[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 8 (Tuesday, February 1, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S682-S683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NOMINATION OF ALBERTO GONZALES

  Mr. FRIST. Madam President, today the debate and discussion 
throughout will be on the nomination of Judge Alberto Gonzales to be 
Attorney General, and I am proud to be the first of many today to speak 
on this nomination and the strong support I have for this nominee. 
Judge Gonzales is a man of keen intellect, a man of high standing and 
achievement, and unwavering respect for the law. As our first Hispanic-
American Attorney General, Judge Gonzales will stand as an inspiration 
to all Americans. He captures it in his life story. He is an 
outstanding choice to become our Nation's top law enforcement officer.

  He has lived the American dream. We talk so much about the American 
dream. We point to people, parts of whose lives manifest the American 
dream. He lived it growing up in the town of Humble, TX, in a two-
bedroom house shared by seven siblings and his mother and father. His 
parents, Pablo and Maria, were Mexican-American immigrants. They have 
little formal education. His dad completed second grade and that was 
it.
  Inspired by his parents--as he tells it, their hard work--and spurred 
on by their encouragement, Judge Gonzales set his aspirations high and 
he was on the way. He has fulfilled them at every level. He played 
football and baseball in high school. On graduation, he joined the Air 
Force, from there enrolled in the Air Force Academy, and later 
transferred to Rice University. He became the first person in his 
family to go to college.
  He didn't stop there. He was accepted at Harvard Law School, and with 
his Harvard law degree in hand he returned to Texas to join one of 
Houston's most respected law firms, and he was their first minority 
partner. At the firm, Judge Gonzales committed himself to the education 
of minority kids. He even helped create minority scholarships which to 
this day are awarded to those in need.
  It didn't take long for people to recognize the tremendous talents of 
Judge Gonzales. He answered the call to public service. Newly elected 
Governor George Bush tapped Alberto Gonzales to join his administration 
as general counsel. He went on to become Texas's 100th secretary of 
state and then later a justice of the Texas Supreme Court.
  Every step of the way he has worked hard. He has won the respect of 
his peers. His integrity and talent have allowed him to receive 
numerous awards. Those sterling qualities have also garnered the trust 
and loyalty of the President of the United States. As counsel to the 
President for the last 4 years, he has been one of the President's 
closest advisers. President Bush credits Judge Gonzales for his candor 
and for his ability to remain steady in times of crisis--qualities that 
are essential in an Attorney General. As we all know, it has been noted 
that when President John F. Kennedy nominated his brother Robert to 
lead the Justice Department, the relationship worked so well because 
the President could count on his unflinching candor in times of crisis.
  The biography of Judge Gonzales speaks for itself. I do think it is 
important to, up front, address some of the criticisms that have been 
leveled against him. More than a few facts have been lost in the 
debate. These issues will be talked about, I know, over the course of 
the morning.
  First, President Bush does not have nor has his administration ever 
had an official Government policy condoning or authorizing torture or 
prisoner abuse. Let me restate for the record what the policy has been 
and continues to be from a Presidential memo dated February 7, 2002:

       Our values as a Nation, values that we share with many 
     nations in the world, call for us to treat detainees 
     humanely, including those who are not legally entitled to 
     such treatment. . . . As a matter of policy, the United 
     States Armed Forces shall continue to treat detainees 
     humanely and, to the extent appropriate and consistent with 
     military necessity, in a manner consistent with the 
     principles of the Geneva Conventions [governing the laws 
     of war.]
  Second, neither Judge Gonzales nor the President have condoned nor 
advocated nor authorized the torture of prisoners. In fact, on numerous 
occasions both have explicitly condemned torture as an abhorrent 
interrogation technique.
  Third, Judge Gonzales was not the author but he was the recipient of

[[Page S683]]

memos focusing on methods of interrogation of captured terrorists. The 
research memos that have been the focus of so much attention and 
criticism were written, not by the judge, but by the Office of Legal 
Counsel of the Department of Justice to Judge Gonzales as White House 
counsel. Those memos explored the legal interpretation of Federal law. 
They did not set administration policy. Indeed, the Department of 
Justice has since categorically withdrawn this legal analysis that has 
been interpreted by some as authorizing torture of terrorist detainees, 
stating unequivocally:

       Torture is abhorrent both to American law and to 
     international norms.

  Unfortunately, these facts have not gotten in the way of a barrage of 
attacks on Judge Gonzales. I am disappointed but not discouraged. I am 
confident Judge Gonzales will be confirmed with bipartisan support. I 
am confident that as Attorney General, Judge Gonzales will continue to 
build on the successes of the last 4 years that we have seen in 
reducing crime and fighting corporate fraud and upholding our civil 
rights laws.
  The judge has worked hard over the past 4 years to help America 
defend herself from terrorist attack while respecting our 
constitutional principles. In these uncertain times, we are fortunate 
to have a man with such high regard for the law serving our country and 
protecting our interests.
  In closing, former Clinton Cabinet member Henry Cisneros just this 
month praised Judge Gonzales as ``better qualified than many recent 
Attorneys General,'' and one who can rely on memories of humble 
beginnings, using his words, ``to understand the realities many 
Americans still confront in their lives.''
  Mr. Cisneros's sentiments are widely shared. Judge Gonzales is highly 
qualified to be America's next Attorney General. He will make America 
safer, more secure. He will lead the pursuit of justice. I urge my 
colleagues to offer their full support to the first Hispanic-American 
Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, the man from Humble.
  I yield the floor.

                          ____________________