[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 67 (Thursday, May 25, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S5191]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     Nomination of Dirk Kempthorne

  Mr. President, having spoken about Mr. Kavanaugh, I wish to take a 
minute or two to speak about my friend, Dirk Kempthorne, who will be 
voted upon tomorrow, as I understand it, as well.
  Dirk Kempthorne served with us in the Senate. I have been here for 30 
years, and I have to say that he was one of the finest people with whom 
I have ever served. He was decent, honorable, and hard-working. He was 
a person who was honest. This is a man who became a great Governor. He 
did a great job while he was here. He was only here a short time in the 
Senate, but it was long enough for those of us who knew him to 
establish in our minds and in our experience the fact that he was and 
is a great human being.
  He is nominated now for Secretary of the Interior, and I hope 
everybody in this body will vote for him tomorrow. You cannot do 
better. The man is honest, decent, honorable, and will work with all of 
us in the Senate, not just Republicans. And he is from the West. He 
understands the problems of Federal lands. He understands the problems 
that confront the West. He understands the problems of energy. He 
understands the problems of the environment. He understands the 
problems of national parks. You can go right down the list.
  This man has tremendous experience and has been a wonderful Governor 
of Idaho, our neighboring State. He and his wife are two of the best 
people I know. I hope everybody will vote unanimously in his favor 
tomorrow, or whenever we have that vote.