[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23533-23536]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

                                 ______
                                 

   NOMINATION OF THOMAS E. PEREZ TO BE AN ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 
Senate will proceed to executive session to consider the following 
nomination which the clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read the nomination of Thomas E. Perez, of 
Maryland, to be an Assistant Attorney General.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the time 
until 12:15 p.m. will be equally divided and controlled between the 
Senator from Vermont, Mr. Leahy, and the Senator from Alabama, Mr. 
Sessions, or their designees.
  The Senator from Maryland is recognized.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, first let me say how pleased I am that we 
are now considering Tom Perez to head the Civil Rights Division. We in 
Maryland are particularly proud because Tom Perez hails from our State. 
He has had a distinguished record in the State of Maryland in service 
to the people of our State and also to the people of our Nation.
  I am very pleased that we finally have gotten to this moment. The 
Civil Rights Division is the Nation's moral conscience. It has been 
important to protect the rights of all Americans against all forms of 
discrimination whether it is in employment, whether it is in education, 
whether it is in housing, whether it is in voting, whether it is in 
personal liberties or hate crimes. It is what Americans turn to to 
protect their rights. It has had a very proud history, the Civil Rights 
Division, since its inception, both under Democratic and Republican 
administrations. It has had a steady course.
  There has been one notable exception. I think we all understand that 
during the previous administration there was an effort made to diminish 
the importance of the Civil Rights Division. It triggered joint reports 
by the Office of Personal Responsibility and the Office of the 
Inspector General. They issued a joint report on January 13, 2009. It 
found there was consideration of political and ideological affiliations 
in hiring career attorneys at the Department of Justice, Civil Rights 
Division, which was a violation of Federal law. We also know that 
during the previous administration, the number of cases brought to 
protect the civil liberties of Americans was greatly diminished, and 
the Department took a different view, one that compromised the 
integrity and independence of the Civil Rights Division.
  So it is important we get back on track, and that is why I am so 
pleased today that we are considering the confirmation of Tom Perez to 
be the head of the Civil Rights Division. Tom brings a great background 
to this important assignment. He was educated at Brown University where 
he received his undergraduate degree, the John F. Kennedy School of 
Government, and Harvard Law School. He had experience right out of law 
school as a prosecutor in the Civil Rights Division of the Department 
of Justice. So from day one Tom Perez knew he had a calling to help 
improve the civil rights of Americans. Maybe it was because of his 
family background, the son of an immigrant, maybe it was because of his 
commitment to the American dream, but he had that passion to help other 
people, to protect the civil liberties and civil rights of Americans. 
He rose to become the Deputy Chief in the Division's criminal section. 
He was a trial attorney for the Department of Justice. He then later 
took a very important assignment in the Senate. He became special 
counsel to Senator Ted Kennedy. What a mentor for him. He has commented 
frequently about his year in the Senate and what a great learning 
experience it was to understand the importance of the Civil Rights 
Division from the champion of civil rights in the Senate, Senator 
Kennedy.
  He then became a professor in civil rights law and later returned 
with an appointment to head the Civil Rights Division of the Department 
of Health and Human Services, continuously working to promote civil 
rights. He decided to take on a unique challenge and ran for county 
council in Montgomery County, MD. I am familiar with all the 
jurisdictions of Maryland. Perhaps the most challenging is to be a 
county councilman in Montgomery County, one of our most diverse 
counties and the largest. He was the first Latino to become president 
of the county council and took on the great challenges in that county 
in a professional way and was well respected.
  Governor O'Malley appointed him as secretary of Labor, Licensing and 
Regulation, a critically important part of the O'Malley cabinet. Then, 
President Obama tapped him to be the head of the Civil Rights Division 
of the Department of Justice. On June 4, the Judiciary Committee 
recommended, by a 17-to-2 vote, strongly bipartisan, to recommend his 
confirmation to the entire Senate. As to reservations raised in the 
committee, after the confirmation vote, we had meetings with Mr. Perez 
and Members of the Senate to get a further understanding of their 
concerns and to understand where Tom Perez would lead the Civil Rights 
Division. I don't want to comment for my colleagues, but I thought 
those meetings went extremely well. That is the type of person Tom 
Perez is. He tries to work things out without compromising the 
responsibilities of promoting civil rights of all Americans.
  With this vote today, we can take a major step forward to restore the 
integrity, confidence, historical role, and the reputation of the 
Nation's most important agency to protect the civil rights of all 
Americans.
  I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record letters of 
support we have received from the following individuals: Martin 
O'Malley, Governor of the State of Maryland; Thomas Mike Miller, 
president of the Maryland Senate; Mike Busch, speaker of the house of 
the Maryland General Assembly; John McCarthy, States attorney for 
Montgomery County; along with Anthony O'Donnell, the Republican leader 
of the Maryland house of delegates; and our colleagues in the Congress, 
Chris Van Hollen, who represents the eighth district; Elijah Cummings, 
who represents the seventh congressional district; Dutch Ruppersberger, 
who represents the second congressional district; Steny Hoyer, majority 
leader of the house from the fifth congressional district; and Erik 
Paulsen, who represents the third congressional district of Minnesota.

