U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder applauded President Obama’s signing of an expanded hate crimes protection law, voicing excitement for being able to lend Department of Justice resources toward the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes.

Politico reports on Holder’s comments:

“We have, after 10 to 12 years, finally come to recognize that the federal law should apply, as the president said, to all Americans,” Holder said after Obama signed into law new protections for victims of gender- and sexual orientation-based hate crimes. “This is a great tool for the Justice Department, and I think significantly improves the quality of life for people with disabilities, for women and for gay and lesbian Americans. This is a great, great day. And it was too long coming.”