[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 20, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S663-S667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           EXECUTIVE SESSION
                              NOMINATIONS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to executive session to consider nominations received today: 
Steven Chu to be Secretary of Energy; Arne Duncan to be Secretary of 
Education; Janet Napolitano to be Secretary of Homeland Security; Peter 
Orszag to be Director of OMB; Kenneth Salazar to be Secretary of 
Interior; Eric Shinseki to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Thomas 
Vilsack to be Secretary of Agriculture. I ask consent that the Senate 
proceed to their consideration en bloc; that the nominations be 
confirmed, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en 
bloc; that no further motions be in order, and that any statements 
relating to the nominations be printed in the Record.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The nominations considered and confirmed en bloc are as follows:


                       Department of Agriculture

       Thomas J. Vilsack, of Iowa, to be Secretary of Agriculture.


                        Department of Education

       Arne Duncan, of Illinois, to be Secretary of Education.


                          Department of Energy

       Steven Chu, of California, to be Secretary of Energy.


                    Department of Homeland Security

       Janet Ann Napolitano, of Arizona, to be Secretary of 
     Homeland Security.


                       Department of the Interior

       Kenneth Lee Salazar, of Colorado, to be Secretary of the 
     Interior.


                     Department of Veterans Affairs

       Eric K. Shinseki, of Hawaii, to be Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs.


                   Executive Office of the President

       Peter R. Orszag, of Massachusetts, to be Director of the 
     Office of Management and Budget.
  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)


                       NOMINATION OF ARNE DUNCAN



 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page S663, January 20, 2009, the Record reads:  
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS (At the request . . . ) NOMINATION OF ARNE 
DUNCAN
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read: (At the request . 
. . ) nomination of arne duncan


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

 Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I am pleased to voice enthusiastic 
support for the nomination of Arne Duncan to serve as Secretary of 
Education, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting his 
nomination. Mr. Duncan brings inspiration, dedication, and ability to 
the field of education, and I am confident that his leadership will 
help move America forward to tackle the challenges present in our 
educational system.
  Last week, Mr. Duncan appeared before our Education Committee for his 
confirmation hearing. He was met with broad bipartisan support from 
members across our committee for his vision and his commitment to move 
American education forward at all levels--from early education through 
college.
  Mr. Duncan shared with us his very personal connection to the field 
of education, which first developed with his work alongside his mother 
in an afterschool tutoring program for needy students. Since then, he 
has worked to confront challenges and advance reforms as head of 
Chicago's schools. We

[[Page S664]]