[[Page 23534]]

  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                            State of Maryland,

                                    Annapolis, MD, April 21, 2009.
     Hon. Patrick Leahy,
     Chairman, U.S. Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Dirksen 
         Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Arlen Specter,
     Ranking Member, U.S. Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, 
         Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member Specter: I am 
     writing to express my strong support for the nomination of 
     Thomas Perez to be Assistant Attorney General for Civil 
     Rights at the Department of Justice. Tom is a committed 
     public servant who has devoted his entire career to the 
     people of Maryland and this nation, and he is highly 
     qualified to lead the revitalization of the Civil Rights 
     Division.
       The Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) 
     has 1600 employees and wide ranging jurisdiction. Its 
     responsibilities range from enforcement of labor laws to the 
     oversight of our state banking system and regulation of 
     certain mortgage originators, to the administration of 
     Unemployment Insurance and workforce development programs. 
     The Department has additional consumer protection 
     responsibilities, and the job requires a person with a wide 
     breadth and depth of knowledge and experience.
       When I asked Tom to serve as Secretary of DLLR in 2007, I 
     frankly had no idea that the issues within his agency's 
     jurisdiction would occupy such a prominent role in my 
     administration so soon. Shortly after I assumed office, we 
     were immediately confronted by the foreclosure crisis and the 
     national recession.
       Tom immediately rose to the occasion, and has been 
     especially instrumental in leading the charge to combat the 
     foreclosure crisis, and in helping me craft an economic 
     security package to assist straggling Marylanders. In 2007 he 
     co-chaired the Homeownership Preservation Task Force, and by 
     working with all stakeholders, including both consumer groups 
     and banking representatives, he was able to craft consensus 
     reforms that gained broad bipartisan support in the General 
     Assembly. Those reforms, which lengthened the foreclosure 
     process, strengthened lending and licensing standards and 
     created new tools to combat fraud, have been recognized as 
     some of the most sweeping in the nation. One of the nation's 
     largest mortgage fraud prosecutions originated in Tom's 
     office, and has been a model of collaboration between the 
     state and federal prosecuting authorities.
       I have been particularly impressed with Tom's leadership 
     and management skills, as well as his ability to work across 
     party lines with the Maryland General Assembly. Tom inherited 
     an agency with great potential that was not firing on all 
     cylinders. He tackled critical management and leadership 
     challenges head on, and transformed DLLR from a second tier 
     to a top tier agency. He has brought the Department 
     recognition it never before received from lawmakers and other 
     officials in the State. Republicans and Democrats alike in 
     the Maryland General Assembly have praised his policy and 
     legal acumen, and his inclusive, engaging style.
       While Tom's nomination by President Obama leaves us with 
     the difficult task of finding someone as able and well-
     respected to fill his shoes, I know he is the right person to 
     lead the Civil Rights Division back to prominence. I strongly 
     support his confirmation, and I urge you to do the same.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Martin O'Malley,
     Governor.
                                  ____



