Chairman Sarbanes, Senator Gramm, and Members of the Committee:
It is a great honor for me to be here today as the President's nominee for the position of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement. I thank the President and Secretary Evans for their confidence and trust in me. If confirmed, I will look forward to working closely with you and your staff.
Mr. Chairman, the Bureau of Export Administration (BXA) has a critical mission: protecting, and indeed enhancing, national security while preserving the right of American businesses to export their products. I take this responsibility very seriously. If confirmed, it will be my privilege to work with the career law enforcement officials within BXA to fulfill our national security and law enforcement mission.
As a former federal prosecutor, I fully appreciate the critical importance of protecting this country's national security by ensuring that our sensitive technologies do not fall into the wrong hands. I recently successfully prosecuted individuals responsible for the bombings of our Embassies in East Africa. I know first hand the real danger of our adversaries illegally obtaining U.S. products which can be used against our citizens worldwide.
I look forward to leading the enforcement arm of BXA and working alongside Under Secretary Ken Juster and Assistant Secretary Jim Jochum in advancing BXA's important trade control mission. I will work hard to ensure that any violations of U.S. dual-use exports are detected, investigated and sanctioned. Together with the special agents, intelligence analysts and other key enforcement staff in BXA, I will dedicate my tenure in Washington to the protection of national security through enforcement of the export laws and regulations.
On a personal note, I want to thank my wife, Liana, and children Manuel Jose and Liana Sofia, who are in the audience today, for agreeing to come to Washington with me to serve in this Administration. I will take my responsibilities seriously but cannot succeed, and would not be here, without their love and support.
Let me conclude by thanking the Committee for its prompt consideration of my nomination and by reiterating my commitment to work closely and cooperatively with you.
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