[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 107 (Tuesday, September 5, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8955-S8956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            LIFTING OF HOLDS

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, in August, I announced my intention to 
object to any unanimous consent request for the Senate to take up the 
nominations of John Ray Correll to be Director of the Office of Surface 
Mining, Interior Department, and Mark Myers to be Director of the U.S. 
Geological Services, Interior Department. Previously, in May, I also 
placed a hold on David Bernhardt, the administration's nominee to be 
Interior Solicitor. I also objected to any unanimous consent to keep 
these nominees on the calendar during the August recess. Instead, I 
asked that these nominations be returned to the White House. I did so 
because, despite several requests, I had received no assurance from the 
administration that the needs of people in more than 700 rural counties 
in over 40 States would be adequately addressed by fully funded county 
payments. The county payments law, which provides a stable revenue 
source for education, roads, and other county services in rural areas, 
is due to expire at the end

[[Page S8956]]

of this year. In early 2005, I cosponsored a bipartisan bill, S. 267, 
to reauthorize county payments for another 7 years. In February, the 
administration proposed reauthorizing the law for only 5 years, while 
cutting funding by 60 percent, and funding that reduced portion with a 
controversial Federal land sale scheme.
  During the August recess, the administration agreed to work with us 
to find a mutually acceptable solution to fully fund county payments 
for another year. On August 7, 2006, I received a letter from Mr. Mark 
Rey, Under Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in which 
the administration committed to work with me, and my colleagues Senator 
Smith and Senator Craig, to reauthorize the program for the coming 
year, through a mutually acceptable funding source. This is not a long-
term solution, but it will address the needs of hundreds of communities 
for the short term. Because of the commitment of the administration to 
work with me, and my colleagues Senator Smith and Senator Craig, to 
reach a solution, I will no longer object to any unanimous consent 
request for the Senate to take up the nominations of John Ray Correll, 
Mark Myers, and David Bernhardt. I will, however, continue to look for 
the agreed upon funding solution to be proposed from the 
administration, while looking toward a future long-term solution.
  I ask unanimous consent that a copy of this statement along with Mr. 
Rey's letter be printed in the Congressional Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                        Department of Agriculture,


                                      Office of the Secretary,

                                   Washington, DC, August 7, 2006.
     Hon. Ron Wyden,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Larry E. Craig,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Gordon Smith,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senators: Like you, the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
     recognizes the importance of the Secure Rural Schools and 
     Community Self Determination Act. We are committed to working 
     with you to reauthorize the program this year.
       Acknowledging the difficulty in a multi-year 
     reauthorization of this program prior to the September 30, 
     2006, expiration of the program's authority, we commit to 
     working with you to enact a one year extension of the 
     program, at full funding levels, and finding mutually 
     acceptable offsets. We understand from our discussions that 
     time does not permit the enactment of our proposed land sales 
     offset as free standing legislation; as such, this would not 
     be an offset option for the one year extension.
       We appreciate your leadership on this issue and look 
     forward to continuing working with you.
           Sincerely,

                                                     Mark Rey,

                                                  Under Secretary,
     Natural Resources and the Environment.

                          ____________________