[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 191 (Monday, December 2, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6784-S6786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Nomination of Dan R. Brouillette
Mr. WYDEN. Madam President, here is what the Senate and the American
people need to know before the next vote coming up on the nominee to be
the Secretary of Energy.
First, Mr. Rick Perry--who until yesterday was the Energy Secretary--
has refused to comply with the subpoena to testify about his
involvement in the Trump-Ukraine scheme.
Second, Acting Secretary Dan Brouillette--nominated to replace Mr.
Perry--has failed to provide substantive answers to key questions about
Mr. Perry's dealings with the Ukrainian state-owned energy company
Naftogaz.
Third, since I have been raising questions on this matter, Naftogaz
executives have reportedly been coming forward to cooperate in a
Federal investigation into the Ukraine scheme.
Mr. Perry has virtually skipped town, leaving his job after insisting
for months that he was determined to stay while the Ukraine scheme is
front and center in the House impeachment inquiry.
Now, with the vote on Mr. Perry's replacement just minutes away, the
Senate is truly in the dark, lacking answers to important questions.
Those questions include issues pertaining to Mr. Perry's role in a
campaign to change the leadership of Naftogaz; questions about what Mr.
Perry, his donors, and certain crooked associates of Rudy Giuliani's
stood to gain from those changes; questions about Mr. Perry's role in
the Ukraine scheme, which Trump administration officials have admitted
was about withholding critical military aid in a face-to-face meeting
until the Ukrainian President agreed to do for Donald Trump what he
described as a political favor.
These are serious issues closely tied to ongoing investigations. This
goes way, way beyond the well-documented waste we often see in the
Trump Cabinet--private jets, soundproof booths, $30,000 desks; this is
about the administration using its full might to push a foreign leader
into helping Donald Trump's reelection campaign. The Senate ought to
know about Rick Perry's involvement, especially since he was described
by Mr. Holmes and others as one of the ``three amigos'' who were right
in the center of all this.
What exactly is the rush on confirming his replacement? This isn't
the first week of a new administration. Nothing is going to happen to
the powerplants or nuclear facilities if the Senate takes the time to
get answers to these central questions. Dan Brouillette is already the
Acting Secretary. No American interest suffers if the Senate insists on
getting answers that go right to the heart of the Senate's oversight
responsibilities.
I briefly want to recall what this is all about.
The ``three amigos'' basically seized control of our country's ties
with Ukraine under the direction of the President and his personal
lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Secretary Perry led the American delegation that
attended President Zelensky's inauguration in May after the Vice
President was told to stay home. The Vice President and President
Zelensky held private meetings.
It has been reported that Perry pushed President Zelensky to fire
members of the board of Naftogaz and replace them with Mr. Perry's own
political donors. At a subsequent meeting with the Ukraine Government
and energy sector officials, Perry reportedly said that the entire
board ought to be replaced.
The Associated Press reported that at that meeting--and I am going to
quote here--the Associated Press said that one of those people who
attended that meeting where Perry was in attendance ``said he was
floored by the American requests because the person had always viewed
the U.S. government `as having a higher ethical standard.'''
The changes Mr. Perry was seeking lined up with changes sought by a
pair of now-indicted men, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, who were
apparently friends of Mr. Giuliani's. They, too, wanted different
leadership at Naftogaz. Here is what the Associated Press had to say
about that:
As Rudy Giuliani was pushing Ukraine officials last spring
to investigate Donald Trump's main political rivals, a group
of individuals with ties to the president and his personal
lawyer were also active in the former Soviet republic. Their
aims were profit, not politics. This circle of businessmen
and Republican donors touted connections to Mr. Giuliani and
Trump while trying to install new management at the top of
Ukraine's massive state-owned gas company. Their plan was to
then steer lucrative contracts to companies controlled by
Trump allies, according to two people with knowledge of their
plans.
Federal prosecutors are investigating the role of Mr. Giuliani. At
least one Naftogaz official is reportedly cooperating in the
investigation.
Some of Mr. Perry's political donors did score a lucrative energy
deal in Ukraine after Perry got involved there. Perry admits he was in
contact with Giuliani about Ukraine.
It was also revealed in impeachment testimony that Perry was
seemingly made aware in July of the Trump scheme and Ukraine.
Unlike Fiona Hill, unlike David Holmes, unlike Lieutenant Colonel
Vindman, Rick Perry has refused to testify and share what he knows with
the public.
