Washington, DC – Following the announcement by President Bush today that he is nominating Judge Michael Chertoff to be the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Senator Susan Collins released the following statement. Senator Collins is the Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is responsible for holding confirmation hearings for the DHS Secretary nominee.
The following is the statement by Senator Collins:
“Michael Chertoff is a strong candidate for this important post. Since his time as Chief of the Criminal Division at the Justice Department, prior to his appointment to the federal bench, Judge Chertoff has been a key figure in the nation’s legal efforts to fight terrorism.
“I talked with Judge Chertoff this morning and look forward to discussing homeland security issues with him. The Committee will begin its review of his nomination and hold a confirmation hearing as soon as possible.”