are all aware of the demands on superintendents of large city school 
systems, which is why the average tenure of an urban school chief is 
less than 3 years. In Chicago, Arne Duncan has given 7. In each of 
those years, he focused with relentless determination on closing 
achievement gaps, improving teacher quality, reducing dropout rates, 
and better engaging communities in schools.
  Throughout his career, Arne Duncan has brought an impressive, can-do 
pragmatism to the complex challenges present in our education system. 
He is a leader who will bring people together, put children first, 
support teachers and focus on results. Each of those traits will serve 
all of us well as he takes the helm of the U.S. Department of 
Education.
  Today's nomination should also remind us all of the importance of 
education to America's future.
  Education is the key to opportunity and a strong economy, and 
America's schools and teachers are the catalysts for change. The 
ability of each of our young people to compete and succeed in this new, 
global economy depends on our ability to ensure that they receive a 
high-quality education.
  Education is also key to our national security. Skills and knowledge 
are the pathway to protecting America and maintaining our progress in 
the world.
  Most of all, education is key to maintaining America's greatest 
ideals and values, and to ensuring the vitality of our democracy.
  My friend and colleague, the late Claiborne Pell, used to say that 
the real strength and security of our nation lies in the education and 
character of our people. Our Founding Fathers agreed, and so did many 
school reformers after them, from John Dewey to Horace Mann. As 
Americans, we have an obligation to provide everyone--regardless of 
their background, economic means, disability, or language skills--with 
the best possible education that enables them to develop their talents 
and participate fully and actively in their communities and in their 
country.
  In order to achieve this goal, we need a new, major effort to 
confront and address the persistent challenges that are present in our 
educational system. This effort must span from the early years through 
high school, into college and beyond, and it must focus on building 
outstanding schools and institutions that deliver opportunity for every 
American to learn and succeed. Today's inauguration of our President-
Elect marks our chance to write a new and better chapter in American 
education--one that will harness innovation, cultivate solutions, and 
invest wisely toward reaching our goals.
  Our work must begin in the early years, by recognizing that what we 
do for our children in their first years has a profound impact on their 
later learning and success. The healthy development of children depends 
on the relationships they build with those around them--in any early 
learning setting.
  Today, 38 States support prekindergarten programs for children, and 
invest more than $3.7 billion in such programs. More than a million 
children attend State-funded preschool, comprising 22 percent of all 4-
year-olds in the Nation. Nearly 1 million more low-income children are 
served by the Federal Head Start and Early Head Start programs. And 12 
million children under the age of 5 are in some form of child care 
every week--1.7 million of which receive Federal assistance to attend 
such programs.
  We must focus each of our early learning investments--at the Federal, 
State, and local level--on a shared goal of school readiness and 
quality, regardless of the child care center, preschool classroom, or 
early learning program in which a child participates. In the early 
years, quality is the key. We need a new effort to build an early 
education system that provides opportunities for every child to arrive 
at school ready with the skills necessary to succeed in kindergarten, 
and with a strong foundation from which to build and grow in their 
later academic experiences.
  In elementary and secondary education, we must strengthen and 
modernize our public schools, and move quickly to address the 
inequities in our system that enable persistent achievement and 
opportunity gaps. No Child Left Behind started us down the road of 
accountability and high expectations for all students. But we need a 
new, national strategy to implement the changes needed to better 
achieve the law's goals.
  Any effort at improving public education must begin by supporting and 
strengthening America's teachers, who reside on the front line of 
school reform. We need new avenues to attract talented individuals into 
the teaching profession, and better supports to ensure that they remain 
in the classroom. We need new ways to encourage our best teachers to 
serve in the neediest schools, new mechanisms for recognizing and 
rewarding teacher successes, greater chances for teachers to develop 
and share their practice, and better opportunities for teachers to 
become leaders and decisionmakers in their own schools.
  We cannot afford for America's students to be outcompeted and 
outpaced in this 21st century economy. We must support new efforts to 
increase the rigor and relevance of the school curriculum, more 
efficient and effective methods of testing and using school data, 
greater supports for disabled students and English learners, and a 
better-organized school schedule that maximizes learning time and 
provides new connections for students to develop knowledge and skills 
in their communities.
  Unlocking the doors of higher education is more important today than 
ever before, and the dream of a college education should be available 
to any student with the talent, desire, and commitment to pursue it. 
Yet many of America's students still lack the help and assistance they 
need to prepare for college. A dollar sign still bars the doors of 
college opportunity for too many. For others, the path to college is 
blocked by heavy student loan debt and unmet financial need.
  In the 110th Congress, we responded to these challenges by enacting 
the College Cost Reduction and Access Act and the Higher Education 
Opportunity Act. We committed to provide an unprecedented lifeline of 
need-based grant aid to students, to upgrade essential programs that 
prepare students for college, to reforming our student loan programs, 
and to simplifying the application process for college aid.
  Yet far more remains to be done to address college access and 
affordability, and to bring the promise of a college degree to many 
more students. We must make greater strides in expanding the Pell grant 
for America's neediest students. We need new efforts to ensure that our 
Federal student aid programs protect students and taxpayers from risk, 
new mechanisms to contain and reduce soaring college costs, and new 
efforts to bolster the educational pipeline by strengthening community 
colleges and investing in college persistence and completion.
  In each of these areas--early childhood education, elementary and 
secondary education, and higher education--there are great challenges 
to be met. We must forge ahead with an urgency to confront each of them 
head on, and improve educational opportunities for all Americans.
  Today is a great day that reminds us of all that's possible in the 
days ahead. Our work to help others achieve the American dream begins 
by improving education across our country. We should each dedicate 
ourselves to that goal, with a renewed spirit of innovation and a 
resolve for change. And I believe that Arne Duncan is just the person 
to lead us forward as our next Secretary of Education.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I support the pending nomination of Mr. Arne 
Duncan to be Secretary of Education. I had the opportunity to meet with 
Mr. Duncan earlier this month, although I have been aware of his work 
in Chicago for a number of years. What struck me the most is his focus 
on doing what is best for the children and his belief that every child 
can succeed regardless of their background.
  During his confirmation hearing in the Health, Education, Labor and 
Pensions--HELP--Committee, Mr. Duncan was asked about what he had 
accomplished in Chicago as the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools. His 
support for charter schools, public school choice, performance pay for 
teachers and school leaders was highlighted at the hearing. He 
described how he had closed low-performing schools in Chicago because 
they were not providing children the education they needed. He

