Patrick Leahy: “it is my hope that Joel Klein will be a strong and effective advocate for competition and the interests of consumers…”

“it is my hope that Joel Klein will be a strong and effective advocate for competition and the interests of consumers when he is confirmed as Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. I had a close working relationship with his predecessor, Anne Bingaman. I hope that we can develop that kind of relationship, as well. Mr. Klein has been buffeted a good bit since being nominated. He had to answer some tough questions during his nomination hearing about approving the Bell Atlantic-NYNEX merger without conditions. After the Judiciary Committee reported his nomination to the Senate on May 8, he responded to a letter from Senator Burns and succeeded in convincing our colleague to remove his hold on this nomination. That letter and an addendum filed by Mr. Klein as Acting Assistant Attorney in connection with the application of SBC Communications before the FCC raised serious concerns for a number of other Senators, however. Last week the Senate proceeded by unanimous consent to consideration of this nomination.”