[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 3, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2212-S2213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Nomination of David Bernhardt

  Mr. President, I conclude my remarks by turning briefly to a related 
subject that deals with, I believe, compromised, corrupt Trump 
nominees.
  The Energy and Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to vote 
tomorrow on the nomination of David Bernhardt to be the Interior 
Secretary, but there is developing news--news revealed just last 
night--that ought to be enough to put this flawed nomination on hold.
  According to the Washington Post, ``[t]he Interior Department's 
Office of Inspector General is reviewing allegations that acting 
secretary David Bernhardt may have violated his ethics pledge by 
weighing in on issues affecting a former client, the office confirmed 
Tuesday.''
  I made it clear in Mr. Bernhardt's hearing last week that I believed 
he had ethics problems owed to the appearance that he had been working 
on behalf of former clients while he had served as a public official. I 
am also very concerned about the real possibility that Mr. Bernhardt 
made false statements under oath in his nomination hearing last week. I 
asked the Interior Department's inspector general to look into these 
matters, but she has not had time to respond to my request. The fact is 
that the inspector general is just at the very outset of this process.
  Here is the prospect this body faces. The Senate could be on its way 
to installing an Interior Secretary who

[[Page S2213]]

could almost immediately face an investigation for corruption and lying 
under oath. These are serious allegations that face Mr. Bernhardt, so I 
feel strongly that the vote in the Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee needs to be delayed until they can be investigated fully.
  With all of the Trump nominees who have resigned in scandal--by the 
way, one being the predecessor of whoever will be the head of the 
Interior Department, Ryan Zinke, who, when he came for his confirmation 
hearing, promised nine times he would be like Teddy Roosevelt and left 
under an enormous set of ethical clouds--it is clear this Republican-
controlled Senate has decided that it is going to confirm first, ask 
questions later, and maybe duck all of the hard questions altogether.
  I believe that needs to change right now. It is time to restore 
public trust in this process. I do not believe the Senate should allow 
the Interior Department to turn into a revolving door of corruption and 
scandal. The vote on the Bernhardt nomination, in my view, should not 
proceed tomorrow in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Texas.