[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 177 (Wednesday, November 1, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6962-S6963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Nomination of Bill Wehrum

  I also ask that the leader prioritize another nominee that has also 
faced unfair and false attacks. I have known Bill Wehrum for years, and 
I have no doubt that he is the best choice to head the Office of Air 
and Radiation. I regret that his first nomination to the EPA back 
during the George W. Bush administration was blocked by Senate 
Democrats. It is my hope that we can correct that wrong and confirm him 
as one of the Assistant Administrators. He has served the public and is 
widely recognized for his knowledge of the Clean Air Act.
  The Clean Air Act has been very successful. In fact, I was one of the 
original cosponsors of the Clean Air Act Amendments. It has performed 
very well. He was very much involved in that also. So there is no one 
more qualified to head that Office of Air and Radiation than Mr. 
Wehrum, and I am sure of that. He has been consistently recognized as a 
leader and top lawyer in environmental law by such groups and 
publications as Chambers USA, the Legal 500 United States, and 
Washingtonian magazine.
  He, too, has worked at the EPA in the past and will once again serve 
the Agency and the American people with integrity. Mr. Wehrum is also 
under attack for working on behalf of industry. The environmental 
industry--and it is an industry, as they, too, are working to secure 
money for themselves by pursuing an agenda of their sponsors--is 
lobbying against Mr. Wehrum because he wants to make regulations 
workable within the scope of the statute for the regulated community.
  This is very curious to me because we want environmental regulations 
to improve our air quality without putting entire industries out of 
business--a balance that is a part of the Clean Air Act. Those words 
are used in the Clean Air Act: The rules need to be workable and 
implementable without undue harm to our economy.
  It is time that we returned some common sense and rule of law to the 
Environmental Protection Agency. We have taken the first and only step 
with the confirmation of Scott Pruitt, and Bill Wehrum is the next step 
toward that goal. Right now there has only been one confirmation, and 
that is for Scott Pruitt.
  With the repeal of the Clean Power Plan sitting before the EPA, I ask 
that

[[Page S6963]]

the leader prioritize Mr. Wehrum's confirmation vote so that we can 
give the Office of Air and Radiation the leadership it needs to make 
the important policy objectives of the President and a majority of our 
colleagues and States a reality.
  Again, we have five EPA nominees that have been voted out of 
committee, and we are now into November and only have one EPA appointee 
confirmed. We need to do better than that, and I think this is going to 
happen.
  Let me just repeat some of the things that are going on in the 
Environmental Protection Agency. Scott Pruitt in his meeting yesterday 
called this to the attention of the American people. We knew it all the 
time, but people on the outside didn't know it and they were shocked. 
They found out that in the Scientific Advisory Board of the Obama 
administration, six of the seven on the board were direct recipients of 
grants from the EPA and they were making policy decisions for the EPA. 
Now, how bad is that? In fact, we added it up. I would state to the 
Chair that it came to $119 million going to six people who are on the 
board making decisions that affected the grants to go out. That is the 
type of thing that he is cleaning up. He has the guts to do it, and he 
is doing it.
  I am anxious to get these two confirmed, and I am hopeful that will 
take place.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sullivan). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
notwithstanding rule XXII, that at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 2, 
there be 30 minutes of postcloture time remaining on the Eid 
nomination, equally divided between the leaders or their designees; 
that following the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate vote 
on the confirmation of the Eid nomination; that if confirmed, the 
motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the 
President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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