Bush FBI Pick Vows Improvements

W A S H I N G T O N, July 30 -- Robert Mueller, President Bush's choice tohead the FBI, told Congress today that the nation's premier lawenforcement agency will handle itself better under his leadershipdespite its recent string of high-profile blunders.

"If I have the honor of being confirmed by the Senate, I willmake it my highest priority to restore the public's confidence inthe FBI — to re-earn the faith and trust of the American people,"he said in prepared remarks. "The dedicated men and women of theFBI deserve nothing less, and as director I would tolerate nothingless."

However, Mueller cautioned the Senate Judiciary Committee thatthe FBI "is far from perfect and that the next director facessignificant management and administrative challenges."

But when mistakes are made, he said, the bureau needs to admitit immediately and hold accountable those who are responsible.

Finally, "Every significant mistake must be examined todetermine whether broader reform is necessary," he said. "We mustlearn from our mistakes or we will be bound to repeat them."

Three Core Problems

Mueller will have to deal with a Congress that plans to overseethe FBI a lot more closely than it did in the past, the chairman ofthe committee said.

"Congress has sometimes followed a hands-off approach about theFBI," the Judiciary chairman, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said inprepared remarks. "Until the bureau's problems are solved, we willneed a hands-on approach for a while."

Leahy said he sees three core problems within the FBI: securityand computers; management; and the FBI's insular culture. Muellerwill have to be willing to work with Congress to help fix all threeproblems, Leahy said.

"We need to forge a strong and constructive oversightpartnership with the leadership at the Department of Justice andthe FBI to shape the reforms and find the solutions to make the FBIthe premier law enforcement agency that the American people want itto be," Leahy said.

Mueller — nominated by Bush on July 5 — will have plenty of timeto answer questions, because the committee announced that hisconfirmation hearing will last at least two days.