[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 2 (Monday, January 17, 2005)]
[Pages 38-39]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on the Nomination of Michael Chertoff To Be Secretary of 
Homeland Security

January 11, 2005

    Good morning. I'm pleased to announce my nomination of Judge Michael 
Chertoff to be the Secretary of Homeland Security.
    Mike is a talented and experienced public servant. In his stellar 
career, he has been a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for 
the Third Circuit; he's been an Assistant Attorney General of the United 
States; he's been the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey; a Federal prosecutor 
in New York City; and a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice William 
Brennan. He's been confirmed by the Senate three times.
    In all of his roles, Mike has shown a deep commitment to the cause 
of justice and an unwavering determination to protect the American 
people. Mike has also been a key leader in the war on terror. On 
September the 11th, 2001, he was managing the Criminal Division of the 
Department of Justice, an 800-person operation devoted to enforcing our 
Nation's criminal laws. In the days after September the 11th, Mike 
helped trace the terrorist attacks to the Al Qaida network. He 
understood immediately that the strategy on the war on terror is to 
prevent attacks before they occur. His energy and intellect put him at 
the center of many vital homeland security improvements, especially 
increased information sharing within the FBI and with State and local 
officials.
    He's faced countless challenging decisions and has helped to protect 
his fellow Americans while protecting their civil liberties. I'm 
grateful that the judge has agreed to bring his exceptional judgment and 
integrity to an urgent new responsibility. I'm confident that he will be 
a strong, effective leader for the Department of Homeland Security.
    Two years ago, we created this new Department to ensure a 
comprehensive, unified effort to protect the American people against new 
dangers. Since that time, the employees of the Department have carried 
out the largest reorganization of the Government in a half a century. 
Under the direction of Secretary Tom Ridge, the Department of Homeland 
Security has improved airline security, enhanced the protection of our 
borders and ports of entry, and taken vital steps to safeguard the 
Nation's critical infrastructure. Tom Ridge has the gratitude of our 
entire Nation. I thank him for his leadership. I appreciate his hard 
work.
    The Department of Homeland Security will also continue working to 
reduce the Nation's vulnerabilities to weapons of mass destruction and 
cyberterrorism. We are engaged in a daily mission to prepare effective 
responses to any future attack and to closely coordinate homeland 
security efforts with State and local officials. Our Nation is still at 
war. We're focused. We're taking decisive actions on the homefront that 
are critical to winning this war.
    When Mike is confirmed by the Senate, the Department of Homeland 
Security will be led by a practical organizer, a skilled manager, and a 
brilliant thinker. As head of the Criminal Division and as a U.S. 
Attorney in New Jersey, Mike built an impressive record of cutting 
through redtape and moving organizations into action. He's worked 
cooperatively with the Federal and State and local law enforcement 
officials. He will always be a friend to America's first-responders.

[[Page 39]]

    Mike is a strong and decent man. As an attorney, he has prosecuted 
organized crime and corporate fraud. He stood against racial profiling. 
He's worked with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to represent poor inmates 
on death row. He's earned the respect of lawyers of many backgrounds and 
of politicians on both sides of the aisle. This is the third time I've 
asked Mike to serve our Nation, and I'm grateful he's agreed. I'm also 
grateful to Meryl, Mike's wife, and his family. I urge the Senate to 
promptly confirm this outstanding nominee as America's second Secretary 
of Homeland Security.
    Congratulations, Mike.

Note: The President spoke at 10:03 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House. In his remarks, he referred to Meryl Chertoff, wife of 
Secretary-Designate Chertoff. The transcript released by the Office of 
the Press Secretary also included the remarks of Secretary-Designate 
Chertoff. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of these remarks.