[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10918-10921]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ON ITS 140TH ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 1422) honoring the Department of Justice on the 
occasion of its 140th anniversary.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1422

       Whereas the Department of Justice officially came into 
     existence on July 1, 1870, through an Act of Congress 
     establishing it as ``an executive department of the 
     government of the United States'' with the Attorney General 
     as its head;
       Whereas pursuant to the Act, the Department was charged 
     with providing the means for enforcing Federal laws, 
     furnishing legal counsel in Federal cases, and construing the 
     laws under which other Federal executive departments act;
       Whereas there are currently 93 United States attorneys 
     stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the 
     Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, 
     serving as the Nation's principal litigators and chief 
     Federal law enforcement officials for their specific region, 
     under the direction of the Attorney General;
       Whereas the Department of Justice comprises 7 specialized 
     divisions, including the Antitrust Division, Civil Division, 
     Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, Environment and 
     Natural Resources Division, National Security Division and 
     the Tax Division, also including the Federal Bureau of 
     Investigation, the Bureau of Prisons, the United States 
     Marshals Service, the U.S. Central Bureau-International 
     Criminal Police Organization, the Drug Enforcement 
     Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and 
     Explosives, and the Office of Justice Programs;
       Whereas in 2006, the Department of Justice recognized the 
     danger threatening the United States due to technology-
     assisted exploitation crimes targeting children, and 
     responded by launching Project Safe Childhood, an effort 
     which has resulted in record numbers of arrests and 
     prosecutions of individuals who seek to commit sexual crimes 
     against children;
       Whereas in the past decade the Department of Justice has 
     obtained approximately 1,300 convictions for financial 
     crimes;
       Whereas the Department of Justice responded to the 
     significant increase in the number of firearms-related 
     violent crimes in small geographic areas by creating the 
     Violent Crime Impact Team (VCIT) initiative and since 2004 
     has arrested more than 14,100 gang members, drug dealers, 
     felons in possession of firearms, and other violent 
     criminals, including more than 2,800 identified as ``worst of 
     the worst'' criminals;
       Whereas the Department of Justice plays a key role in the 
     fight against international drug trafficking;
       Whereas in the past 8 years, the Department of Justice has 
     disrupted 8, and dismantled 2, Priority Target Organizations 
     (PTOs);
       Whereas Operation FALCON (Federal and Local Cops Organized 
     Nationally) is a series of nationwide fugitive apprehension 
     operations coordinated by the Department of Justice, and has 
     resulted in the collective capture of more than 55,896 
     dangerous fugitive felons since its inception in 2005;
       Whereas since 2004, the Department of Justice has led the 2 
     largest multinational law enforcement efforts ever directed 
     at online piracy, involving simultaneous efforts in 12 
     countries, more than 200 searches and arrests in more than 30 
     States, more than $100,000,000 in seized pirated works, and a 
     total of 112 felony convictions to date; and
       Whereas the Department of Justice's accomplishments are 
     numerous and have played a significant part in securing the 
     safety and security of the families and communities of the 
     United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) honors the Department of Justice on the occasion of its 
     140th anniversary;
       (2) commends the men and women of the Department of Justice 
     for their tireless commitment to pursuing justice, combating 
     major domestic and international crimes, ensuring civil 
     liberties, and protecting the people of the United States; 
     and
       (3) encourages the Department of Justice to continue its 
     mission of pursuing the administration of justice for all 
     people in the United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Sensenbrenner) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.

