[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 91 (Thursday, June 17, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ON ITS 140TH ANNIVERSARY

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                               speech of

                  HON. HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 16, 2010

  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. 
Res 1422, Honoring the Department of Justice on the occasion of its 
140th anniversary. I would also like to commend Representative 
Sensenbrenner for his commitment to recognizing the department for its 
many accomplishments.
  The Department of Justice officially began operations on July 1, 1870 
and has been responsible for the enforcement of law and administration 
of justice for 140 years. The Department of Justice was a major 
advocate and protector for voting rights in the Southern United States 
and Georgia during the Civil Rights Era. The Department used its 
litigators to fight racial injustice throughout the Southern United 
States. The work of the Department of Justice served in part as 
inspiration for President Johnson to sign the Voting Rights Act of 1965 
into law.
  The Department of Justice is innately close to my heart. My father 
worked for many years in the Bureau of Prisons, a subdivision of the 
Department of Justice, and was the director of classifications and 
paroles. He was at that time the highest ranking African-American in 
the bureau. Today the department is headed by Attorney General Eric 
Holder, the first African-American man to hold this position in the 
departments 140 year history. It is ironic that the Department charged 
with justice for all people took more than a century in order to name 
an African-American citizen as its leader; however his nomination 
serves as an indication of progress and change.
  The Department of Justice has championed many successful initiatives 
including Project Safe Neighborhoods, Project Safe Childhood, and the 
Presidents Corporate Fraud Task Force. Together these initiatives have 
resulted in increased protection and safety for our nation's children, 
as well as record convictions for financial crimes. The Department of 
Justice has made a significant impact in the state of Georgia through 
the Southeast Regional Fugitive Force operating out of offices in 
Atlanta and Macon, Georgia. The SERFTF is recognized nationwide as a 
leader in fugitive investigations.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand today to applaud the accomplishments of the 
Department of Justice on the occasion of its 140' anniversary and I 
urge my colleagues to do the same. I challenge the Department of 
Justice to continue its mission of pursuing the administration of 
justice for all people in the United States.

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