                                    Maryland General Assembly,

                                    Annapolis, MD, April 22, 2009.
     Senator Patrick Leahy,
     Committee on the Judiciary, Dirksen Senate Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Leahy: We write to offer an unqualified and 
     unhesitating endorsement of Thomas Perez's nomination to 
     serve as Director of the United States Department of 
     Justice's Office for Civil Rights. We know Mr. Perez to be a 
     passionate and tireless advocate, a dedicated and responsible 
     civil servant, and a thoughtful and respected leader. He will 
     be a tremendous asset to the Department of Justice.
       Mr. Perez was appointed to serve as Maryland's Secretary of 
     Labor, Licensing and Regulation in January, 2007. He 
     inherited a historically underfunded agency beset by 
     political challenges and morale problems--a weaker leader 
     could easily have been overwhelmed by the agency's inertia. 
     Where others might have seen problems, Mr. Perez saw 
     opportunity. From his first day as Secretary, Mr. Perez 
     breathed new life into the department with a goal-oriented 
     agenda and a commitment to pro-active, results-driven 
     management.
       The Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation 
     supervises job training and match services, unemployment 
     insurance, and many of the State's licensing and regulatory 
     boards. As Secretary, Mr. Perez had to balance the interests 
     of the business community against our State's commitment to 
     consumer protection. That can be a precarious tightrope, but 
     he won praise from business leaders and consumer advocates 
     for his willingness to listen and his ability to forge 
     consensus.
       In addition to his responsibility for the day-to-day 
     operations of the agency, Mr. Perez helped shepherd the 
     Governor's agenda through the General Assembly. He conducted 
     himself with grace and aplomb, confronting skeptics and 
     cynics with his earnest desire to improve the lives of 
     ordinary Marylanders. His work ethic and meticulous attention 
     to the details of policy-making earned him the trust of 
     lawmakers across the political spectrum, and he parlayed that 
     trust into extraordinary legislative success for working 
     families in our state.
       Mr. Perez championed Maryland's efforts to combat the 
     foreclosure crisis. He brought the banking industry together 
     with consumer advocates to craft meaningful reform that put 
     Maryland at the forefront of this critical issue. During this 
     year's legislative session, he brought labor organizations 
     together with industry groups to fight fraudulent 
     misclassification of employees as independent contractors. In 
     both instances, he won praise for bringing everyone to the 
     table and crafting compromises which might otherwise have 
     proved elusive.
       We would be remiss if we did not raise the time honored 
     cliche: the nation's gain will be the State of Maryland's 
     loss. Mr. Perez's unwavering obligation to the highest ideal 
     of public service will be an asset to the Department of 
     Justice. His untiring commitment to his work will earn him 
     respect and admiration from his colleagues. His innate 
     intelligence and problem-solving abilities will help him move 
     the Office of Civil Rights forward to the benefit of all 
     Americans.
       In the plainest and strongest terms possible, we urge you 
     to confirm Mr. Perez as Director of the Office of Civil 
     Rights. He is a remarkable public servant, and he will be an 
     exceptional asset to our nation during this tumultuous period 
     in our history.
           Respectfully,
     Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr.,
                                          President of the Senate.
     Michael E. Busch,
     Speaker of the House.
                                  ____

