▶ 0:14:58>> the committee will come to order. It's the energy and natural resource committee eighth business meeting and I want to thank my friend and colleague, the ranking member, senator heinrich and his staff for working on the schedule for the mark up. I want to thank all the senators on the committee for your prompt attendance and your participation today. We will be voting on the nominations of three nominees from whom we heard at our hearing wednesday, july 9.
▶ 0:15:26We will not be voting on david eisner as he has walked -- asked for his nomination to be withdrawn. All three nominees under consideration today in today's business meeting were submitted -- face a timely answers to the questions submitted by the senators on the july 9 meeting. First on the honorable lanny erdos, then on audrey robertson, and then on the nomination of Mr. timothy walsh.
▶ 0:15:56I am happy to support each of these well-qualified nominees. As soon we have a reporting quorum present, I'm going to ask the committee to vote on the nominations and then after the votes I will recognize any member who wishes to speak briefly on any of the nominees. I continue to be grateful to senators for keeping the remarks brief. Let's see, we don't yet have a voting quorum present.
▶ 0:16:34Again, today will vote to advance three more of the highly qualified nominees for critical leadership positions within the department of energy and interior. Today we have considered 21 nominees in the majority have received bipartisan support from members of the committee. The americans elected trump to deliver full results in these nominees reflect that promise, they are highly qualified and are the kinds of leaders that the american people expect to achieve energy dominance.
▶ 0:17:06They are proven for experienced professionals, many with decades of experience of distinguished leadership in both the public and private sectors who have earned praise from republicans and democrats alike. Despite broad partisan, bipartisan approval, we continue to have stall and delay tactics when we get to the senate floor.
▶ 0:17:29Of the nominees would have advanced out of the committee before today, only five have been confirmed by the senate six months into a new administration. Each day that these vital positions remain unfilled, we delay the work needed to strengthen our systems, and support communities that depend on both of these things. As a result, families are facing higher energy costs and national interests remain unnecessarily vulnerable.
▶ 0:18:00This is kind of what the american people are fed up with. They expect results. To achieve those results, the president of the united states needs to be able to put his personnel in place. This committee has consistently filled those responsibilities by swiftly moving nominees forward with bipartisan cooperation and support.
▶ 0:18:26Now it is time for both parties to come together to confirm these qualified bipartisan nominees so that they can get to work for the american people. We have done our job on these and it is time to give the president the tools and the team that he needs to make america stronger, safer, more secure. We do not yet have the voting quorum present. Ranking member, heinrich -- ranking member heinrich?
▶ 0:18:52Thank -- Sen. Heinrich: Thank you. Before I address the agenda, I want to take a moment to offer my thanks and pay my respects to the dean of the committee staff, david brooks. David plans to retire at the beginning of september. This will be his last committee meeting. None of us recall his first, because none of us were here at the time.
▶ 0:19:19Thank -- Sen. Heinrich: David's public service began in 1987, 38 years ago, working for representative udall on what was then the house interior committee. He joined our committee staff in february of 1989, 36.5 years ago. No one has worked longer for the committee. He has served every democratic chairman and ranking member except for scoop jackson.
▶ 0:19:43Thank -- Sen. Heinrich: He has worked on every public lands bill that has come through the committee for the past three point five decades. I know that because as a city counselor I worked with him on one of those public land bills long before I was ever elected to federal office. His knowledge of public land laws, of legislative drafting, a parliamentary procedure and committee history is absolutely encyclopedic.
▶ 0:20:12Thank -- Sen. Heinrich: Whether we have always realized it or not, we have all benefited from david's knowledge, craftsmanship, negotiating skills and professionalism. He has helped us to enact our bills and made them better in the process. The senate awards certificates and pins to staff or 12, 20, and 30 years of service. David collected the last of them years ago. We put a plaque on the bench behind me in his honor half a dozen years ago.
▶ 0:20:42Thank -- Sen. Heinrich: Those small tokens are not a true measure of his service to us. His real memorial is in the many hundreds of laws he has held to enact, the millions of acres of public land he has helped to protect in the national parks, rivers, trails, and heritage areas he has helped to preserve for our constituents and for generations to come. For all of this he deserves our gratitude and respect. Thank you, david.
▶ 0:21:15Thank -- Sen. Heinrich: [applause] turning now to today's agenda item, let me simply say that under the first trump administration, I would have been able to support all three of these nominees. But we have had nominee after nominee come before this committee and assure us that they would follow the law and respect the will of congress.
▶ 0:21:47Thank -- Sen. Heinrich: Then, after they are confirmed, they have withheld funds we have appropriated. They have canceled programs we have established. They have closed offices we have created. They have pursued policies we never approved. Until this administration respects the will of congress, in up -- I am unable to support these nominees and I will be voting no on all three as a result. Thank you, Mr. chair.
