Posted on 05/13/2009 8:54:24 AM PDT by My Favorite Headache
GOP Filibusters Obama’s Deputy Interior Nominee By Jessica Brady Roll Call Staff May 13, 2009, 10:49 a.m. PrintE-MailReprintsText SizeLatest News Obama, House Democrats Eye Health Reform Action in July
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Updated: 11:37 a.m.
Senate Republicans were successful Wednesday in blocking the nomination of David Hayes for deputy secretary of the Interior Department, charging the agency didn’t adequately explain its decision to cancel oil and gas leases in Western states.
The Senate voted 57-39, three votes shy of the 60 votes Democrats needed to break GOP opposition to Hayes’ nomination. Sens. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) led the filibuster effort.
Both Members have asked for answers from the Interior Department and from Hayes about why certain oil and gas leases in the West have been canceled.
“It has nothing to do with him, it has to do with what’s going on in the department,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who voted against the nomination.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, a former Colorado Senator, criticized Republicans for a “tired vote of bitter obstructionism.”
“We have answered every question and worked to find common ground on difficult issues, but the American people rightfully want change from the Obama Administration and from the Department of the Interior,” Salazar said in a statement. “We will deliver that change. The American people will know, once again, that the Department of the Interior is wisely managing their treasured landscapes and their natural resources on their behalf.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) earlier this week said he wanted to clear a handful of President Barack Obama’s stalled nominations, including Hayes and Cameron Kerry, Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) brother and Obama’s pick for Commerce Department counsel. Reid wants to advance those nominations before the Memorial Day recess that begins on May 22.
Notice they are still pushing the “change” message every chance they have it.
I guess he forgot about the treatment Bush's judicial nominees got. Payback is a....
The list, ping
That’s what the GOP needs to do with ALL DUh-bama’s nominees as well as any legislation the tax-n-spend DUmocrats promote.
Change means closing all public lands, confiscating private recreational properties and forcing the riff-raff into crowded cities for easy liquidation.
Good. Now they should filibuster Harold Koh and Dawn Johnsen.
they’re just looking for a “crisis” sufficient to invoke the Nuclear Option. Watch Reid’s deadline date very carefully...
Does “change” mean that nepotism should be overlooked and a job found for Senator Kerry’s idiot brother?
What needs to change it to have MORE domestic drilling for energy independence, not LESS drilling that leaves us dependent on foreign oil! What a numbskull - their first actions are to hurt domestic energy and make us more reliant on foreign dictators' oil.
If the Republicans start quoting from The Constitution or The Federalist Papers during the filibuster, it was MY idea sent to them to do this.
Why? It’s a complete waste of time...any president should have the people he chooses in his cabinet. I said this when Pres. Bush was making his choices, and I still believe it. Why waste filibusters on such unimportant matters...save your ammo GOP...this makes you look petty.
Pres. Bush could not get more domestic drilling...you think it’s going to happen with a Democrat? To the victors go the spoils.
Do you remember when the Dems lost the midterms because they were seen as obstructionist?
“Kerry has an idiot brother? I don’t believe Kerry’s exactly a towering mental giant himself. “
Actually the brother is the smart one.
Balderdash!! That is what we did for Clinton and at the end of his time he transferred most of them to regular Civil Service protected jobs where they continue to move us to the left and now they cannot be fired. Those guys can reek havoc. Remember Jamie Gorelick, both at Justice and at Fannie Me?
Just pointing out the hypocrisy. fact is, people do NOT want drilling shut down like Obama team is doing.
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