                                              State's Attorney for


                                            Montgomery County,

                                    Rockville, MD, April 20, 2009.
     Chairman Patrick Leahy,
     U.S. Senate, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Leahy: I am writing to urge the confirmation 
     of Tom Perez as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil 
     Rights Division at the Department of Justice.
       Mr. Perez currently holds the position of Secretary of 
     Maryland's Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation. In 
     that capacity, Tom took on the challenge of revamping a state 
     agency that had been long neglected and widely seen as 
     ineffective. Under Tom's leadership, this agency has gained 
     stature and become well respected by lawmakers and other 
     government officials.
       Tom has also served as Maryland's leader to combat the 
     mortgage foreclosure crisis. Tom played a key role in helping 
     to craft a legislative package that has been called among the 
     most sweeping in the nation. Tom was the first public 
     official, that I am aware of, that several years before the 
     current mortgage crises became apparent, publicly talked 
     about the danger that lurked ahead in America's housing 
     market due to a crisis in sub-prime mortgages.
       Tom is a committed career public servant. Tom spent 12 
     years in federal public service, the majority as a federal 
     prosecutor for the Civil Rights Division. Tom served as 
     special counsel to Senator Edward Kennedy and was his 
     principal advisor on civil rights and criminal justice. Tom 
     was a law professor at the University of Maryland School of 
     Law from 2001-2007 where he taught a civil rights clinic 
     focusing on employment issues, health law and criminal 
     justice.
       Tom is married to Ann Marie Staudenmaier (a public interest 
     lawyer) and father of three. Educated at our nation's finest 
     universities including Brown and Harvard, Tom is a brilliant 
     and articulate man of tremendous depth.
       I urge you to act favorably on Tom's nomination and confirm 
     him as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights 
     Division at the Department of Justice.
           Very truly yours,
                                                 John J. McCarthy,
     State's Attorney.
                                  ____

                                                      The Maryland


                                           House of Delegates,

                                    Annapolis, MD, April 23, 2009.
     Hon. Patrick Leahy,
     U.S. Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Dirksen Senate 
         Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Leahy: As Minority Leader of the Maryland 
     House of Delegates, I am pleased to support the nomination of 
     Thomas Perez for the position of Assistant Attorney General 
     for Civil Rights.
       In my dealings with Secretary Perez, I have always found 
     him to be fair-minded and willing to listen to a variety of 
     views on an issue. While we have not always agreed 
     ultimately, I have been impressed by his willingness to reach 
     across the aisle. That is one

[[Page 23535]]

     reason I believe Tom Perez is an excellent choice to lead the 
     Division of Civil Rights at the Department of Justice.
       During Secretary Perez's tenure at the Department of Labor, 
     Licensing, and Regulation, he has convened diverse groups of 
     stakeholders on the foreclosure crisis, adult education and 
     workforce training, and the misclassification of Maryland 
     workers to forge consensus and find common ground. During the 
     legislative session, he regularly seeks input from both 
     Democratic and Republican members of the Maryland General 
     Assembly. He also has been very responsive to my office 
     regarding constituent issues and helping to resolve the same 
     without regard to party.
       It is my belief that the reason Tom works so hard to find 
     comprehensive solutions to the everyday problems Americans 
     face because he truly has their best interests at heart. He 
     is a committed public servant. I am confident that Tom will 
     lead the Division with commitment and integrity.
       For those reasons, I support his nomination and strongly 
     urge his confirmation.
           Sincerely,
                                             Anthony J. O'Donnell,
     Minority Leader.
                                  ____



