The Attorney General

THE PRIMARY MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS TO DO THAT, IS TO DO JUSTICE. OUR ONLY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO DO THE RIGHT THING. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS CERTAINLY THE NATION'S CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, AND THAT MEANS AN AWFUL LOT OF THINGS. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CONSEQUENTIAL THREATS TO THE UNITED STATES THAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH. I MEET EVERY DAY AT 8:30 WITH THE FBI DIRECTOR, HIS NATIONAL SECURITY PEOPLE, MY NATIONAL SECURITY PEOPLE TO GO OVER WHAT THE PREVIOUS 24 HOURS' THREAT ANALYSIS LOOKS LIKE, AND WE IDENTIFY THOSE THAT ARE SERIOUS THREATS, AND WE MONITOR THEM, DISRUPT THEM, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN, ULTIMATELY DESTROY THEM. I LEAD A DEPARTMENT THAT REALLY IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF A WHOLE RANGE OF TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES, A LOT OF ***-*** THINGS THAT THIS DEPARTMENT CAN DO, THAT ARE TRULY MIND-BLOWING-- MIND-BLOWING AND REASSURING. Man: DON'T MOVE! GET ON THE GROUND NOW! Holder: THE NATIONAL SECURITY SIDE IS THE MOST OBVIOUS AND THE MOST PRESSING. THERE ARE A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER THINGS THAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. THERE ARE DRUG CARTELS WHO PUMP DRUGS IN VARIOUS FORMS INTO THE UNITED STATES. THERE ARE PUBLIC CORRUPTION MATTERS THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO US, FINANCIAL MARKETS THAT WE HAVE TO HELP REGULATE. THERE'S A HUGE CIVIL DIVISION. WE HAVE AN ANTITRUST DIVISION, AN ENVIRONMENTAL NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION-- HUGE NUMBERS OF RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE OVER 110,000 PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT, THE CHALLENGES OF EVERY DAY ARE IN SOME WAYS UNIQUE, AND IT'S A JOB THAT FOR THAT REASON IS PROBABLY THE MOST INTERESTING ONE THAT I'M EVER GOING TO HAVE. PROBABLY THE MOST EXHAUSTING ONE AS WELL. I STARTED HERE IN 1976 AS A TRIAL ATTORNEY, AND IT STILL SEEMS A LITTLE HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS OFFICE THAT I VISITED AS A LINE LAWYER IS NOW THE PLACE THAT I CALL HOME HERE AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. HAVING SAID THAT, I COME BACK TO A DEPARTMENT THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE THAT I LEFT. THAT WHICH HAS WORKED AS RECENTLY AS THE 1990s MIGHT NOT WORK IN THIS CENTURY. AND MY RESPONSIBILITY AS ATTORNEY GENERAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DEPARTMENT IS EQUIPPED TO HANDLE THE NEW CHALLENGES THAT IT FACES IN THE 21st CENTURY. THE JOB FOR ME IS AT ITS BEST WHEN I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE AT THE DEPARTMENT. WHEN I GO TO U.S. ATTORNEYS OFFICES, WHEN I GO TO DEA OFFICES, FBI OFFICES, ATF OFFICES, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY DOING THE WORK IN THE TRENCHES. AND WHAT I URGE ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES TO DO IS TO THINK WITH REGARD TO EVERY DECISION THEY MAKE, AM I DOING THE RIGHT THING? ARE THERE POLICIES IN PLACE THAT ARE INHIBITING ME FROM DOING THE RIGHT THING? AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT. WHAT INSPIRES ME MOST ABOUT THIS JOB IS THE POSSIBILITIES THAT EXIST. THE POSSIBILITY OF RAISING MORALE, OF MAKING PEOPLE FEEL THAT THIS IS THE BEST JOB THEY'RE EVER GOING TO HAVE, INFUSING THIS DEPARTMENT WITH ENTHUSIASM FOR OUR MISSION, AND THEN COMING UP WITH WAYS IN WHICH I CONVERT THAT ENTHUSIASM INTO CONCRETE RESULTS THAT WILL SERVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. I AM, AS I SAID, VERY PROUD TO BE BACK IN THE DEPARTMENT BUT EVEN MORE PROUD TO SAY THAT YOU ALL ARE MY COLLEAGUES. SO WELCOME TO THE DEPARTMENT AND THANKS FOR SERVING. [APPLAUSE]