[[Page S665]]

also spoke of the important role teachers have and how we need not only 
to attract but retain quality teachers. He believes that children have 
one chance to get a good education, and as adults we need to make sure 
they have that opportunity to learn and achieve.
  Historically, education has been a bipartisan issue. The HELP 
Committee has an excellent track record for getting bills passed and 
signed into law as a result of a strong bipartisan process. Mr. Duncan 
did not hesitate to commit to establishing and maintaining a 
cooperative working relationship with all Senators on the HELP 
Committee, Democrat or Republican, by promptly responding to any 
written or phone inquiries, sharing information as soon as it becomes 
available, and directing his staff to do the same. He also agreed that 
regulations promulgated under his direction should be based on 
legislative authority. Despite the recognition that it is easier to 
start something than to end it, he also pledged to target resources on 
programs that work and to eliminate those programs that don't. The 
members of the committee were impressed with his answers to our 
questions, and it was evident from our comments that he enjoys strong 
bipartisan support. I am hopeful that support will show itself by our 
vote today.
  Mr. Duncan is no stranger to the challenges that he will face as 
Secretary of Education. He understands the important issues that will 
affect every child and every schoolroom throughout the United States. 
His track record with a major urban school district is well known. 
However, I did caution Mr. Duncan that I will remind him regularly and 
often of the unique challenges that rural and frontier schools and 
students face. Congress and the Department of Education need to work 
together to make sure that every school has the tools and the 
flexibility needed to help students develop the knowledge and skills 
required to be successful in the 21st century.
  We cannot afford to have students leaving high school--and college--
without completing their programs of study. Mr. Duncan and I agree that 
we have to build upon the successes of No Child Left Behind, coordinate 
efforts across programs including Head Start, career and technical 
education and workforce programs under the Workforce Investment Act, 
and reduce the barriers nontraditional students face to obtaining 
education that will provide the knowledge and skills they need to be 
successful in the 21st century. Our country's future depends on our 
ability to reach this goal.
  It is no secret--good skills lead to good jobs. Maintaining those 
skills through a lifetime of learning will lead to a good career. Mr. 
Duncan understands this and the fact that the workplace isn't what it 
used to be. In this global, technology-driven economy, school is never 
out. Today's workplace demands an ever-changing workforce that can 
adapt to the requirements and skills of the new high-tech jobs that are 
in such high demand. Keeping workers' abilities current will be vital 
if they are to continue to find the kind of good jobs they will need to 
support their families and maintain a consistently high standard of 
living. I was pleased to see that Mr. Duncan supports the role 
community colleges can play in providing this education and training 
and understands the need to support and accommodate the growing 
population of nontraditional students in our postsecondary education 
institutions.
  I am pleased to be able to join the distinguished chairman of the 
committee, Senator Kennedy, in supporting the confirmation of Mr. 
Duncan to be the next Secretary of Education. Today, this body has the 
opportunity to confirm an excellent nominee with the skills, 
experience, and commitment to help students of all backgrounds 
throughout their lives achieve their own version of the American dream. 
By confirming Arne Duncan as the next Secretary of Education I am 
confident that we will have an effective advocate for education and who 
will work to meet the lifelong education needs of our children and 
students of all ages.
  I intend to vote in favor of Mr. Duncan's nomination to head the 
Department of Education, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.


                     Nomination of Peter R. Orszag

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I wish to support the nomination of Dr. 
Peter R. Orszag to be the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget.
  As our Nation wrestles with the economic crisis, the next Director of 
the Office of Management and Budget, OMB, must be prepared to tackle 
serious fiscal and budgetary crises. The Federal budget is under stress 
from the impact of a deep recession and the costs of rescue and 
stimulus packages. Spiraling, out-of-control health-care costs are 
driving long-term budgetary imbalances. And the next few years will 
also see cresting waves of baby boom retirements, with enormous impacts 
on Social Security and Medicare expenditures, as well as the Federal 
workforce.
  Pointing to these trends and to the estimated $1.2 trillion deficit 
for the current fiscal year, President Obama has prudently warned that 
unless strong measures are taken, the outlook is for ``red ink as far 
as the eye can see.'' That is, of course, an unacceptable and 
unsustainable scenario for the Government, for the economy, and for the 
households and business owners who pay the Government's bills.
  OMB is the leading player for the incoming administration as it 
formulates policy to deal with a grim present and uncertain future. OMB 
also serves as a critical link between Congress and the executive 
branch as we work toward a consensus on a sustainable path forward.
  Dr. Orszag brings an impressive set of skills and experiences--and 
apparently boundless energy--to OMB. As a former Director of the 
nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, he is familiar with the 
legislative branch and the intricacies of budgets and policy analysis. 
Earlier service as an economics adviser in the Clinton administration, 
as a scholar at the Brookings Institution, and as a consultant will 
also provide important perspectives.
  Dr. Orszag will need to draw on every ounce of his knowledge and 
experience as he takes the reins of OMB.
  Dr. Orszag has already indicated that the economy and stimulus 
measures portend a near-term rise in the deficit. But as he knows, 
recent years' outlays and the growth of unfunded entitlements are 
unsustainable.
  We desperately need a realistic plan to avoid having the Federal 
budget become a mammoth drag on opportunities for job growth and higher 
personal income--and for people's ability to decide what to do with 
their own money. The public also expects aggressive oversight and 
careful stewardship of the Troubled Asset Relief Program and of any 
future economic-recovery package.
  Dr. Orszag will also need to focus intensely on the management 
challenges confronting the Federal Government. OMB must provide 
sustained leadership to build upon contracting reforms Senator 
Lieberman and I championed in the last Congress. Improving transparency 
and accountability in Government operations and enhancing agency 
performance will also be Dr. Orszag's responsibility.
  These and other pressing challenges will confront Dr. Orszag as 
Director of Office of Management and Budget. I look forward to working 
with him as we confront the financial problems our Nation faces.