                                     House of Representatives,

                                   Washington, DC, April 22, 2009.
     Hon. Patrick Leahy,
     Chairman, U.S. Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Dirksen 
         Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Arlen Specter,
     Ranking Member, U.S. Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, 
         Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member Specter: I am 
     writing to offer my wholehearted support for the confirmation 
     of Thomas E. Perez as Assistant Attorney General for Civil 
     Rights. I've known Tom since 2002, and have had both the 
     honor of serving as his representative to Congress and the 
     privilege of having him serve as my representative to the 
     Montgomery County Council.
       I have seen firsthand Tom's ability to bridge divides and 
     build coalitions in the interest of advancing the common 
     good. Throughout his service to the people of Montgomery 
     County and Maryland, this ability has gained him strong 
     support from the business community as well as the nonprofit 
     and faith communities. It has also allowed him to 
     successfully spearhead the State's nation-leading efforts to 
     combat the foreclosure crisis. He has a proven track record 
     for making decisions based on input from all stakeholders, 
     and for being open to all opinions even when they differ from 
     his own.
       Prior to his service to his community and his state, Tom 
     served this country ably as a career attorney in the Civil 
     Rights Division. His knowledge of the law and his respect for 
     the Department of Justice as an institution guarantee that he 
     will lead the Division with integrity and with respect for 
     the career staff and their tireless work. His talent for 
     building coalitions makes him a natural to reinvigorate the 
     Division.
       Tom is an outstanding citizen and a devoted public official 
     who has served his county, his state and his country with 
     distinction. I am honored to ask you to support his 
     nomination.
           Sincerely,
     Chris Van Hollen.
                                  ____



                                     House of Representatives,

                                   Washington, DC, April 20, 2009.
     Hon. Patrick Leahy,
     Chairman, U.S. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary, Dirksen 
         Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Leahy: I write to express my strong, 
     unqualified support for the confirmation of Thomas Perez as 
     Assistant Attorney General for the Rights Division of the 
     United States Department of Justice.
       The urgent need for strong, experienced and motivated 
     leadership of the Civil Rights Division cannot he overstated.
       The historic ascension of our first African American 
     President and Attorney General reflect progress that is both 
     substantive and lasting. As far too many Americans are 
     painfully aware, however, this progress does not mean that 
     our nation's long journey toward becoming a truly just and 
     inclusive society is at an end.
       President Obama and Attorney General Holder need the most 
     qualified and determined leadership in the Civil Rights 
     Division that America's legal community can provide. I am 
     firmly convinced that Thomas Perez exemplifies the character, 
     experience and dedication that will be required.
       Tom Perez is gifted with a penetrating intellect honed at 
     Brown, The Harvard Law School and The John F. Kennedy School 
     of Government. His professional work has coupled that 
     intellectual acumen with an exemplary record of public 
     service and dedication to civil rights.
       He has consistently advanced and defended civil rights as a 
     federal prosecutor for the Civil Rights Division, Special 
     Counsel for Senator Edward Kennedy, Deputy Assistant Attorney 
     General for Civil Rights under former Attorney General Janet 
     Reno, Director of the Office of Civil Rights at the 
     Department of Health and Human Services and, currently, as 
     Maryland Secretary of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
       In addition, Tom Perez taught at the University of Maryland 
     School of Law from 2001 until 2007, where he advanced the 
     school's nationally recognized clinical law and health 
     program--and he currently serves on the faculty of the George 
     Washington School of Public Health.
       On a personal note, I have been privileged to work with 
     Thomas Perez in his current role as Secretary of Maryland's 
     Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. He has been a 
     vocal leader in our shared efforts to combat foreclosures and 
     improve workplace protections.
       He has shown a great ability to bring parties together and 
     build consensus in important policy areas without 
     compromising his commitment to helping people. In these times 
     of great economic distress, Tom has been a true voice for all 
     Marylanders.
       Chairman Leahy, it is hard to imagine how President Obama 
     and Attorney General Holder could have made a better choice 
     to help them restore the Civil Rights Division as this 
     nation's leading defender of our fundamental freedoms. While 
     I acknowledge proper deference to the Senate's constitutional 
     power and responsibility in this matter, I also believe that 
     it is essential--and appropriate--to add my personal voice in 
     support of this nomination.
       Tom Perez has committed his entire career to advancing 
     civil rights and serving the public good. He is uniquely 
     qualified to repair what has been broken at the Civil Rights 
     Division--and I urge his speedy confirmation.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Elijah Cummings,
     Member of Congress.
                                  ____