[[Page 10919]]




                             General Leave

  Mr. COHEN. I ask unanimous consent all Members have 5 legislative 
days to revise and extend their remarks and add extraneous material.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COHEN. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1422 recognizes the 140th anniversary 
of the creation of the Department of Justice. Since 1870, the 
Department has been tasked with enforcing our laws, providing Federal 
leadership in securing the public safety, and ensuring the fair and 
impartial administration of justice for all Americans.
  The Department has long been served with distinction and courage by 
attorneys, investigators, and prosecutors at Main Justice and in the 
field. Its divisions and components do important work for the American 
people in criminal law, civil litigation, environmental law, antitrust 
law, tax law, and administration of justice-related grants. We 
especially appreciate the efforts and sacrifices of the law enforcement 
officers serving in components such as the FBI, DEA, ATF, and the U.S. 
Marshals office.
  I would like to highlight three important points today as we 
commemorate the 140th anniversary of the Department. First, the 
Department has played an integral part in promoting justice for all 
Americans. Since its creation, the Department has handled the legal 
business of the United States, with control over all criminal 
prosecutions and civil suits in which the United States has an 
interest.
  Through the Civil Rights Division, the Department enforces Federal 
law, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, 
disability, religion, familial status, and national origin. Following 
the landmark Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s, the Department of Justice 
used its newfound authority to initiate desegregation of school 
districts across this Nation. And through its enforcement of the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965, the Department helped curtail the injustice of 
African American voters being prevented from exercising what is an 
American right, the right to vote.
  The Justice Department also continues to vigorously enforce the 
Americans with Disabilities Act, to ensure that people living with 
disabilities are not discriminated against in employment, by public 
entities and transportation, or in public accommodations.
  The great strides we have made in securing rights for all Americans 
to attain an education, access the voting booth, and secure jobs and 
housing, regardless of race, gender, or national origin, are in no 
small part due to the thanks of the Department of Justice.
  Second, the Department has played an important role in protecting 
Americans from acts of terrorism, whether foreign or domestic. Since 
the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in 1993 and at the 
Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995 and the attacks on September 
11, it's been the Department's highest priority to prosecute and bring 
to justice perpetrators of terrorism.
  However, it is important that, in its effort to combat terrorism, the 
Department is equally vigilant in upholding justice and in observing 
the constitutional rights of Americans that it is responsible for 
enforcing. This means a commitment to due process and transparency, 
even in the most difficult situations. It also means Congress must be 
steadfast in its commitment to consistent and thorough oversight.
  Third, the Department has taken on an increasingly active role in 
helping to secure public safety in its 140-year history. Notably, the 
Department's efforts to support community-based programs have seen 
dramatic success. For example, the Office of Violence Against Women is 
charged with providing national leadership in reducing domestic 
violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act. 
Through 19 Violence Against Women Act grant programs, the Department is 
