[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 147 (Thursday, December 4, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6317-S6318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




NOMINATION OF JOSEPH S. HEZIR TO BE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, DEPARTMENT 
                               OF ENERGY

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the 
nomination.
  The bill clerk read the nomination of Joseph S. Hezir, of Virginia, 
to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Energy.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. There will now be 2 minutes of 
debate prior to a vote on the nomination.
  Mr. HELLER. Mr. President, I am opposed to the nomination of Joseph 
S. Hezir for the position of Chief Financial Officer, CFO, at the 
Department of Energy, DOE. The CFO position plays an influential policy 
role within the DOE, overseeing all financial matters and ensuring the 
successful implementation of Departmentwide policies. Given that Mr. 
Hezir, as recently as 2 years ago, lobbied the Obama administration and 
Congress in favor of Yucca

[[Page S6318]]

Mountain, an issue my State vehemently opposes and I have diligently 
fought to block and defund in Congress, I simply cannot support his 
nomination.
  I have worked closely with our congressional delegation over the past 
8 years to fight efforts from outsiders to force nuclear waste on the 
State of Nevada. That includes defunding DOE efforts to advance the 
project and diligently questioning all DOE and Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, NRC, nominees on their perspective regarding long-term 
nuclear waste storage. The 2012 Blue Ribbon Commission Report on 
America's Nuclear Future provides a path forward for safe, responsible 
nuclear waste storage so our Nation can move beyond Yucca Mountain once 
and for all. My litmus test for any nominee involved in nuclear waste 
disposal programs is support of the consent-based approach recommended 
in that report.
  Mr. Hezir's nomination comes before the Senate today without one 
hearing in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. It is the unique 
responsibility we hold as United States Senators to carefully examine 
nominees for influential positions in the executive branch, like the 
CFO at the DOE--providing advice and consent. As a member of the Senate 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, that has jurisdiction over 
this position at the Department of Energy, I take this responsibility 
seriously and deeply regret that I was not afforded that opportunity 
given the importance of this position.
  Nevadans have the right to be safe in their own backyards. I 
recognize the need to address the problem of spent nuclear fuel, but 
Nevada, a State without any nuclear powerplants, should not bear the 
sole burden of long-term storage of the Nation's nuclear waste. I have 
strong concerns about the high amount of uncertainty that could create 
a dangerous situation for the surrounding communities and environment, 
and I simply do not trust the Federal Government to appropriately 
manage the proposed Yucca Mountain facility.
  Without the opportunity to carefully question Mr. Hezir in the 
nomination process, I can only assume he will continue his advocacy on 
behalf of Yucca Mountain within the DOE. For this reason, I oppose Mr. 
Hezir's nomination to be Chief Financial Officer at the Department of 
Energy and encourage my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I yield back the time.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, all time is 
yielded back.
  Mr. JOHANNS. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination 
of Joseph S. Hezir, of Virginia, to be Chief Financial Officer, 
Department of Energy?
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk called the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Louisiana (Ms. 
Landrieu), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy), the Senator from 
Michigan (Mr. Levin), the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Rockefeller), 
and the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Udall) are necessarily absent.
  Mr. CORNYN. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the 
Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Coburn), the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. 
Cochran), and the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz).
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Are there any other Senators in the 
Chamber desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 89, nays 3, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 308 Ex.]

                                YEAS--89

     Alexander
     Ayotte
     Baldwin
     Begich
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Blunt
     Booker
     Boozman
     Boxer
     Brown
     Burr
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Chambliss
     Coats
     Collins
     Coons
     Corker
     Cornyn
     Crapo
     Donnelly
     Durbin
     Feinstein
     Fischer
     Flake
     Franken
     Gillibrand
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hagan
     Harkin
     Hatch
     Heinrich
     Heitkamp
     Hirono
     Hoeven
     Inhofe
     Isakson
     Johanns
     Johnson (SD)
     Johnson (WI)
     Kaine
     King
     Kirk
     Klobuchar
     Lee
     Manchin
     Markey
     McCain
     McCaskill
     McConnell
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Mikulski
     Moran
     Murkowski
     Murphy
     Murray
     Nelson
     Paul
     Portman
     Pryor
     Reed
     Reid
     Risch
     Roberts
     Rubio
     Sanders
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Scott
     Sessions
     Shaheen
     Shelby
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Thune
     Toomey
     Udall (NM)
     Vitter
     Walsh
     Warner
     Warren
     Whitehouse
     Wicker
     Wyden

                                NAYS--3

     Barrasso
     Enzi
     Heller

                             NOT VOTING--8

     Coburn
     Cochran
     Cruz
     Landrieu
     Leahy
     Levin
     Rockefeller
     Udall (CO)
  The nomination was confirmed.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 
motions to reconsider are considered made and laid upon the table, and 
the President will be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.

                          ____________________