Ben Cardin: “I take this time to rise in support of S. 214, Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007. This…”

“I take this time to rise in support of S. 214, Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007. This legislation would restore the appointment of our interim U.S. attorneys to how it was prior to the passage of the PATRIOT Act. The PATRIOT Act included a provision many of us did not know was in that legislation. It was a provision that affected the appointment of interim U.S. attorneys. Prior to the passage of that provision, the Department of Justice had the ability to appoint interim U.S. attorneys for up to 120 days, without the confirmation of this body. This legislation will restore that provision, which will establish the right balance between the executive and legislative branches of Government. It will encourage the Department of Justice to work with this body so that interim U.S. attorneys and permanent appointments can be considered timely and the confirmation process can move forward. Most importantly, this legislation is necessary because of the recent actions of the Department of Justice in removing several U.S. attorneys, which is currently under investigation by the Judiciary Committee. I serve on the Judiciary Committee. On March 6, we had a hearing that I think was remarkable. It was unfortunate because we had former U.S. attorneys who appeared before our committee and talked about being intimidated and pressured by the Department of Justice and by the White House.”