For nearly 3 weeks, I have been trying to get answers. At Mr.
Brouillette's nomination hearing on November 14, I asked him really
basic questions. I had plenty of time--to a great extent, courtesy of
my good friend the ranking minority member, who is always fair. I had
plenty of time. I asked basic questions. It came down to this:
Who did Secretary Perry meet with regarding Ukraine and Naftogaz? He
was the head of a powerful department. He was one of the self-styled
``three amigos.'' Who else was in the loop? What did they talk about?
Acting Secretary Brouillette only acknowledged--he wasn't willing to
say
[[Page S6785]]
anything. This was a full court stonewall. He wasn't willing to say
anything other than that there were meetings--no other information and
nothing substantive on the questions I asked. So I just kept asking
him.
Who took part in the meetings with Secretary Perry on Naftogaz? When
and where did they take place? What materials were produced? I don't
think Secretary Perry just went to those meetings all by his lonesome
with maybe a bag lunch or something like that. My guess is that he had
staff from the Department of Energy with materials produced by the
Department of Energy.
Who outside of the Department did Secretary Perry speak with
regarding changes in Naftogaz, and what was the substance of those
communications? It is not like Secretary Perry would have paid his own
way and freelanced a ``three amigos''-Ukraine policy in secret. This is
the head of the Energy Department. It looks like he was right in the
center of the Trump corruption scheme in Ukraine.
I am just going to close in this way. I don't understand the rush.
Mr. Brouillette is at the Department of Energy now. He is the acting
chief. Western civilization is not going to end if the Senate insists
on getting some answers to the questions that I have presented this
afternoon. We are still going to have our powerplants and nuclear
facilities running, and all of the national security activities that go
on at the Department of Energy will still go forward if the Senate
takes the time to require that there be substantive answers to the
questions that I have asked of this nominee.
I believe it is malpractice for the U.S. Senate to rush this debate
before getting answers from this administration, Mr. Brouillette,
Secretary Perry, and those who, I believe, could answer these questions
if they didn't want to, in effect, say to the U.S. Senate: We are just
going to pass here. You might want to hold us accountable, but we have
a chance to just skip out, and we are going to take it.
This is not the way the Senate is supposed to work. That is why I
cannot support moving forward with this nominee, and I will be voting
no this afternoon.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Boozman). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, within a few minutes, we will be voting
on the President's nomination for the new U.S. Secretary of Energy, Dan
Brouillette. I am here to offer my support for Mr. Brouillette, and I
hope my colleagues will vote for him. I am confident that, with his
leadership, we will continue to build on the progress we have made
under Secretary Rick Perry.
Secretary Perry has been a very effective Secretary of Energy during
his time here. He has used his executive and political skills, which
are considerable in his having been the Governor of Texas longer than
anybody and in his having been involved in politics for a while, to
take charge of this very important Department and lead it in a very
strong way.
For example, one of the best kept secrets in Washington, DC, is that
over the last 5 years, we have had a record level of funding for
supercomputing, which has allowed the United States to be the first in
the world in competition with China and Japan and other countries. We
have had significant increases in funding for National Laboratories--a
42-percent increase over 5 years. That is record funding. Secretary
Perry has also helped to save taxpayers' dollars by having made sure
the huge construction projects we have in some of the Department of
Energy's facilities have been brought under control. So Mr.
Brouillette, should he be confirmed by the Senate tonight, will be
following a very distinguished Secretary in Rick Perry.
I look forward to working with Mr. Brouillette. I and Senator
Feinstein, of California, are the chairman and ranking member of the
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. We have worked very well
together over the last, nearly, 10 years in supporting the Department
both under the Obama administration and under the Trump administration.
We have worked in a bipartisan way and have had strong support from our
colleagues, which has been made possible by excellent Secretaries of
Energy. I believe Mr. Brouillette will be yet another one of them.
He knows the Department well, as he has been the Deputy Secretary
since 2017. In my conversations with laboratory directors and others
across the country, they feel like he knows them well. I know that this
is true in Tennessee. For example, at the Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, which is our largest science and energy laboratory, Mr.
Brouillette has been crucial in the building of the world's fastest
supercomputer, Frontier, which is housed in Oak Ridge. As Senator
Feinstein and I have insisted, he has also been crucial in making sure
that we stay on time and on budget in the building of a huge uranium
processing facility at Oak Ridge, which has been the largest Federal
construction project in our State since World War II, when the
Manhattan Project was created there.