helping to develop the Nation's capacity to reduce domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, strengthening services 
to victims and holding offenders accountable, most important work in 
preserving the integrity of women and our commitment to individual 
freedoms.
  In fiscal year 2009, the Office of Violence Against Women made nearly 
1,100 awards. These grants have helped enable communities to develop 
coordinated responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, and 
stalking--no trivial matters, Mr. Speaker. The grants have helped 
communities bring together dedicated individuals and advocates from 
diverse backgrounds to share information and to use their distinct 
roles to improve community responses to violence against women.
  In addition, the Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing 
Services, also known as the COPS Office, has promoted public safety 
through local investments, where police are involved in the community 
and show that policemen are the friends, and get a hold in the 
community to bring about public safety. The COPS program promotes this 
community policing by funding efforts by State and local authorities 
intended to put law enforcement professionals where they are most 
needed--on the streets. That way they can build mutually beneficial 
relationships with the people they serve, have a rapport that's 
necessary.
  In closing, I would like to thank my colleague, Mr. James 
Sensenbrenner, for introducing this resolution. I urge my colleagues to 
support this important resolution. I couldn't let this resolution go by 
without remembering former U.S. Attorney Robert F. Kennedy, one of my 
heroes, who headed the Department of Justice.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the 
Department of Justice. The Judiciary Act of 1789, which was passed by 
the First Congress and signed into law by President George Washington, 
created the office of Attorney General, which eventually became the 
chief law enforcement officer of the Federal Government.
  The Department of Justice began its work on July 1, 1870, through an 
act of Congress, with the Attorney General at its head. Since then, the 
Department has evolved into the world's largest law office and the 
central agency for the enforcement of Federal law.
  Today, the Department strives to meet four goals in its pursuit of 
justice: First, protecting the public against foreign and domestic 
threats; second, ensuring the fair administration of justice in 
accordance with the provisions of the Constitution; third, assisting 
both State and local law enforcement agencies; and, fourth, defending 
the United States and its foreign interests.
  Over the past decade, the Department has made significant efforts to 
protect the children of America. In 2006, through the Adam Walsh Child 
Protection and Safety Act, the Department of Justice created a national 
sex offender registry to better protect children by organizing sex 
offenders into three tiers. The act also created a nationwide DNA 
database and allows law enforcement to monitor dangerous sex offenders 
through the use of GPS technology.
  Recognizing the dangers of technology-assisted exploitation crimes 
against children, the Department of Justice launched Project Safe 
Childhood, an effort that resulted in record numbers of arrests and 
prosecutions of individuals seeking to commit sexual crimes against 
children.
  The AMBER Alert system, a Department of Justice directive, works to 
protect and save the lives of abducted children. Since the expansion of 
the system in 2003, more than 500 missing or exploited children have 
been safely recovered. Alerts are broadcast over the Internet, 
television and radio programming, electronic highway signs, lottery 
tickets, and text messaging.
  Shortly after the September 11 attack, I introduced the USA PATRIOT 
Act, which afforded the Department of Justice new tools to detect and 
prevent terrorism, organized crime, and drug

