[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 13, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1265-S1266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NOMINATION OF GALE NORTON

  Mr. DODD. Mr President, I would like to briefly explain my recent 
vote to support the nomination of Gale Norton to be Secretary of 
Interior. At the outset, let me say that I did so with serious 
reservations. In fact, I find many of Ms. Norton's past positions, 
statements and actions most troubling.
  Gale Norton has built a successful career advocating for the mining, 
timber, and oil industries. Her record in this respect has led many to 
question whether she can strike an appropriate balance between 
conservation and development. She has argued that several fundamental 
environmental laws are unconstitutional, including the Endangered 
Species Act and the Surface Mining Act, two laws that the Secretary of 
Interior is tasked with enforcing.
  She has advocated opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, ANWR, 
in Alaska to oil drilling. This vital ecosystem supports hundreds of 
thousands of caribou, bears, wolves and oxen and 160 species of birds. 
Is it prudent to destroy this pristine land for what the U.S. 
Geological Survey estimates is a 6-month supply of oil? I believe not.
  As Attorney General of Colorado, she was a proponent of the State's 
self-audit law, which allows polluting companies to escape fines if 
they report their violations and make efforts to correct the problem. 
Unfortunately, the Summitville Mine in Colorado was not as vigilant as 
it should have been and continued to operate even though it still had 
serious environmental problems. Only when the mine leaked cyanide into 
a local river did Ms. Norton's office step in. While she worked 
vigorously to clean up the damage and billed Summitville for the cost, 
it was the federal government who had to step in and prosecute the 
offenders. A Secretary of Interior must be vigilant, quick to respond 
to disaster, and pro-active in policy-making. I am troubled by Ms. 
Norton's slow response at Summitville and her inability to articulate 
at the confirmation hearing what she might do to reduce the chances of 
a similar disaster.
  Many have urged me and my Senate colleagues to reject this nomination 
and some have unfairly compared Ms. Norton to former Interior Secretary 
James Watt. I am one of several current Members of the Senate who was 
here in 1981 and I remember James Watt. During his confirmation 
hearing, he remained unyielding in his devotion to development and 
extractive industries. That intractable stand, coupled with his past 
statements and actions led me to vote against James Watt for Secretary 
of Interior. In fact, I am one of six current members of the Senate who 
cast a vote in opposition to Mr. Watt's nomination.
  I did not detect such a divisive tone during Gale Norton's 
confirmation hearing before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. 
I take some comfort from statements she made, under oath, specifically 
her intention to enforce the laws as written and interpreted by the 
courts, including the Endangered Species Act. Ms. Norton gave 
assurances to several committee members that she would uphold the 
current moratorium that exists on offshore oil and gas leases in 
California and Florida. She further stated that she was willing to work 
with other States to achieve similar results regarding offshore oil and 
gas leases.
  I was pleased to hear Gale Norton's strong support for our National 
Parks, including eradicating maintenance backlogs. I look forward to 
working with her and members of the Senate to ensure proper funding 
levels in the fiscal year 2002 appropriations for this and other 
environmental protection efforts. Finally, I was pleased that Ms. 
Norton supports fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund. I 
trust she will work with Congress to achieve that goal and to enact the 
Conservation and Reinvestment Act, a bill that had broad bipartisan and 
bicameral support in the 106th Congress. Land and Water Conservation 
funds and the matching grant program have been very important to the 
ability of Connecticut and other States to acquire land and enhance 
recreation areas and parks.
  I am mindful that some of Ms. Norton's testimony reflects a stark 
change in policy beliefs. Do I think these newly stated positions make 
her an environmentalist? No, I do not. Do I think positions she has 
taken in the past could pose harm to our public lands? Yes, I do. 
However, the entirety of Ms Norton's record, including testimony given 
at the hearing, demonstrates a sensitivity and an understanding of the 
role of the Secretary of Interior.
  The Secretary of Interior has enormous responsibility over our 
Nation's public treasures. That person must be a responsible steward 
for close to 500 million acres throughout the country, including Weir 
Farm National Historic Site and the McKinney National Wildlife Refuge 
in Connecticut. The Secretary must oversee and protect public lands, 
not plunder them.
  In many instances Gale Norton has demonstrated a willingness to 
advocate Federal interests and be an honest and fair broker. As 
Associate Solicitor for the Department of Interior, she upheld federal 
interests including habitat restoration at the Como Lake restoration 
project and the Endangered Species Act on behalf of the California 
Condor. While Colorado Attorney General, Ms. Norton ensured that the 
Rocky Mountain Arsenal was sufficiently cleaned up and urged Congress 
to establish a wildlife refuge there.
  I respect people's strong feelings regarding the nomination of Gale 
Norton, and in fact, I share some of their deeply rooted concerns. I 
did not cast this vote lightly or without a heavy degree of concern. I 
am not ignorant of the fact that Gale Norton is a nominee who 
represents the views of our President or that any other nominee for 
Interior Secretary would share those views. Nor do I agree in sending a 
message by voting against a nominee. This is an individual, a Cabinet 
nominee, not a piece of legislation. The President is entitled to a 
degree of deference in assembling his Cabinet, a bipartisan tradition 
that most members follow.
  I have spent a quarter century in Congress fighting for measures to 
protect our air, drinking water, lakes, rivers and public lands. I 
prefer sending a message by enacting legislation that will strengthen 
our quality of life and opposing policy that would weaken or destroy 
our natural resources. Working together, Democrats and Republicans have 
enacted such lasting laws as the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species 
Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Water Act.
  Gale Norton is undertaking an enormous responsibility, but one that 
affords an opportunity to bring people together. She has given me and 
my colleagues her word to uphold and enforce

[[Page S1266]]

our laws. I trust she will remain true to her word, and I look forward 
to working with her.

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