In opening remarks, Perez, 47, pledged to depoliticize the civil rights division at the Justice Department if confirmed. An inspector general's report, released this year, sharply criticized Bush administration officials for allowing ideology and politics to influence hiring decisions.
Perez went out of his way to praise the department's initiatives, during the Bush years, to pursue religious discrimination and human-trafficking cases. But he also echoed Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama in saying that voting rights cases and the prosecution of hate crimes would again become top priorities.
In an interview, Perez called the hearing "a trip down memory lane, in terms of being home," referring to the years he spent as a top aide to Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on the Judiciary Committee.
