Senate Proceeding on May 13th, 2009 :: 0:02:20 to 0:11:00
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0:02:02 to 0:02:26( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: justice for all. the presiding of clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington d.c., may 13, 2009. paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the hono begich, a senator from the state of alaska, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: robert c. byrd, president

0:02:20 to 0:11:00( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Harry Reid

0:02:27 to 0:02:47( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: pro tempore. the presiding officer: the majority leader is recognized. mr. reid: the senate will proceed to executive session and consider the nomination of david hayes to be deputy secretary of interior. there will be up to one debate equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees prior to a cloture vote on that nomination. the senate will recess from

0:02:48 to 0:03:10( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: 12:30 until 1:30 to go out -- to allow for a special democratic caucus meeting. the reception for the spouse's dinner at the botanical gardens begins at 6:30 tonight and senators are encouraged to this is really a nice event. we don't have the opportunity to get together very often, mr. president, so this is something that we all look forward to. i'm confident it will be a very

0:03:11 to 0:03:31( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: good evening for us all. mr. president, senators with good intentions can disagree on issues. we can disagree with our naon's leaders. but we should all be able to agree at the president and his cabinet deserve a complete lineup when that team takes the field on the most pressing issues we face.

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Harry Reid: the american people deserve the leaders they asked for in november when they demanded we clean up the mess the last administration left behind. one of those key players is a man the man who president obama nominated to be deputy secretary of the interior. mr. hayes served successfully in this same position during the

0:03:54 to 0:04:14( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: clinton administration and understands better tha probably anyone else what it takes to effectively run a department of about 70,000 people. that's the department of interior. as the deputy secretary of interior, hayes would work closely with our former colleague, secretary ken salazar, on important decisions about many things, mr. president, and no two states

0:04:15 to 0:04:37( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: feel the importance of the secretary of interior than alaska and nevada. in nevada, 87% of the state of nevada is owned by the federal government. alaska is second. other of land that's controlled by the federal government, the secretary of interior and consequently his deputy would

0:04:38 to 0:04:59( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: have some say secretary salazar must make important decisions about developing renewal resources that would create jobs, conserving our public lands for future generations and keeping water clean. david hayes will play a central role in correcting the of the past and making important decisions for the future. in the past eight years the

0:05:00 to 0:05:21( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: interior department was marked by mismanagement secretary salazar's department has inherited the unenviable task of getting the american people to agency that manages one-fifth of the nation's land mass, 1.7 billion acres off our coast. the department's also moving

0:05:22 to 0:05:42( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: forward in critical ways. secretary salazar that he will take dramatic strides to move our country toward energy independence. with ensure our country is harnessing the wind, the sun and set us free from dependence on oil, foreign oil.

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Harry Reid: secretary salazar deserves the opportunity to have the most knowledgeable people around him to make this energy revolution happen. on secretary salazar's list, the first is he's a graduate of notre dame university, stanford law school.

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Harry Reid: he's creative. for 30 years he worked in natural resources and environmental law. he's written dozens of articles and book chapters about water supply issues, clean land cons skraeugs among other important -- conservation among other important topics. a long and impressive track record of negotiating the difficult issues our department deals with every day.

0:06:25 to 0:06:48( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: but he can't get his work done until this body confirms him. in a repeat of a scene we've become too familiar with lately, kweupbdz are standing -- republicans are standing in the way. mr. hayes' nomination feel passionately abo priorities, but i also know secretary salazar and mr. hayes believe just as strongly about finding common ground that

0:06:49 to 0:07:09( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: serves all of our i mr. president, the real issue -- the real issue -- is the fact that in the last minutes of the bush administration, the waning minutes of the bush kempthorne issued 77 oil and gas leases. these leases are next door to national parks.

0:07:10 to 0:07:30( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: it was a concern of the national park service when it was done. the environmental community is up in arms. the people of utah don't like it. we have one national park nevada. i know how the people of nevada would feel if we started bringing in oil rigs next to the

0:07:31 to 0:07:51( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: national park. they wouldn't like it. salazar, w secretary of interior, withdrew those regulations. he didn't terminate them. he withdrew them for further study, further review. we have here, issue of the people of the state of utah versus the oil company.

0:07:52 to 0:08:12( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: for far too long the oil companies always win. win for a change. every state has unique challenges. mr. hayes is prepared to travel across the west to confront them head on, not so he can tell states what to do, but rather so he can work with them to a each issue thoughtfully and respectfully.

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Harry Reid: working together solutions is the answer. robbing a cabinet secretary of his right-hand man is not. secretary salazar knows this senate and his door is open to every member of this body. could you find a nicer person in the world than ken salazar? i don't think so. and mr. hayes has his backing and his backg

0:08:36 to 0:08:57( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: hayes will continue doing what salazar directs him to do. now is the time to move forward, not to drag o or try to score political points. ask anyone who knows him -- david hayes -- they'll tell you among the many skills he has is the ability to work cooperatively and in a bipartisan fashion on the most complex issues.

0:08:58 to 0:09:18( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: i wish our republican colleagues would show the same spirit in at least the simpl kweurpblg such a clearly -- confirmi tpaoeupd candidate. -- qualified candidate. he has an excellent academic background. no one questions his capabilities.

0:09:19 to 0:09:39( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: the real issue sthaoes oil and gas -- is these oil and gas leases. he's a good and honest our country is fortunate he's once again answered the call to serve. i say to my friends, mr. president, frankly, we have a couple of sick senators today,

0:09:40 to 0:10:01( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: and we -- the republicans can block. i under yesterday. there was a plea, we've got to stop these democrats from confirming this man. david hayes will be confirmed. if i have to wait franken comes, he's going to be confirmed. we're going to confirm david hayes. everyone should und if we happen to lose this today,

0:10:02 to 0:10:24( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: i will just move to reconsider until we have the votes. ken salazar is going to have david hayes working with him. everyone should understand that. secretary salazar has bent over backwards to answer the questions of the senators that are questioning these oil and gas leases and few other things. salazar is a man who is known

0:10:25 to 0:10:46( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: for his ability to compromise. he's a consensus builder. i would hope that people would allow this nomination to go forward. if there were some about hayes having written a law review article where he's calling for something that's outlandish or if he had done

0:10:47 to 0:11:01( Edit History Discussion )

Harry Reid: something that in the past that is out of line, i never heard a single word about his qualifications. he's a man that's qualified for this job. the president of the united