[[Page 10920]]

trafficking. The provisions of the act updated laws to reflect new 
threats and new technologies, facilitate better cooperation amongst 
government agencies, and updated and increased penalties for convicted 
terrorists. Since the act's passage in October 2001, the numbers of 
terrorist convictions and prosecutions by U.S. attorneys have soared. 
Make no mistake, the USA PATRIOT Act has contributed to the prevention 
of another large-scale terrorist attack on American soil.
  The Justice Department has also made a commitment to protect 
Americans residing in areas riddled with gun and gang violence. It 
responded to the significant increase in the number of firearms-related 
crimes in small geographic areas by creating the Violent Crime Impact 
Team initiative.

                              {time}  1345

  Since 2004, it has arrested more than 14,000 gang members, drug 
dealers, felons in possession of firearms, and other violent criminals, 
including more than 2,800 who have been identified as the ``worst of 
the worst'' criminals.
  I applaud the work of the Department of Justice in its efforts to 
defend the American people and to administer justice while respecting 
and ensuring the rights and dignity entitled to all.
  I encourage my colleagues to support House Resolution 1422.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I support House Resolution 1422 to 
honor the Department of Justice on the occasion of its 140th 
anniversary.
  In 1870 Congress passed the ``Act to Establish the Department of 
Justice.'' President Ulysses S. Grant signed the bill into law on June 
22, 1870, and the Department of Justice officially began operations on 
July 1, 1870.
  The Office of the Attorney General, created by the ``Judiciary Act of 
1789,'' was in need of more attorneys after the Civil War.
  The 1870 Act met this need by creating the Department of Justice to 
oversee federal law enforcement as well as criminal prosecutions and 
civil suits in which the United States has an interest. The Act also 
created the Office of the Solicitor General.
  While the 1870 Act still remains the foundation on which the 
Department of Justice stands, the structure of the Department of 
Justice has changed over the past 140 years.
  Today the Department of Justice comprises seven litigating divisions 
and 93 United States attorneys and thousands of assistant United States 
attorneys who enforce our civil and criminal laws, including tax, 
environmental, and immigration laws, and defend the United States from 
claims.
  The Department also oversees a number of federal law enforcement 
agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug 
Enforcement Administration, the Marshals Service, the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of 
Prisons.
  Among recent examples of the Department's work, we could look to the 
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' establishment of 
the Violent Crime Impact Team (VCIT) initiative in 2004. Since then, 
more than 14,000 violent criminals were arrested, including gang 
members, drug dealers, and felons in possession of firearms.
  The Department is also combating gang and gun violence through 
programs like ``Project Safe Neighborhoods.'' Since its inception in 
2001, $2 billion has been committed to ``Project Safe Neighborhoods.'' 
Funding has been used to hire new prosecutors, support investigators, 
and promote community outreach and education.
  In another area of great interest, during the past decade the 
Department secured approximately 1,300 convictions for financial 
crimes.
  The Department has also been successful in combating crimes against 
children, drug trafficking, and counterterrorism efforts.
  In 2006 the Department introduced ``Project Safe Childhood'' to 
combat predators who use the Internet to sexually exploit our children. 
Along with the FBI's ``Innocent Images National Initiative,'' programs 
like these help break up networks of online pedophiles and rescue 
children who are victims of sexual exploitation.
  With regard to drug trafficking, just this month the Department's 
``Project Deliverance'' resulted in more than 2,200 arrests and the 
seizure of approximately 74 tons of drugs and $154 million. This was 
the result of a 22-month operation. The Drug Enforcement Administration 
has been instrumental in bringing to justice those organizations and 
principal members responsible for the manufacture and distribution of 
illicit drugs throughout the United States.
  Finally, the Department has played a key role in a number of 
operations to protect Americans from terrorist threats. The passage of 
the Patriot Act in 2001, its reauthorization in 2005, and various other 
counter-terrorism tools have proven helpful toward this end.
  This resolution commends the work of the men and women in the 
Department of Justice who pursue and have pursued the administration of 
justice for the people of the United States. The essence of democracy 
is the rule of law. The Department of Justice hopefully stands as a 
defender of the rule of law.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.
  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.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H. Res. 1422, ``Honoring the Department of Justice on the occasion 
of its 140th anniversary,'' as introduced by our distinguished 
colleague from Wisconsin, Representative Sensenbrenner.
  Since its establishment in 1870, the Department of Justice has taken 
the lead in enforcing Federal laws, furnishing counsel in Federal 
cases, and providing interpretations of the laws under which other 
executive agencies act. The DOJ's mission has grown as well, meeting 
challenges that could hardly have been envisioned in 1870. It now has 
seven separate, specialized divisions, covering Antitrust, Civil, Civil 
Rights, Criminal matters, Environment and Natural Resources, National 
Security, and Tax, as well as agencies including the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation, the Bureau of Prisons, the United States Marshals 
Service, the U.S. Central Bureau-International Criminal Police 
Organization, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Office of Justice 
Programs.
  DOJ's work is as important now as it ever has been. It is one of the 
leading agencies involved in the protection of our national security; 
its work has led to the disruption of multiple terrorist organizations 
in the last decade alone.
  The Department plays a key role in the protection of our citizens' 
intellectual property, helping protect their interest in work they pour 
their energies into. Since 2004, the Department of Justice has led the 
2 largest multinational law enforcement efforts ever directed at online 
piracy, involving simultaneous efforts in 12 countries, more than 200 
searches and arrests in more than 30 States, more than $100,000,000 in 
seized pirated works, and a total of 112 felony convictions to date.

[[Page 10921]]