                     nomination of janet napolitano

   Mr. President, I also support the nomination of Arizona Governor 
Janet Napolitano to be the Secretary of the Department of Homeland 
Security.
  As the Department nears its sixth anniversary, those of us who 
participated in its creation can take some measure of satisfaction in 
its progress. The men and women of the Department have helped detect 
and prevent terrorist attacks.
  Our Nation's ability to prepare for and respond to disasters--whether 
natural or manmade--has also improved dramatically with the changes 
this committee made in the structure and operations of FEMA. 
Nonetheless, constantly evolving terrorist threats and the forces of 
nature demand further improvements at the Department and strong and 
skilled leadership.
  I believe Governor Napolitano will provide that leadership.
  I have had the opportunity to closely examine the record of Governor 
Napolitano and talk with her about a wide range of issues, including 
security at our borders and seaports, cooperation with State and local 
law enforcement, and the myriad tests that DHS must confront in the 
coming years.

[[Page S666]]

  The Governor's law enforcement background and knowledge of homeland 
security issues are impressive.
  Her experience as a border-State Governor enables her to bring an 
important perspective to the Department. Arizona, like my home State of 
Maine, is a border State with extensive cross-border and tourism. 
Residents of border communities work, shop, worship, and visit friends 
and family on both sides of the boundary, complicating the challenge of 
border security.
  Governor Napolitano understands that we have to let our friends in, 
while keeping our enemies out--enforcing border regulations in a 
practical manner that accommodates legitimate trade and travel.
   One emerging challenge the new Secretary will face is the need to 
enhance security at the Nation's biological laboratories. The recent 
report of the Commission on Weapons of Mass Destruction predicted a 
terrorist attack with a biological weapon within the next 5 years. The 
Commission pointed to lax security at biological labs as one of the 
bases for that chilling assessment.
  Another threat that the Department must address is the security of 
our Nation's cyber-infrastructure. The Department must fully understand 
the cyber threat and establish and enforce best practices across the 
executive branch, as well as redouble its efforts to work with the 
private sector on cyber-security.
  We must also continue to focus on the security and resiliency of our 
Nation's critical infrastructure. With more than 85 percent of those 
assets in private hands, this is a daunting task. Seaports and chemical 
facilities have been made more secure through legislation that I 
coauthored. In addition to extending these two important programs, the 
Department must develop a strategy to promote the best practices 
developed through the National Infrastructure Protection Plan.

