holder to be Attorney General of the United States. This is an historic nomination--Eric Holder is the first African-American to be nominated to serve as the country's chief law enforcement officer. This is a much needed nomination. The Department of Justice, DOJ, is on life support, plagued with politics and partisanship. Under the previous administration the Department of Justice authored torture memos, fired U.S. Attorneys for their political beliefs, funded pet projects, and spent taxpayer dollars on lavish conferences.

This country needs an Attorney General who will restore confidence and integrity to the Justice Department. We need an independent thinker who is not influenced by politics or fear and who is dedicated to rule of law--not rule of ideology. We need a leader to hold the Department accountable--one who will provide fiscal accountability and stewardship of taxpayer dollars and stand sentry against waste, fraud, and abuse. No more $5 Swedish meatballs.

I have three criteria for nominees to the executive branch: first, the nominee must possess competence; second, the nominee must have a commitment to the mission of the agency; and finally, the nominee must have the highest integrity. Eric Holder passes all of these tests with flying colors.

First, his competence cannot be questioned. He was the No. 2 at the Department of Justice under the Clinton administration; he was U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia; he was nominated by President Reagan and confirmed by the Senate to serve as a Superior Court judge for the District of Columbia; and he was a career prosecutor in DOJ's Public Integrity Section.

Second, he has shown an unwavering commitment to the Justice Department's mission to uphold the Constitution, fight corruption, prosecute criminals, and protect victims. He has fought throughout his career to make
sure our Nation's laws are applied fairly and that everyone gets a fair shake.

Third, Eric Holder possesses strong integrity. He has a history of fighting to root out corruption and prosecute criminals. He is the son of immigrants and has worked hard to get to where he is.

As chairwoman of the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Justice Department, I want to make sure that the Department has what it needs to protect this country from predatory attacks by terrorists and predatory attacks in our neighborhood. I have fought to put dollars in the Federal checkbook to support the agency's efforts to combat terrorism and violent crime. I have fought to make sure that hard-working, dedicated individuals who are responsible for carrying out that mission have the resources they need.

The Justice Department needs an Attorney General who supports enforcing our country's laws, will protect the vulnerable, and will restore morale and confidence. I believe Eric Holder is just the right man for the job. For the past 8 years, the previous administration has ignored the Constitution, supported torture, denied basic access to courts for detainees, slashed funding for cops on the beat, and spied on innocent Americans. We need an Attorney General who will restore the rule of law and demand accountability for wrongdoing. We need an independent thinker--not a rubber stamp for the President.

Eric Holder is a heavyweight lawyer. He has vigorously prosecuted corrupt public officials from both parties. He put a mob boss behind bars for trying to bribe a juror. He is willing to take on the strong and powerful because he believes no one is above the law.

Yet the Department of Justice is not only responsible for upholding the Constitution. Part of its core mission is to protect the most vulnerable. As a social worker, I have seen firsthand the despicable crimes committed against children and know how important it is to hold these abusers accountable in order to keep our children safe. Now, new technology puts children at even greater risk. There are sophisticated cyber-predators posing as children on the Internet and are harder to catch. Eric Holder is a career prosecutor who has dedicated his life to protecting the public and getting criminals off the street. As the U.S. Attorney for D.C., Holder created the Domestic Violence Unit, which was a dedicated, one-stop shop for domestic violence survivors; he also spearheaded initiatives to protect children from abuse, sexual predators and cyber stalkers. I am confident that as Attorney General, the country's chief of police, he will protect our children and our neighborhoods from violent and heinous crimes.

Not only does the country need Holder, the Department of Justice does. A recent DOJ Inspector General report found one of the top ten management challenges at the Justice Department is to restore confidence at the Department. The mission of the Justice Department has been sidelined and politics--not evidence--has driven hiring and firing decisions. The prosecution of civil rights violations had dramatically dropped, while claims of workplace discrimination are on the rise. We need a leader to put the Department back on track and restore integrity and independent thinking. It is time to get back to doing business that is free from politics and ideology. Time to enforce our civil rights laws, prosecute financial corruption and cronyism, bolster local law enforcement to fight crime and protect the vulnerable. Eric Holder has served as the Deputy Attorney General at Justice and has experience managing and leading. He knows the challenges the Department faces. He will work with President Obama to restore the Department's reputation.

In conclusion, Eric Holder has spent his legal career protecting the public from dirty public officials, violent criminals and predators, scheming corporate greed. I know as Attorney General, Eric Holder will make sure the Justice Department is working for the American people--not some political agenda. This is why I will vote to confirm Eric Holder to be the next Attorney General of the United States.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source