  DOJ's Antitrust Division is responsible for protecting consumer 
interests from anti-competitive practices in all sectors of the 
economy. As industries move further and further towards consolidation--
in printing, in broadcasting, in the airline industry, and throughout 
our economy--DOJ has the responsibility to make sure that actions taken 
in the name of efficiency don't lead to the dangers of monopoly.
  Through its Office of Justice Programs, DOJ has partnered with state 
and local law enforcement agencies to provide guidance and funding for 
important initiatives. Violent Crime Impact Teams have arrested more 
than 14,100 gang members, drug dealers, felons in possession of 
firearms, and other violent criminals, including more than 2,800 
identified as the `worst of the worst' criminals. Operation FALCON 
(Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally) is a series of nationwide 
fugitive apprehension operations coordinated by the Department of 
Justice, and has resulted in the collective capture of more than 55,896 
dangerous fugitive felons since its inception in 2005.
  For almost a century and a half, the Department of Justice has been a 
critically important part of the Federal government, and it has an 
equally important role to play in the next decades. I join 
Representative Sensenbrenner in honoring the Department on its 140th 
anniversary, and urge my colleagues to do so as well.
  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives recently 
considered H. Res. 1422, honoring the 140th anniversary of the 
Department of Justice. I voted against this resolution because of the 
Justice Department's history of violating individual rights.
  It is the Justice Department that leads the ongoing violations of the 
fourth, fifth, ninth, and tenth amendments in the name of the ``war on 
drugs.'' It is Justice Department agents who perform warrantless 
wiretap, and ``sneak-and-peak'' searches under the misnamed PATRIOT 
Act. It is the Justice Department that prosecutes American citizens for 
violating unconstitutional federal regulations even in cases where no 
reasonable person could have known their actions violated federal law.
  Some like to pretend that the Justice Department's assault on 
liberties is a modern phenomenon, or that abuses of liberties are only 
carried out by one political party. However, history shows that the 
unconstitutional usurpations of power and abuse of rights goes back at 
least almost a hundred years to the ``Progressive'' era and that 
Justice Departments of both parties have disregarded the Constitution 
and violated individual liberties.
  During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson's Justice Department 
imprisoned people who dared to speak out against the war. Following the 
war, the progressive assault on the first amendment continued with the 
infamous ``Palmer raids,'' named for Wilson's Attorney General, A. 
Mitchell Palmer. Just as President Wilson's policies of foreign 
interventionism and domestic welfare served as a model for future 
presidents, Attorney General Palmer's assaults on civil liberties 
served as a model for future attorneys general of both parties. Think 
of Robert Kennedy authorizing the wiretapping of Martin Luther King, 
Jr., John Mitchell's role in the abuses of civil liberties by the Nixon 
administration, Ed Meese's assault on the first amendment with his 
``pornography commission,'' Janet Reno's role in the murder of innocent 
men, women and children at Waco, and the steady erosion of our rights 
over the past decade. In addition, it is the attorney general and the 
Justice Department that defend and justify violations of constitutional 
liberties by the President and the other federal bureaucracies.
  Many civil libertarians were hopeful the new administration would be 
more sympathetic to civil liberties than was the prior administration. 
But the current administration has disregarded campaign promises to 
restore respect for civil liberties and has continued, and in many 
cases expanded, the anti-freedom policies of its predecessors. For 
instance, the current administration is supporting renewal of the 
policies of warrantless wiretapping and other PATRIOT Act provisions. 
The administration, despite promising to be more open and transparent, 
is also continuing to use the claim of ``state secrets'' to shield 
potentially embarrassing information from Americans. According to the 
New York Times, the current administration is even outdoing its 
predecessors in the prosecution of government whistleblowers. It is 
little wonder that the head of the American Civil Liberties Union 
recently said he is disgusted with the administration's record on civil 
liberties.
  Of course, Mr. Speaker, Congress bears ultimate responsibility for 
the Justice Department's actions, as it is Congress that passes the 
unconstitutional laws the Justice Department enforces. Congress also 
fails to perform effective oversight of the Justice Department. Instead 
of honoring the Justice Department, Congress should begin to repeal 
unconstitutional laws and start exercising congressional oversight of 
executive branch agencies that menace our freedoms.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. I want to thank Mr. Sensenbrenner for bringing this 
important resolution honoring the Department of Justice, and I should 
have earlier thanked Mr. Smith and Mr. Sensenbrenner each for their 
work on the NAACP resolution.
  I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Richardson). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1422.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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