Posted on 05/27/2006 8:33:58 PM PDT by FairOpinion
The two-term Idaho governor and former Republican senator won approval on a voice vote after eight Democratic senators registered their opposition in an earlier test vote.
Kempthorne told senators earlier this month he was eager to expand oil and gas development on public lands and waters that already are producing 30 percent of the nation's domestic supply of energy.
President Bush said Kempthorne would work to effectively manage national parks, support historic and cultural sites and pursue energy development that would treat the environment responsibly.
Kempthorne was sworn in Friday by White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten during a brief ceremony in the Oval Office, with Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice looking on.
Other problems confronting him include the extent of protection of endangered species; wildfires and scarce water supplies in the West; homeland security and illegal immigration on public lands; rebuilding hurricane-damaged wildlife refuges and dealing with mismanaged Indian trust accounts.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Just dawned on me: if Bubba could use an executive order to designate land in Utah that contains low sulfur coal as a national monument to keep the coal from being mined, why can't W use an executive order to get the oil and gas out of ANWR?
"why can't W use an executive order to get the oil and gas out of ANWR?"
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Because W doesn't want to abuse his executive powers -- but with all the turmoil in the Middle East and Venezuela, drilling in ANWR and other parts of the US is fast becoming a national security issue, at which point he has to use his executive powers, if Congress is not on the side of the American people.
Let's hope the new guy is death on corruption in the territories which fall under the DOI.
I'm hoping some real action from the Feds regarding American Samoa. I think my people have adequately proven that they can't self-govern without some Federal accountability and rigorous auditing.
There are going to be a lot of traditional conservative Freepers LOL at this. Put on your flak jacket.
Every expansion of presidential power obtains to the next President, and the next President, and so on. There is 100% certainty that those who love "executive" power now will come to hate it later.
Only if the next President has the nerve to use it. I'd much rather have a strong Executive that is accountable to the nation's electorate or is term limited in four years, than one in which 535 unaccountable Legislative prima donnas run the show. Their powers are already immense; they don't need to keep poaching from the Executive. If they're addicted to poaching powers, let me start taking back what the Judiciary stole from them long ago.
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