Good morning and welcome to this nomination hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Today we will consider the nomination of Charles James to be the Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust and of Daniel Bryant to be the Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs.

     I would like to congratulate both of the nominees for being chosen by President Bush. It is a true pleasure to have before the Committee two nominees who have so much experience in the areas for which they have been nominated. Their impressive backgrounds and past government service make me confident that they will be great assets to the Department of Justice, this Committee and the American people.

Charles James

     In recent years the position of Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust has grown in importance. High profiles cases, and the complexities of competition policy in the age of new technologies, have made the general public familiar with a variety of anti-trust issues. The Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust plays a crucial role in formulating competition policy and enforcing existing antitrust laws to make sure our entrepreneurs compete on a level playing field.

     Mr. James is one of the most qualified people for this important job. Since his graduation from law school in 1979, Mr. James has been working on antitrust matters. He began his legal career at the Bureau of Competition of the Federal Trade Commission where he developed antitrust investigations and litigated cases. After six years at the FTC, Mr. James went into private practice at the firm of Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, where he serviced as counsel to firms and individuals subject to civil or criminal antitrust investigations.

     In 1991, Mr. James was appointed to be Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Division, where he served for almost two years. So he already has a great deal of experience with the Division he will now be leading. As Deputy, Mr. James worked on case development and supervision, legislation, the promulgation of guidelines, and various international matters. He was a principal drafter of the 1992 DOJ/FTC Horizontal Merger Guidelines. He left the Division in 1993 and returned to private practice as a partner at Jones Day, again advising clients on antitrust matters.

     With such an impressive background in antitrust law, both in private practice and in enforcement, I am confident that Mr. James will be an excellent Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust.

Daniel Bryant

     The Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs serves as the legislative liaison between Congress and the Department of Justice. Some of the staff on this Committee, might argue that this position is the most important position at the Department.

     The Office of Legislative Affairs must represent the interests and opinions of the Department before Congress. The Office also internally coordinates testimony given to the Senate and the House of Representatives. Moreover, the Office reviews legislation proposed by other departments with the Office of Management and Budget and other executive branch agencies.

     Mr. Bryant is very well prepared for heading the Office of Legislative Affairs. He has served in numerous government positions and is very familiar with the inner workings of Congress. He has served as counsel and then chief counsel of the House Subcommittee on Crime under former Chairman Henry Hyde. He also worked on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. While attending law school at American University, Mr. Bryant worked as a special assistant at the Department of Justice in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. He has also served as the policy director for the First Freedom Coalition, a non-profit organization.

     Mr. Bryant’s experience in Congress along with his service within the Department of Justice make him well qualified to serve as the Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs, and our liaison with the Department.

     I am extremely pleased to have two such qualified nominees before us today and am hopeful that this Committee and the Senate as a whole will move quickly to confirm them.

####