▶ 0:22:15Sen. Lee: Thank you, senator. Thank you, david, for your long-standing service to the committee. I appreciate it. And to my father's first cousin, morris. That's a bipartisan failing.
▶ 0:22:33Senator Kim: If I could, I don't want to delay the votes but having served with david brooks, it's an undefinable contribution. One of the unique privileges of being in the united states senate is serving on this committee, the interior committee. One of the oldest committees in the history of our country.
▶ 0:22:55Senator Kim: When you think about interior policy, david brooks has played a very historic role in that policy for a long time indeed greatly appreciate it. Thank you.
▶ 0:23:06Sen. Lee: Thank you. I believe that senator hoeven is in route and as soon as he gets here, we will turn to that.
▶ 0:23:19Senator: I would also like to add my thanks to david brooks as we wait for a quorum. Not only did I have the opportunity to work with him in I chair this committee and was the ranking member, but my father, when he was chairman of this committee, also had the opportunity to work with david. Sometimes that working relationship was, was, really great and strong and we would partner. Sometimes we were a bit of adversaries.
▶ 0:23:47Senator: But I think that both sides, both sides learn from one another. David was always a gentleman, even in his resistance. To the point that the ranking member made, it was david's efforts to always try to make good policy for the country. To me, that meant everything.
▶ 0:24:09Senator: So, thank you to david for your contributions to the committee and also to helping develop strong land policies for our nation. Thank you.
▶ 0:24:53Sen. Lee: We are now going to sing a medley of broadway show tunes to entertain us.
▶ 0:25:02Senator: I had suggested quietly that the U.S. chairman should have the deputy -- the jeopardy theme song ready for moments like this.
▶ 0:27:58Senator: >> [indiscernible] running.
▶ 0:34:54Senator: Mr. barrasso? Another no stick -- north dakota miracle. We will now turn to the nomination of the honorable lanny erdos to be a director of the clerk of the interior. The clerk will call the roll. >> thank you for your promptness, senator hoeven. [laughter] >> Mr. lee? Mr. barrasso? Mr. risch? Mr. daines? Mr. cotton? Mr. mccormick? Mr. justice?
▶ 0:35:31Senator: >> aye by proxy. >> Mr. cassidy? Ms. hyde-smith? Ms. murkowski? Mr. hoeven? Mr. heinrich? Mr. wyden? >> no by proxy. >> Ms. cantwell? Ms. hirono? >> aye. -->> no by proxy. >> Mr. king? Ms. cortez masto? Mr. hickenlooper? Mr. padilla?
▶ 0:36:02Senator: Mr. gallego? >> no by proxy. In this vote, the ayes are 11,
▶ 0:36:32Senator: The nays are 9.
▶ 0:36:35Sen. Lee: The nomination is agreed to and now we turn to the nomination of audrey robertson for energy efficiency and renewable energy at the department of energy. That's a lot of energy. The clerk will call the roll. >> Mr. lee? Mr. barrasso? Mr. risch? Mr. daines? Mr. cotton? Mr. mccormick? Mr. justice? >> aye by proxy. >> Mr. cassidy? Ms. hyde-smith? Ms. murkowski?
▶ 0:37:07Sen. Lee: Mr. hoeven? Mr. heinrich? >> no. >> Mr. wyden? Ms. cantwell? Ms. hirono? Mr. king? Ms. cortez masto? Mr. hickenlooper? Mr. padilla? Mr. gallego? >> no by proxy.
▶ 0:37:33Sen. Lee: >> on this vote, the ayes are 1 1, the nays are 9.
▶ 0:37:41Sen. Lee: The nominations agreed to. We turn now to the nomination of the assistant secretary of energy for Mr. timothy walsh. The clerk will call the roll. >> Mr. lee? Mr. barrasso? Mr. risch? Mr. daines? Mr. cotton? Mr. mccormick? Mr. justice? Mr. cassidy? Ms. hyde-smith? Ms. murkowski? Mr. hoeven?
▶ 0:38:12Sen. Lee: Mr. heinrich? >> no. >> Mr. wyden? >> no by proxy. >> Ms. cantwell? Ms. hirono? >> >> no by proxy. >> Mr. king? >> no by proxy. >> Ms. cortez masto? >> no by proxy. >> Mr. hickenlooper? >> >> no by proxy. >> Mr. padilla? >> no by proxy. >> Mr. gallego? >> no by proxy.
▶ 0:38:38Sen. Lee: >> on this vote, the ayres are 11, the nays are 9.
▶ 0:38:47Sen. Lee: The nomination is agreed to. I will not recognize any senator who wishes to comment work off remarks regarding these issues -- wishes to comment or offer remarks regarding these issues. If none are seeking recognition, that concludes today's business meeting. Thank you to the ranking member's for your attendance and on behalf of the committee am pleased to extend congratulations to beach nominee and look forward to working closely with each of them.