[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 88 (Friday, June 22, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S6657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NOMINATION OF J. STEVEN GRILES

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I am very concerned. The Energy and 
Natural Resources Committee has oversight of the Department of the 
Interior. As a consequence, we have had the responsibility of holding 
hearings on the nomination of various individuals for the Department of 
the Interior.
  It is rather ironic that the only individual at the Department of the 
Interior who has been cleared by the Senate in its entirety is 
Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton. We have had a situation with 
regard to the Deputy Secretary, Mr. Steven Griles, that deserves some 
examination by this body.
  Mr. Griles was nominated on March 9 by our President. Hearings were 
held on May 16, as I chaired the Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee. He was reported favorably out of the committee by a vote of 
18-4 on May 23 of this year. All this was prior to the switch by 
Senator Jeffords who made his announcement on May 24. At that time, we 
immediately began to try to move the nomination. The minority also 
tried to get a time agreement.
  According to the information we have from the floor staff, Griles was 
cleared on the Republican side on May 23. In an executive session on 
May 23, we did move one nomination. On May 24, we moved 19 nominations. 
On May 25, we moved 33 nominations. On May 26, we moved 8 nominations. 
In each case, Griles was cleared by the Republican side but objected to 
by the Democratic side. I wonder why.
  During this period, a unanimous consent agreement was offered to 
allow for 2 hours of debate and a vote--the Democratic side said they 
needed 2 hours--with consideration the week we were to return from the 
Memorial Day recess.
  That was again rejected by the Democrats, as was a modification that 
deleted the time certain and only included the time limitation. At that 
point, it was clear that the Democrats would control the floor and the 
timing on our return.
  Yet in executive session on June 14, we cleared three additional 
nominations, but the Democrats would not clear Mr. Griles. Why?
  As of today, Friday, June 22, Mr. Griles has been pending for 30 days 
without even a time agreement. Even if the majority leader wants to 
hold consideration of further nominations hostage in the sense of 
organizing resolutions, an agreement on time for debate has nothing to 
do with the resolution and the actual scheduling of the debate.
  Who suffers by this politicizing? Obviously, the Department of the 
Interior as a functioning body, and the public whom the Department of 
the Interior serves. We have a new Secretary, again, the only person 
down there who is confirmed. She needs help. I encourage the leadership 
on the Democratic side to let this nominee go. He has not been nor is 
he a part of the general holdup on the other nominees because action 
was taken on him prior to the change in the leadership in the Senate.
  I am kind of amused by some of the comments of my colleagues on the 
other side who indicate a puzzlement, saying there have been no attacks 
on Griles. They simply have said all the nominations are on hold while 
the Senate reorganizes because of the switch of the Senator from 
Vermont.
  I think the explanation I have given is not only accurate but gives 
thought to some of the excuses we have heard from the other side as to 
their justification. There is no justification.

                          ____________________