[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 27, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1509-S1510]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CLOTURE MOTION
The PRESIDING OFFICER. There will now be 2 minutes of debate, equally
divided, prior to the cloture vote.
The Senator from Wyoming.
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, it is time to vote on the nomination of
Andrew Wheeler to be the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency.
For the past year, Andrew Wheeler has served as the Senate-confirmed
Deputy Administrator of the EPA, and for the past 7 months, he has
served as the Acting Administrator. He has done an admirable job in
charge of the EPA.
Under his leadership, the EPA has put forward commonsense proposals
to roll back punishing regulations and still protect America's air and
water. He is committed to protecting both human health and the
environment.
Andrew Wheeler's qualifications are without question. He has spent
decades working in environmental policy at the EPA itself, here on
Capitol Hill, and as a consultant to environmental and energy clients.
President Trump picked the right person to lead the Environmental
Protection Agency when he nominated Andrew Wheeler. It is time for the
Senate to confirm him to this important post.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the nomination of
Andrew Wheeler as the Administrator of the EPA. Under the provisions of
the Federal Vacancies Act, Mr. Wheeler can continue to lead the EPA
until August 7 of this year.
Rushing to judgment on his nomination will close the window of
opportunity the Senate has now to ensure that he reverses course on a
handful of important policies that protect our planet while creating
American jobs.
I am not calling for delay for delay's sake. We have 161 days to
ensure that Mr. Wheeler withdraws his proposal to put the mercury and
air toxics standards rule in legal jeopardy. We have 161 days to hear
him say that he supports Senate ratification of a treaty that phases
out harmful HFCs while creating jobs. We have 161 days to ensure that
he negotiates with a coalition, including California and 12 other
States, on vehicle fuel efficiency standards and greenhouse gas
emissions while giving the auto industry the certainty they need.
While progress is being made on these important issues, I am asking
my colleagues to vote no today on cloture on the motion to proceed to
this nomination.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, after careful consideration, I have
decided to oppose the confirmation of Andrew Wheeler, the nominee for
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA.
While Mr. Wheeler is certainly qualified for this position, I have
too many concerns with the actions he has taken during his tenure as
Acting Administrator to be able to support his promotion. I believe
that Mr. Wheeler, unlike Scott Pruitt, understands the mission of the
EPA and acts in accordance with ethical standards; however, the
policies he has supported as Acting Administrator are not in the best
interest of our environment and public health, particularly given the
threat of climate change to our Nation.
I met at length with Mr. Wheeler, and we discussed many important
environmental issues about which I care
[[Page S1510]]
deeply, from EPA's enforcement of landmark environmental laws to
greenhouse gas emissions and mercury pollution. Since last August, the
EPA has proposed to roll back environmental protections, including
determining it is no longer ``appropriate and necessary'' to regulate
mercury emissions from power plants, halting efforts to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks, and replacing the Clean
Power Plan.
These efforts are of great importance to the State of Maine, which is
located at the end of our Nation's ``air pollution tailpipe'' and is on
the receiving end of pollution generated by coal-fired power plants in
other States. Moreover, there is no doubt that the greenhouse gas
emissions driving climate change pose a significant threat to our
State's economy and our natural resources, from our working forests,
fishing, and agricultural industries, to tourism, and recreation.
Reducing harmful air pollutants is critical for public health,
particularly for Maine, which has among the highest rates of asthma in
the country. In Maine, cars, trucks, and other vehicles produce more
than 50 percent of our State's greenhouse gas emissions. Controls for
mercury, one of the most persistent and dangerous pollutants, are
especially important for children and pregnant women. The Agency's
recent efforts to halt progress in these critical areas takes us in the
wrong direction.
In keeping with my past practice, I will vote to allow the full
Senate to consider Mr. Wheeler's nomination so that every Senator can
have a clear up or down vote on this important nomination of a member
of the President's Cabinet.
However, due to the actions Mr. Wheeler has taken during his tenure
at the EPA, I will vote against his confirmation.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before
the Senate the pending cloture motion, which the clerk will state.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
Cloture Motion
We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the
provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate,
do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination
of Andrew Wheeler, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency.
Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis, John Boozman, Johnny
Isakson, Mike Crapo, Pat Roberts, John Hoeven, Shelley
Moore Capito, Roger F. Wicker, John Barrasso, Joni
Ernst, Mike Rounds, John Thune, John Cornyn, Jerry
Moran, Chuck Grassley, Richard Burr.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum
call has been waived.
The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that the debate on the
nomination of Andrew Wheeler, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency, shall be brought to a close?
The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator
from Florida (Mr. Scott).
Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott)
would have voted ``yea.''
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Ms. Sinema) is
necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Romney). Are there any other Senators in
the Chamber desiring to vote?
The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 52, nays 46, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 32 Ex.]
YEAS--52
Alexander
Barrasso
Blackburn
Blunt
Boozman
Braun
Burr
Capito
Cassidy
Collins
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Daines
Enzi
Ernst
Fischer
Gardner
Graham
Grassley
Hawley
Hoeven
Hyde-Smith
Inhofe
Isakson
Johnson
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
McConnell
McSally
Moran
Murkowski
Paul
Perdue
Portman
Risch
Roberts
Romney
Rounds
Rubio
Sasse
Scott (SC)
Shelby
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Toomey
Wicker
Young
NAYS--46
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Booker
Brown
Cantwell
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Feinstein
Gillibrand
Harris
Hassan
Heinrich
Hirono
Jones
Kaine
King
Klobuchar
Leahy
Manchin
Markey
Menendez
Merkley
Murphy
Murray
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schumer
Shaheen
Smith
Stabenow
Tester
Udall
Van Hollen
Warner
Warren
Whitehouse
Wyden
NOT VOTING--2
Scott (FL)
Sinema
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 52, the nays are
46.
The motion is agreed to.
____________________