Executive Session

EXECUTIVE SESSION -- (Senate - February 02, 2005)

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to be Attorney General of the United States.

Judge Gonzales's story is truly inspirational. A man from humble beginnings-Humble, TX, to be precise-he grew up in a modest home built by his father and uncle where he lived with his parents and seven brothers and sisters with no hot water and no telephone. His parents were migrant workers who never even finished elementary school, but they believed in the American dream. They worked hard to give their children an education and to instill in them the American values of personal responsibility and hard work.

At the age of 12, Alberto Gonzales had his first job selling soft drinks at Rice University football games where he dreamed of one day going to college. Through determination, intelligence, and hard work, he achieved his dream. He graduated from Rice University, the first in his family to earn a college degree, and went on to excel at Harvard Law School.

Alberto Gonzales is a dedicated public servant. He has served his country in many capacities, including his service in the U.S. Air Force, as a judge on the Texas Supreme Court, and as Texas secretary of state. Judge Gonzales knows well that holding a public office involves a bond with the American people.

He has proven himself as a man of integrity and with the highest professional qualifications. That is why Judge Gonzales has broad support from groups and individuals across our country. His nomination is supported by the Hispanic National Bar Association, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National District Attorneys Association, and the FBI Agents Association, to name just a few of these groups.

He also has bipartisan support from those who know him best, including leading Democrats, for example, Henry Cisneros, who served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Clinton. Mr. Cisneros, a former mayor of San Antonio, writes:

In the 36 years that I have voted, I have supported and voted for only one Republican. That was when Alberto Gonzales ran for election to the Texas Supreme Court. I messaged friends about this uncommonly capable and serious man [and] I urged them to support his campaign. ..... He is now President Bush's nominee to be Attorney General of the United States and I urge his confirmation.

I have had the personal opportunity to meet with Judge Gonzales to discuss many issues over the last few years on many different occasions. I have always found him to be a man who honored his commitments, who kept his promises. I know he is a leader who is dedicated to protecting America, to following the Constitution, and to applying the rule of law.

The position of the Attorney General is as challenging a job as ever given the post-9/11 environment, but I am confident that as our Nation's chief law enforcement officer, Judge Gonzales will continue the progress we have made in fighting the war against terrorism, in combating crime, in strengthening the FBI, and in continuing to protect our cherished civil liberties.

As Judge Gonzales himself said regarding his nomination:

The American people expect and deserve a Department of Justice guided by the rule of law, and there should be no question regarding the Department's commitment to justice for every American. On this principle there can be no compromise.

Alberto Gonzales, the man from Humble, is committed to ensuring justice for each and every American. He is committed to the rule of law. He deserves our confirmation, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for his confirmation.

I thank the distinguished senior Senator from New Mexico for allowing me to precede him.

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