WASHINGTON (August 27, 2007) - Following today's resignation of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, southern Maryland's two U.S. Senators, Barbara A. Mikulski (D) and Benjamin L. Cardin (D), and U.S. Representative, Steny Hoyer (D), quickly commented.
"President Bush must move quickly to nominate a candidate with competence and experience to replace Attorney General Gonzales,"
wrote Mikulski in her statement. "The American people have lost faith in the
Justice Department. The next Attorney General must restore its integrity. I urge
the President to choose a candidate who is committed to the mission of the
Justice Department - to protect the American people, while protecting American
values."
Mikulski is the Chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Justice Department.
"Alberto Gonzales’ tenure as Attorney General has been marred by partisanship and lack of candor with Congress about the firings of the nine U.S. attorneys and other matters," wrote Cardin in his statement. "His resignation is the right move for the country. We can never tolerate a Department of Justice that has becomes a political arm of the White House, and we cannot have an Attorney General who does not have the confidence of the American people."
Cardin continued: "I expect President Bush to act quickly in nominating a new Attorney General. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I look forward to questioning the President’s nominee during confirmation hearings. A new Attorney General must put partisan politics aside and move forward in enforcing our nation’s laws and protecting the U.S. Constitution."
Cardin is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"Attorney General Gonzales lost the confidence of Congress and the American people a long time ago, thus this resignation is as appropriate as it is overdue," wrote Hoyer in his statement. "There is widespread sentiment that Mr. Gonzales has not been candid and truthful in his representations to Congress and the public. The focus of the Attorney General must be on the Constitution and the law, and the adherence to both, and not on the politics of the Administration. It is for the good of the country that the President puts in place a new Attorney General who can engender the trust necessary to effectively head the Department of Justice."
The U.S. House of Representatives, of which Hoyer is a member and the Majority Leader, had the power to impeach Gonzales. However, they undertook no such action.