Mr. Brouillette has visited the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He
understands the important work being done there, both at the laboratory
and at the Y-12 uranium facility. He understands the importance of the
environmental cleanup being done there and at Hanford in Washington
State and other places.
In short, I think we are very fortunate to have someone of his
caliber and his experience nominated to head one of our most important
Departments--the Department of Energy.
I look forward as chairman of his appropriations subcommittee, should
he be confirmed, to working with him during this appropriations
process, which we hope is about complete, and during the next one,
which will be coming up soon.
I am here simply to say that I support Mr. Brouillette. I am glad the
President nominated him. I hope he gets a big vote in a few minutes. I
look forward to working with him.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.
Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about our nominee
and the vote for Secretary of Energy.
Mr. Brouillette came before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee 2 weeks ago. I found him to be up to this enormous task. He
is a good man, and he has the credentials. He came out of our committee
16 to 4, and that is pretty impressive in today's toxic world that we
live in, sorry to say.
He has a long history with energy issues and with the Department of
Energy, so he is no stranger to this agency or to the workings of this
agency. He has served as the staff director of the House Energy and
Commerce Committee, so he understands the proceedings of this body and
of the House. At the Department of Energy, he served as an Assistant
Secretary of Energy during the Bush administration and, of course, as
the Deputy Secretary for the past 2 years under Secretary Perry. He
knows the Department; he knows Congress; and he knows the energy issues
facing our Nation.
He has also demonstrated his managerial skills. He has been vice
president of Ford Motor Company, and he has been a senior vice
president of USAA, which I think we all know is the large insurance and
financial services giant that serves the members of our military and
their families.
This Senate has confirmed him twice before, and we have gone indepth
in looking into him, and he has been forthcoming. He has not held
anything back. I asked him every question I possibly could. I know some
of my dear colleagues on my side of the aisle have some concerns on
some questions they want answered. I did get into those with him. He
assured me that his answers were accurate and correct, and I found them
to be very substantial.
I basically come before you to say that we have a gentleman who I
think is well qualified. He is ready for the job; he is up to the job;
and he understands the job. That is what we should be looking at.
So if we could put politics aside--truly put politics aside--and look
at the qualifications of a person who is willing to serve and his
family, who is
[[Page S6786]]
behind him 100 percent, wanting him to give that service--he and his
wife are both former military people.
I found him to be quite charming, quite delightful to work with and
talk to but, more than that, most professional in his approach and how
he has handled himself and in the way we have worked with him in our
committee. Being the ranking member on the Energy and Natural Resources
Committee, I have worked with him, and we have worked with him
throughout the last 2 years. He has been very forthcoming and good to
work with.
I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to please
consider voting for this gentleman because I think he is really the
right person at the right time for this job.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to start the
vote at this time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Under the previous order, all postcloture time is expired.
The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the
Brouillette nomination?
Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There is a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator
from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr.
Graham), the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Portman), the Senator from South
Dakota (Mr. Rounds), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott), and
the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Toomey).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Bennet),
the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from New York
(Mrs. Gillibrand), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the
Senator from Alabama (Mr. Jones), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms.
Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), the Senator from
Massachusetts (Ms. Warren), and the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr.
Whitehouse) are necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 70, nays 15, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 367 Ex.]
YEAS--70
Alexander
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Braun
Burr
Cantwell
Capito
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Cassidy
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Enzi
Ernst
Feinstein
Fischer
Gardner
Grassley
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hoeven
Hyde-Smith
Inhofe
Isakson
Johnson
Kaine
Kennedy
King
Lankford
Lee
Manchin
McConnell
McSally
Moran
Murkowski
Murphy
Murray
Paul
Perdue
Peters
Risch
Roberts
Romney
Rubio
Sasse
Scott (FL)
Shaheen
Shelby
Sinema
Smith
Stabenow
Sullivan
Tester
Thune
Tillis
Udall
Warner
Wicker
Young
NAYS--15
Baldwin
Blumenthal
Brown
Cortez Masto
Hirono
Leahy
Markey
Menendez
Merkley
Reed
Rosen
Schatz
Schumer
Van Hollen
Wyden
NOT VOTING--15
Bennet
Blunt
Booker
Gillibrand
Graham
Harris
Jones
Klobuchar
Portman
Rounds
Sanders
Scott (SC)
Toomey
Warren
Whitehouse
The nomination was confirmed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motion to
reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table, and the
President will be notified of the Senate's action.
____________________