Lifting of Holds

LIFTING OF HOLDS -- (Senate - September 05, 2006)

Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, in August, I announced my intention to object to any unanimous consent request for the Senate to take up the nominations of John Ray Correll to be Director of the Office of Surface Mining, Interior Department, and Mark Myers to be Director of the U.S. Geological Services, Interior Department. Previously, in May, I also placed a hold on David Bernhardt, the administration's nominee to be Interior Solicitor. I also objected to any unanimous consent to keep these nominees on the calendar during the August recess. Instead, I asked that these nominations be returned to the White House. I did so because, despite several requests, I had received no assurance from the administration that the needs of people in more than 700 rural counties in over 40 States would be adequately addressed by fully funded county payments. The county payments law, which provides a stable revenue source for education, roads, and other county services in rural areas, is due to expire at the end of this year. In early 2005, I cosponsored a bipartisan bill, S. 267, to reauthorize county payments for another 7 years. In February, the administration proposed reauthorizing the law for only 5 years, while cutting funding by 60 percent, and funding that reduced portion with a controversial Federal land sale scheme.

During the August recess, the administration agreed to work with us to find a mutually acceptable solution to fully fund county payments for another year. On August 7, 2006, I received a letter from Mr. Mark Rey, Under Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in which the administration committed to work with me, and my colleagues Senator SMITH and Senator CRAIG, to reauthorize the program for the coming year, through a mutually acceptable funding source. This is not a long-term solution, but it will address the needs of hundreds of communities for the short term. Because of the commitment of the administration to work with me, and my colleagues Senator SMITH and Senator CRAIG, to reach a solution, I will no longer object to any unanimous consent request for the Senate to take up the nominations of John Ray Correll, Mark Myers, and David Bernhardt. I will, however, continue to look for the agreed upon funding solution to be proposed from the administration, while looking toward a future long-term solution.

I ask unanimous consent that a copy of this statement along with Mr. Rey's letter be printed in the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD.

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

http://thomas.loc.gov/