                                     House of Representatives,

                                   Washington, DC, April 27, 2009.
     Hon. Patrick J. Leahy,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Dirksen 
         Building, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Arlen Specter,
     Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate, 
         Dirksen Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member Specter: I am 
     writing to express my strong support for the nomination of 
     Thomas Perez for Assistant Attorney General for the Civil 
     Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice 
     and urge his confirmation.
       Secretary Perez's qualifications and credentials are 
     exceptional. He is a nationally recognized civil rights 
     lawyer whose breadth and depth of experience makes him an 
     ideal choice to lead the Civil Rights Division. He knows the 
     Division inside and out, because he worked there for almost a 
     decade in a variety of critical positions. As a prosecutor in 
     the Division, he was lead attorney in some of the 
     Department's most high profile and complex civil rights 
     cases. As Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, 
     he oversaw complex litigation in the employment and education 
     areas. As a member of the nonpartisan Kaiser Commission on 
     Medicaid and the Uninsured and the former Director of the 
     Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and 
     Human Services, he has a keen understanding of health care 
     issues that are front and center in our national dialogue.
       In Maryland, Secretary Perez, in his current capacity as 
     Secretary of Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing and 
     Regulation, has been a principal architect of Governor Martin 
     O'Malley's wide ranging, successful foreclosure prevention 
     initiative. Secretary Perez led the legislative effort that 
     resulted in the passage of a package of reforms that were 
     comprehensive and consensus. He negotiated written agreements 
     with six major mortgage servicing companies to provide 
     meaningful relief to Maryland homeowners in danger of 
     foreclosure. One of the largest ongoing mortgage fraud 
     prosecutions in the nation originated in Secretary Perez's 
     office.
       He has held leadership positions in federal, state and 
     local government, and has worked in all three branches of the 
     federal government. As such, he has an acute understanding of 
     the need for the federal government to work in partnership 
     with state and local governments to safeguard the civil 
     rights of all Americans.
       Leading the Civil Rights Division, like running an Attorney 
     General's office, requires extensive legal, management and 
     leadership skills, as well as extensive experience in 
     building coalitions. Secretary Perez has led important 
     agencies. He currently heads a Department of roughly 1600 
     employees, and has held other leadership positions in the 
     federal government. He has a well earned reputation as a 
     consensus builder.
       Mr. Perez's distinguished career demonstrates his vast 
     leadership ability, integrity and commitment to public 
     service. I am confident that Mr. Perez would make an 
     exceptional Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights 
     Division and urge you to confirm his nomination.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Erik Paulsen,
                                               Member of Congress.

[[Page 23536]]

     
                                  ____
                                         House of Representatives,
                                   Washington, DC, April 27, 2009.
     Hon. Patrick Leahy,
     Chairman, U.S. Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Dirksen 
         Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Arlen Specter,
     Ranking Member, U.S. Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, 
         Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Leahy and Senator Specter: I wish to add my 
     strong support for the nomination of Thomas Perez to be 
     Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. 
     Department of Justice.
       Tom has dedicated his life to public service, to the 
     citizens of Maryland and to the nation. He has a breadth of 
     experience in the law, public policy and management, and, he 
     is known as a fair minded, knowledgeable and agreeable 
     advocate for his clients, his law students and the public at 
     large.
       I was impressed that after Tom's service in very important 
     posts in the Administration of President Bill Clinton, he 
     worked to put into practice the policies he advocated. He 
     chose to work in local government, winning election to the 
     Montgomery County Council in Maryland and earning the support 
     of his constituents and confidence of his colleagues on the 
     Council when they elected Tom their President. At the same 
     time, Tom commuted to Baltimore and taught public service 
     advocacy to law students at the University of Maryland, 
     Baltimore Law School.
       Most recently, Tom demonstrated his management skills as 
     the Secretary of Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing 
     and Regulation. He energized the agency and put it at the 
     forefront of the effort to help Maryland homeowners facing 
     foreclosure, along with many other reforms to help protect 
     consumers. He was well respected by legislators in Annapolis 
     from both sides of the aisle serving in the Maryland General 
     Assembly.
       I believe Tom possesses the talents and skills to make the 
     Civil Rights Division an outstanding performer in the Justice 
     Department. I hope your Committee will act favorably and 
     expeditiously on the President's nomination for Tom to serve 
     our Country again.
           Respectfully,
     C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger.
                                  ____



