[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 56 (Thursday, April 2, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S4293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NOMINATION OF JANE HOLL LUTE

  Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, in a few minutes there will be a unanimous 
consent request on a voice vote for a nominee to the No. 2 position at 
Homeland Security--a very nice lady by the name of Ms. Lute.
  I would make the point, as the second most senior member on Homeland 
Security on the minority side, I cast a ``no'' vote for this person in 
committee, and that is very well detailed in my statement.
  But I think there are some important things the American people 
should know about her previous service in terms of the peacekeeping 
forces under her direction as far as the procurement, management, and 
followup.
  Here is what we know. Forty-three percent of all the money spent on 
international peacekeeping at the United Nations was either involved in 
fraud or kickback schemes and illegal contracting.
  The other thing we know is that the international peacekeepers raped 
and abused hundreds and hundreds of people, for which at this time 
today the services under the direction of Ms. Lute have not been 
directed toward or the care given for those individuals who suffered 
those consequences.
  The other thing we know is that the contracting associated with her 
administration in the U.N. was associated with several no-bid contracts 
that were inefficiently done and ineffectively carried out. It is on 
that basis that I agreed not to hold up her nomination. She will go 
through, and she will be confirmed. But this nominee has to prove 
herself at the Department of Homeland Security. I am willing to be 
proven wrong, but the fact is, her reason for the problems she had at 
the U.N. was the lack of cooperation at the U.N. She is going to be 
running a much larger budget with greater responsibilities, and if, in 
fact, that is the case, and it was all the U.N., then her limited 
experience, we can hope, will grow, and she will be an effective 
Assistant Secretary.
  There are other people much more qualified who could fill this 
position. As I said, this is a very humble lady. She has served with 
great distinguished service in the Armed Services of this country. 
There is no personal animosity nor direction toward her individually. 
But the fact is, one of our most difficult agencies is the Department 
of Homeland Security. It has big problems, conflicts, lack of 
transparency, and inefficiency.
  It is my hope that after she is confirmed, she will, in fact, be up 
to the task, and we, both in the Senate and as American taxpayers, will 
get real value out of her service.
  With that, I yield the floor.

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