Where Industry and Security Intersect
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Chairman Shelby, Senator Sarbanes, and Members of the Committee:
I am honored to be here today as the President’s nominee for the position of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement. The President has my deepest gratitude for the trust and confidence he has reposed in me. I would also like to thank Secretary Guiterrez, with whom I look forward to serving.
Several days ago, we marked the fourth year since the tragic events of September 11, 2001 occurred. In his Patriot Day 2005 Proclamation, President Bush stated that “[t]he mission that began on September 11 continues.” The President went on to discuss the military’s continuing role in keeping us safe at home, and also noted that “[t]housands of other Americans, from intelligence analysts to border guards to countless others, are doing vital work to help defend America and prevent future attacks.”
Those who work at the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Export Enforcement division play an important role in that critical task. They vigorously enforce the export regulations concerning dual-use goods and technology, as well as the antiboycott laws. Their goal is to keep the most sensitive dual-use goods out of the most dangerous hands. As a top priority, they pursue violations that involve weapons of mass destruction proliferation, terrorists and terrorist support, and unauthorized military use. That approach is consistent with views the President expressed in his 2003 remarks concerning Libya’s pledge to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction programs. Therein, the President said that “[o]pposing proliferation is one of the highest priorities of the war against terror” because the danger is “dramatically increased when regimes build or acquire weapons of mass destruction and maintain ties to terrorist groups.”
In carrying out their mission, those who work in the Export Enforcement division protect our national security, while also advancing the foreign policy and economic interests of the United States. If confirmed, I look forward to joining them in their mission. Meeting these challenges is of the utmost importance for our generation. That we do so is also of great importance to younger generations, which look to us for their protection. I will bring to the position the full range of my experience, which includes more than a decade as a federal prosecutor, and more than a decade as a litigation partner in a private corporate law firm.
As I close, I would like to remember my departed parents, Woodrow and Elizabeth Jackson, who would be very pleased today, and without whose unwavering devotion and support I would not be here.
I would like to conclude by thanking the Committee for its prompt consideration of my nomination. If confirmed, I look forward to working closely with you and your staff. I would be happy to answer any questions that you may have.
Thank you.