MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF DEPARTMENT COMPONENTS

FROM:        Stephen R. Colgate
             Assistant Attorney General
               for Administration

With last week's appointment of Attorney General Ashcroft, the hiring restrictions imposed through White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card's memorandum of January 20, 2001, are lifted. You may proceed to hire, reassign, and promote staff, consistent with existing policies and the availability of funds.

In taking such actions, however, you should keep in mind several issues:

• because of the uncertainty of the Department's Fiscal Year 2002 budget, you should carefully examine the personnel actions you take now for their potential impact on future-year costs.



• the new Administration has pledged to reduce management ranks across the government. While we are awaiting guidance on this initiative from the Office of Management and Budget, you should avoid taking actions which would make that effort more challenging.