[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 22 (Thursday, February 15, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1447-S1448]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT--NOMINATION OF JOSEPH ALLBAUGH

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask 
unanimous consent that at 1:45 p.m. today the Senate proceed to 
executive session to consider the nomination of Joseph Allbaugh to be 
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. I ask unanimous 
consent that the Senate then immediately proceed to a vote on the 
confirmation of the nomination. Further, I ask that following the vote, 
the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, the President be 
immediately notified of the Senate's action, and, finally, the Senate 
then resume legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Texas is recognized.
  (The remarks of Mrs. Hutchison pertaining to the introduction of S. 
353 are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced 
Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')


                           Order of Procedure

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the vote 
on the nomination of Joseph Allbaugh be changed to occur at 1:40 p.m.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Thank you, Mr. President.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. I ask unanimous consent to speak for 10 minutes as in 
morning business.

[[Page S1448]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The remarks of Ms. Landrieu pertaining to the introduction of S. 355 
are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills 
and Joint Resolutions.'')
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana is recognized.
  (The remarks of Ms. Landrieu pertaining to the introduction of S. 356 
are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills 
and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the 
quorum call be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, for the information of our colleagues, 
there will be a rollcall vote in the next few minutes on Joe Allbaugh 
to be Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Just to put 
everybody on alert, I think at 1:40 there will be a rollcall vote.
  I rise today in support of Joe Allbaugh to be Director of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency. I have had the pleasure of knowing Joe 
Allbaugh for a long time. He is a native Oklahoman. He is actually a 
native of Kay County, my home county in northern Oklahoma. I had the 
pleasure of knowing him at Oklahoma State where he was a member, 
actually, of the fraternity of which I was a member. He is a very good 
friend of my wife's brother Steve. I think the world of Joe Allbaugh 
and his wife Dianne, and I think he will do an outstanding job as 
Director of FEMA. He will replace James Lee Witt, a native of Arkansas, 
who served our country and Arkansas well in that capacity, and I am 
confident Joe Allbaugh will as well.
  Joe Allbaugh was politically active going all the way back to 
Goldwater. He helped our former colleague Henry Bellmon, not only in 
Bellmon's campaign but also in his administration. He also worked with 
Governor Bush in his administration, was chief of staff, and became 
quite familiar with State emergencies and disasters.
  When we were growing up in Oklahoma, our neighborhood was known as 
Tornado Alley. Actually, in Joe's hometown of Blackwell, OK, in 1955 we 
had a severe tornado that killed 20 people and destroyed a very 
significant portion of the town. I remember that tornado well. All of 
us do. Joe Allbaugh learned then the value of coordination of emergency 
responses to natural disasters.
  During his tenure as chief of staff to Governor Bush, he was well 
aware of the natural disasters that happened throughout the State of 
Texas. In 1998, there was a flood in San Antonio that killed 30 people. 
He was involved in coordinating State responses as well as requesting 
Federal resources and working with Federal officials. So he has a good 
appreciation of the combination of what should be done on the State 
level and what can and should be done on the Federal level as well.
  He is well prepared for this task. I think he will do an outstanding 
job. I think all of us will be proud to have Joe Allbaugh serve as 
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. I urge all my 
colleagues to support his nomination.

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