[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 628]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       NOMINATION OF GALE NORTON

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, for the benefit of all Members, I want 
to advise them that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources just 
concluded reporting out favorably the nomination of Gale Norton as the 
President's nominee for Secretary of the Interior. The committee vote 
was 18-2. I don't think there is any question that the nominee, in 
effect, received a mandate from our committee.
  It is interesting to note the thoroughness under which the Energy and 
Natural Resources Committee conducted 2 days of hearings. I 
particularly thank Senator Bingaman, who chaired the committee during 
the time under which control of the Senate was under the other party, 
and all those on both sides who worked to expedite the material 
necessary to determine the inquiries that came in.
  There were 224 questions submitted to the nominee for response. All 
those questions were answered over a matter of a day and a half. 
Looking at many of the written questions, I did note that she had 
answered in the open hearing most of the questions. In any event, it is 
interesting that in the case of the former Secretary of the Interior, 
Bruce Babbitt, the committee reported him out the same day after 
concluding its hearings. All the questions, of course, were not in on 
that particular occasion. I point this out for the benefit of those who 
are students of history and procedure in the Senate.
  I join with all our colleagues in congratulating the nominee, Gale 
Norton. She will be a fine Secretary of the Interior. She is 
extraordinarily qualified in public lands and will bring back a balance 
to the assessment of science and technology, as we look to the 
development of resources on our public lands.

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