  In the last 6 years, DHS has helped improve our all-hazards 
preparedness and response capabilities. Homeland security grant funding 
for our State and local first responders has certainly played a key 
role in that effort. Funding levels in the last few years, however, 
have been under attack from the executive branch, and DHS has not yet 
fully complied with the requirement to establish an all-hazards risk 
formula. The Department must also improve information sharing and 
cooperation with our State and local partners.
  The Federal Emergency Management Agency forms the core of the 
Department's ability to perform its preparedness, response, and 
recovery missions. After Hurricane Katrina, Senator Lieberman and I 
authored vital reforms of FEMA. Subsequent disasters like wildfires, 
tornadoes, and severe storms and floods have demonstrated FEMA's new 
and improved capabilities, bolstered by increased coordination with 
State and local governments and military resources.
  FEMA's documented improvements and the logical combination of all-
hazards prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery in a single 
department underscore the need to keep FEMA within DHS. Detaching FEMA 
in the vain hope of recapturing mythical halcyon days would weaken its 
effectiveness, reduce the ability of DHS to carry out its all-hazards 
planning mandate, cause needless duplication of effort, and foment 
confusion among State and local first responders during a disaster. 
That is why our Nation's leading first responder organizations, like 
the International Association of Fire Fighters, the International 
Association of Fire Chiefs, the Congressional Fires Services Institute, 
the International Association of the Chiefs of Police, and the National 
Troopers Coalition, all strongly support keeping FEMA as part of DHS.
  As a relatively new Department, DHS still suffers from significant 
integration and management challenges. The effective operation of the 
Department's 22 legacy agencies requires a strong Departmental culture, 
close collaboration between the Department's components, and effective 
cooperation with other Federal, State, local, tribal and private-sector 
partners. From the Department's program management and resource 
allocations, to the basic need for a consolidated headquarters, the 
next Secretary must focus intently on removing obstacles to effective 
integration and improved performance.
  To continue its growth, the Department must have a skilled executive 
to lead its dedicated workforce. I believe Governor Janet Napolitano 
has the ability to meet these and other challenges facing the 
Department of Homeland Security in the years to come. I look forward to 
working with her and urge support for her nomination.


                      nomination of eric shinseki

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise to discuss the nomination of GEN 
Eric Shinseki for Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
  I have three criteria that I use to evaluate all executive branch 
nominees: competence, integrity, and commitment to the core mission of 
the Department. Based on these criteria, I wholeheartedly support 
General Shinseki to be our next Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
  In his 38-year Army career, which culminated at Chief of Staff of the 
Army, General Shinseki was always first and foremost an advocate for 
the soldiers--he was a soldier's general. As a veteran of combat in 
Vietnam, during which he suffered life threatening and life altering 
injuries, General Shinseki understands firsthand the obstacles our 
returning troops face. He knows what it is like to be made whole again 
in the military health care system. know General Shinseki will focus on 
transforming the Department of Veterans Affairs into an agency for the 
21st century with the same fortitude and tenacity he has shown 
throughout his military career.
  This is a critical time for the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Historically high percentages of wounded soldiers are surviving their 
wounds. For this we should be thankful. However, many of them are 
grievously disabled with debilitating, visible wounds of war, or with 
equally debilitating wounds that do not bleed--like post-traumatic 
stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Our veterans' health 
systems must be updated and adapted to care for this new generation. 
Our country has made a 50-year commitment to our wounded warriors to 
care for them. We must streamline the red-tape that prevents wounded 
warriors from receiving the care they need. We must shorten the months 
of waiting for the benefits claims process to unfold. We must better 
integrate the DOD and VA health care systems to create a single system 
with uniform rating processes and standards. We owe our veterans 
nothing less. General Shinseki is the right choice to lead the VA to a 
higher state of readiness to care for this new generation of veterans.
  The Department of Veterans Affairs challenges don't end with our 
immediate obligations to our wounded veterans, but must persist in 
addressing our long-term promises to our veterans. This means 
maintaining affordable health care for our retired servicemembers. 
Making it responsive. Providing the best care. Ensuring our promises 
made are promises kept.
  The Department of Veterans Affairs challenges also include aiding 
members with the transition into civilian life. I am proud of the 
recent steps we have taken in Congress to help veterans. Last year we 
passed the post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act to make badly 
needed updates to the G.I. bill. This legislation will provide 
educational benefits to help a new generation of veterans and 
servicemembers so they can better themselves through education, better 
their ability to serve our Nation as soldiers and citizens, and better 
provide for themselves an their families. I am also proud of the 
wounded warrior legislative provisions Congress passed in 2007. These 
provisions mandated a modernization the military health care system's 
approach to post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury 
care. I will look to General Shinseki not just to ensure the 
implementation of these groundbreaking legislative accomplishments is a 
priority, but also to identify meaningful and comprehensive steps to 
build on this foundation to ensure that our veterans health care system 
delivers the world class care our veterans have earned.
  I look forward to working with GEN Eric Shinseki as the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs and have full confidence in his honesty, his 
integrity, and his ability to stand up for our veterans. The next 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs will face many challenges. I look forward 
to meeting those challenges with him as he leads the Veterans Affairs 
Department in this time of change.

[[Page S667]]

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, with respect to the nominations confirmed 
today, I ask unanimous consent that the President be immediately 
notified of the Senate's action and that the Senate return to 
legislative session.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

                          ____________________