                                     House of Representatives,

                                   Washington, DC, April 21, 2009.
     Hon. Patrick J. Leahy,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Dirksen 
         Building, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Arlen Specter,
     Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate, 
         Dirksen Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member Specter: I strongly 
     support for the nomination of Thomas Perez for Assistant 
     Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the 
     Department of Justice, and. I urge his speedy confirmation. 
     Currently leading Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing 
     and Regulation, Secretary Perez has shown outstanding 
     leadership throughout his career at all levels of government.
       I have worked with Secretary Perez on many critical issues, 
     and I consider him an excellent choice for the Civil Rights 
     Division. He has already served there in a variety of key 
     positions. As a prosecutor in the Division, he was the lead 
     attorney in many high-profile civil rights cases. As Deputy 
     Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, he oversaw 
     complex litigation in the employment and education areas. As 
     a member of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the 
     Uninsured, as well as the former Director of the Office for 
     Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services, 
     Secretary Perez would also bring to his new role a deep 
     understanding of health care disparities. In my state of 
     Maryland, Secretary Perez led a 1,600-employee department and 
     was the principal architect of Governor O'Malley's wide-
     ranging foreclosure prevention initiative. Secretary Perez 
     also negotiated written agreements with major mortgage 
     servicing companies to provide relief to homeowners facing 
     foreclosure.
       Leading the Civil Rights Division requires high-level 
     management and consensus-building skills. I am confident that 
     Secretary Perez possesses those skills, and I urge you to 
     confirm his nomination.
       With warmest personal regards, I am
           Sincerely yours,
                                                   Steny H. Hoyer.

  Mr. CARDIN. I ask unanimous consent that time during quorum calls be 
equally charged to both Democrats and Republicans.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. CARDIN. I suggest the absence of quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MERKLEY. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum 
call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, this morning I rise to make a few remarks 
in support of the nomination of Tom Perez as Assistant Attorney General 
for the Civil Rights Division. Mr. Perez is an exceptionally qualified 
nominee. His nomination was reported out of the Judiciary Committee on 
a strong bipartisan vote of 17 to 2. He has the backing of a bipartisan 
group of former heads of the Department of Justice Civil Rights 
Division, the backing of State attorneys general, and the backing of 
other elected officials. His varied experience will serve him well in 
many aspects of this position.
  He was a career employee with the Civil Rights Division for 10 years 
and understands the importance of enforcing the law without regard to 
politics. He has taken on racially motivated crime through the 
prosecution of White supremacists who went on a fatal crime spree in 
Lubbock, TX, and the perpetrators of cross burning designed to 
intimidate an interracial family.
  Mr. Perez served as Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he worked to expand 
opportunities for individuals with disabilities to receive care and 
treatment in community-based settings rather than institutions and 
helped develop landmark medical records privacy regulation. He was a 
special counselor to Senator Ted Kennedy. Currently, Mr. Perez serves 
as Maryland's Secretary of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation. In this 
position, he enforces workplace safety laws, protects consumers through 
the enforcement of a wide range of consumer rights laws, and 
collaborates with businesses and workers to address critical workforce 
development needs. It is hard to imagine anyone better prepared to 
serve as the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
  Mr. Perez has firsthand experience fighting racially motivated 
crimes. Mr. Perez has firsthand experience standing up for the disabled 
and patient privacy. He has firsthand experience protecting the rights 
of workers and consumers.
  I urge my colleagues to move expeditiously to confirm this nomination 
and put a man of rare and extensive experience in charge of the Civil 
Rights Division for the benefit of all of our citizens.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BURRIS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Gillibrand). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. BURRIS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________