Administration Update: Senate Confirms Civil Rights Division Head
Thomas Perez
Earlier today, the Senate voted 72-22 to confirm President Barack Obama’s nominee to lead the Civil Rights Division within the Justice Department. Civil Rights attorney Thomas E. Perez was named Assistant Attorney General, Head of the Civil Rights Division. Once announced as the nominee, confirmation hearings were held back in April; however, debate between party lines kept him in the holding pattern until recently.
Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, had the following to say about the confirmation:
“There are no questions about the qualifications of Tom Perez. During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Perez made clear his commitment that the Justice Department would enforce the law. In the arena of civil rights, living up to those assurances is particularly important. Given that Tom Perez has a distinguished record of public service and a long career advancing civil rights, I have full confidence that he is the right person to restore the Civil Rights Division to its finest traditions of independent law enforcement.”
To learn more about Thomas Perez, visit his page in Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation, where he served as Secretary of the Department.
Tags: civil rights, civil rights movement, sojourn, sojourn to the past
