REAUTHORIZATION OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR U.S. AT- TORNEYS, CIVIL DIVISION, ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION, EXECUTIVE OF- FICE FOR U.S. TRUSTEES, AND OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION APRIL 26, 2006 Serial No. 109–132 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://judiciary.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 27–226 PDF WASHINGTON : 2006 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:43 Oct 10, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 G:\WORK\COMM\042606\27226.000 HJUD1 PsN: 27226 COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR., Wisconsin, Chairman HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois JOHN CONYERS, JR., Michigan HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina HOWARD L. BERMAN, California LAMAR SMITH, Texas RICK BOUCHER, Virginia ELTON GALLEGLY, California JERROLD NADLER, New York BOB GOODLATTE, Virginia ROBERT C. SCOTT, Virginia STEVE CHABOT, Ohio MELVIN L. WATT, North Carolina DANIEL E. LUNGREN, California ZOE LOFGREN, California WILLIAM L. JENKINS, Tennessee SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas CHRIS CANNON, Utah MAXINE WATERS, California SPENCER BACHUS, Alabama MARTIN T. MEEHAN, Massachusetts BOB INGLIS, South Carolina WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts JOHN N. HOSTETTLER, Indiana ROBERT WEXLER, Florida MARK GREEN, Wisconsin ANTHONY D. WEINER, New York RIC KELLER, Florida ADAM B. SCHIFF, California DARRELL ISSA, California LINDA T. SA´ NCHEZ, California JEFF FLAKE, Arizona CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, Maryland MIKE PENCE, Indiana DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Florida J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia STEVE KING, Iowa TOM FEENEY, Florida TRENT FRANKS, Arizona LOUIE GOHMERT, Texas PHILIP G. KIKO, Chief of Staff-General Counsel PERRY H. APELBAUM, Minority Chief Counsel SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW CHRIS CANNON, Utah Chairman HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina MELVIN L. WATT, North Carolina TRENT FRANKS, Arizona WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts STEVE CHABOT, Ohio CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, Maryland MARK GREEN, Wisconsin JERROLD NADLER, New York J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Florida LOUIE GOHMERT, Texas RAYMOND V. SMIETANKA, Chief Counsel SUSAN A. JENSEN, Counsel BRENDA HANKINS, Counsel MIKE LENN, Full Committee Counsel STEPHANIE MOORE, Minority Counsel (II) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:43 Oct 10, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 0486 G:\WORK\COMM\042606\27226.000 HJUD1 PsN: 27226 C O N T E N T S APRIL 26, 2006 OPENING STATEMENT Page The Honorable Chris Cannon, a Representative in Congress from the State of Utah, and Chairman, Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law ........................................................................................................................ 1 The Honorable Melvin L. Watt, a Representative in Congress from the State of North Carolina, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law ...................................................................................... 3 WITNESSES Mr. Michael A. Battle, Director, Executive Office for United States Attorneys, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 7 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 10 Mr. Peter D. Keisler, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 30 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 31 Mr. Matthew J. McKeown, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC, on behalf of Sue Ellen Wooldridge, Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 35 Prepared Statement of Sue Ellen Wooldridge ................................................... 35 Mr. Clifford, J. White, Acting Director, Executive Office for United States Trustees, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC Oral Testimony ..................................................................................................... 40 Prepared Statement ............................................................................................. 41 LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING Prepared Statement of the Honorable Chris Cannon, a Representative in Congress from the State of Utah, and Chairman, Subcommittee on Com- mercial and Administrative Law ........................................................................ 2 Prepared Statement of the Honorable Melvin L. Watt, a Representative in Congress from the State of North Carolina, and Ranking Member, Sub- committee on Commercial and Administrative Law ......................................... 4 APPENDIX MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING RECORD Prepared Statement of Paul D. Clement, Solicitor General of the United States, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC ....................... 61 Response to Post-Hearing Questions from Michael A. Battle, Director, Execu- tive Office for United States Attorneys, United States Department of Jus- tice, Washington, DC ........................................................................................... 64 Response to Post-Hearing Questions from Peter D. Keisler, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC .......................................................................................................................... 75 (III) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:43 Oct 10, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 G:\WORK\COMM\042606\27226.000 HJUD1 PsN: 27226 IV Page Response to Post-Hearing Questions from Matthew J. McKeown, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC ................... 84 Response to Post-Hearing Questions from Clifford, J. White, Acting Director, Executive Office for United States Trustees, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC ................................................................................. 88 VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:43 Oct 10, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 G:\WORK\COMM\042606\27226.000 HJUD1 PsN: 27226 REAUTHORIZATION OF THE U.S. DEPART- MENT OF JUSTICE: EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR U.S. ATTORNEYS, CIVIL DIVISION, ENVIRON- MENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION, EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR U.S. TRUSTEES, AND OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW, COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, Washington, DC. The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:58 p.m., in Room 2141, Rayburn House Office Building, the Honorable Chris Cannon (Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding. Mr. CANNON. The Subcommittee will come to order. We apologize. You know, the worst thing that can happen here is when you get a vote right before a hearing, and you guys have to sit here and wait. We apologize for that and thank you for being here and thank you for patience. The Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law is meeting this afternoon to receive testimony from five components of the Justice Department—at Department of Justice as part of the Subcommittee’s continuing oversight efforts. These components are the Executive Office for United States At- torneys, the Civil Division, the Environment and Natural Re- sources Division, the Executive Office for United States Trustees, and the Office of the Solicitor General, the latter of which has sub- mitted written testimony for the record. Our oversight responsibilities require us to examine the perform- ance of these Justice Department components, evaluate how well they are positioned to achieved their goals, and determine both the adequacy of their funding levels and the need for any legislative changes to facilitate their mission. I should state at the outset that this has not been and will not be the only encounter the Subcommittee has with the Justice De- partment components within our jurisdiction. It is our intention to continually monitor the activities of these components throughout the year, and I expect this endeavor to be undertaken in the spirit of cooperation by the Members of this Subcommittee. I believe that effective oversight requires that we listen in order to learn so that we can intelligently question and suggest. The (1) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:43 Oct 10, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 G:\WORK\COMM\042606\27226.000 HJUD1 PsN: 27226 2 Committee must make sure the Department performs competently and fairly because the Department is directly responsible for sup- porting the President in his duty to faithfully execute the laws of the United States. It is imperative that the