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Summit on Modernizing the Administrative Procedure Act

Fifth Hearing on Investigation of January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol

Deputy Attorney General Rosen's Remarks to the Virtual Conference on Combatting Online Anti-Semitism

Speech Topics

As the Acting Attorney General, Jeff Rosen had a unique vantage point during President Trump’s final month in office. The Justice Department is a special institution in our system of government, indispensable to the rule of law. From his experiences, Rosen offers a perspective about leading the Justice Department during a challenging time, observations about our institutions more broadly, and some thoughts about preserving our Constitutional system and the rule of law in the future.

Between 100 BC and 1800 AD, transportation hardly changed at all. Then, in just over a century, trains, cars, and planes appeared. Then for another century after that, progress was mostly incremental. But the most recent decade marks a whole new wave of rapid innovation, with drones, self-driving cars, ride-sharing apps, private space launches and re-entries, and other inventions. Rapid technological change presents challenges for regulators, tech companies, investors, and users. The potential of these innovations is inspiring, but public confidence in them will require both companies and government to demonstrate their safety, security, and reliability. In this speech, Rosen provides historical perspective and first-hand experience as a regulator.

Threats to free speech are a threat to representative democracy, because the First Amendment is the best protector of all other rights of citizens. That freedom of speech, thought, and association are guaranteed by the Constitution is essential, but even our nation’s Founders warned against “parchment barriers” being alone sufficient to protect liberty. At least as important is respect for others in the popular culture, where there are always some who wish to prevent other ideas from being heard, preventing the “speaking of truth to power”. In this speech, Jeff Rosen recounts recent developments across higher education, journalism, social media, libraries, and elsewhere, and addresses the need to restore tolerance for the respectful exchange of views and rational persuasion, to best protect the underpinnings of democracy.

Biography

Jeff Rosen completed his time in public service in January 2021 as the acting Attorney General of the United States. Before that, he had the unusual distinction of having served as the Chief Operating Officer and Number Two official in two separate federal Cabinet Departments – first as Deputy Secretary of Transportation (2017-2019), and then as Deputy Attorney General (2019-2021). He also served in an earlier Administration as the General Counsel of two separate federal agencies, and previously served in the top management of one of the world’s leading law firms. He has established himself as a principled leader, with experience making organizations work well, and insight as to the challenges government regulators face with regard to sensibly addressing new technologies and innovation.

Mr. Rosen also been a frequent writer and speaker on transportation, regulatory, budget, national security, law enforcement, and other topics, including more than a dozen published op-eds, as well as journal articles. His op-eds have appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Globe, and National Review, among others. He has also been a regular speaker on prominent public topics, both in and out of government, including remarks at more than 50 events in recent years.

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