 Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States, accompanied by Attorney General Meese and Judge Sessions. Thank you very much, John Otto. Good afternoon, Mr. President, Chief Justice Berger, distinguished guests, members of the Sessions family, ladies and gentlemen. Today is a very special day. We are participating in an occasion that has taken place only four times in our history. It is a tribute to the Federal Bureau, along with commanding officers and key personnel of the military have joined our Department of Justice and FBI families on this occasion. And we welcome all of you. We're very pleased that you're joining us here on this historic event. We are service as a prosecutor and most recently as Chief Judge of the Western District of Texas. His honesty and his courage are legendary when judge, institution, and humanity require. And at the same time, his belief that if found guilty of a serious crime, Chief Justice Warren Berger will administer the oath to Judge Sessions. Judge Sessions, are you prepared to take the oath of office? Yes, sir. I am prepared to take the oath of office. You place your left hand on the Bible and raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, William Steele Sessions, do solemnly swear. I, William Steele Sessions, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States. That I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Against all enemies. Against all enemies. Foreign and domestic. Foreign and domestic. That I will bear true faith to the same. That I will bear true faith to the same. And bear true allegiance to the same. And true allegiance to the same. that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter so help me God congratulations ladies and gentlemen it is my pleasure at this simply who are in the business of law enforcement ladies and gentlemen the president of the united states thank you thank you very much judge sessions ladies and gentlemen of the fb i thank you and good afternoon special greetings the sessions family gathered here today to see the nation do honor to the man they've known as husband and father and judge i can't help thinking it's typical of your thorough and methodical manner you've got the ulcer out of the way before you start at the job but before i begin i can't resist telling you all about my visit to the fb i museum exhibit just a moment ago how it really carried me back i saw john dillinger's desk mask an old style machine gun and i remember how as a young man i used to thrill at the fb i story and i want you to know that all these years later when as president i'm briefed on all that the bureau is doing when i learned for example that during the past five years fb i investigations have led to more than seven thousand drug convictions well my friends i still thrill at the fb i story but we're here today to congratulate judge sessions tough but fair devoted to safeguarding constitutional rights a man of integrity those who commented on his nomination found themselves using these phrases to describe judge william steel sessions but perhaps the most eloquent testimony was offered to a newspaper reporter by the judge's eldest son he said simply my father has drill honesty into me from day one born in arkansas william sessions grew up in kansas city and served five years in the air force before he and his wife alice settled in texas after receiving his law degree from baler university in nineteen fifty eight he began a legal career of immense distinction successful private practice in texas service in the criminal division of the justice department here in washington appointment by president nixon as united states attorney for the western district of texas and then appointment just three years later by president ford as a federal judge if i could just add something here i can't resist pointing out to the record as impressive as judge sessions is the kind of thing some people find hard to take one point a reporter suggested the judge's son again the eldest son william that there had to be some skeleton in the judge's closet william answered that as a matter of fact there was one of the judge's grandsons had given him a plastic skeleton to satisfy the senate if i could interject something else i can't help thinking of another superb judge whose nomination is soon to go before the senate judge douglas ginsburg as you know judge sessions we've been toughening the federal laws against crime and judges have been returning to a more faithful interpretation of the constitution regarding criminal law the constitutional rights of the accused must be protected but so must the rights of law abiding citizens hardened criminals simply must not be allowed to pray upon the innocent on the supreme court judge ginsburg would continue the trend toward a recognition that victims have rights to and so his senate confirmation is vitally important to the fight against crime let's commit ourselves today to providing for future generations in america that cares about victims rights not just criminal rights the next justice on the supreme court better be ready to deal with that challenge and doug ginsburg ginsburg is ready but reviewing your own remarkable record judge sessions the senate judiciary committee concluded in its unanimous report that and again i quote judge sessions record demonstrates that he is a tough but fair-minded man a man of experience intellect and character now this fine judge has taken the oath of office as our nation's fourth director of the federal bureau investigation you will lead a bureau that has sharpened its investigative focus to ensure that our country's law enforcement expertise and resources are directed against the crimes of the highest national priority foreign intelligence activities and terrorism threaten the security of our nation and the lives of all americans in the past three years the fb is counterintelligence efforts have achieved unprecedented success against those who threaten our nation security by targeting these criminal activities and other priority matters such as organized crime white collar crime and drugs and pursuing investigations of quality rather than mere quantity the fb is confronting the challenge of enforcing our laws and protecting our citizens i am confident that under the leadership of judge sessions the men and women of the fb i will carry on the fight against crime with ever greater thoroughness and skill judge sessions i can think of no one better qualified to live up to and in large on the fb i tradition of fighting crime fiercely but always according to the due process of law no one can better embody the fb i believe that the enforcement of our laws must be very tough very fair on behalf of all americans and if i may especially on behalf of the men and women of the fb i gathered here today judge sessions congratulations thank you and god bless you mister president attorney general mes director sessions members and friends of the fb i family good things are worth waiting for after five months of distinguished and giving him the warmest of welcomes to the fb i family judge sessions you come as no stranger before continuing with the symbolic transfer of authority i would like to end he was tempted to take his badge and have it encased in plastic so it would be standing there in his office and be a memento of his service but he was warned by an older and wiser member of the fb i that he couldn't do that and that he had to constantly carry it on his person because he said when you meet young children if you don't have your badge they're not going to really think you're part of the fb i so bill i i commend that story to you and with it and along with our congratulations may i present to you your credentials as the director of the federal bureau of investigation and that very important badge distinguished senators and congressmen distinguished guests and my former friends of the federal judiciary mister auto think i said that poorly they're always my friends and i'm the former judge but you know what i mean dear friends and family for being afforded the opportunity to lead the men and women of the world's finest and most extraordinary law enforcement agency i would be remiss if i did not express my thanks to the acting director john auto that concludes our ceremony for today thank you for your attendance and participation