Nominations
NOMINATIONS -- (Senate - January 20, 2005)
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, first, let me congratulate the new chairman of the HELP Committee, the Senator from Wyoming, for his leadership. I wish him the same level of success for everything he brings to the floor--that it be both bipartisan and moved through so quickly. I think our decision to move the Secretary of Education so quickly was the right decision. I was happy to join in that vote.
I wish the chairman the very best in his new assignment on the committee.
There are several nominations that are likely to move through with equal dispatch--if not today, within the next few days.
It has been my honor to meet with the new Secretary of Commerce-Designate, Carlos Gutierrez, who was formerly the CEO of Kellogg, and is now taking on this post. He is new to Government but he brings an amazing perspective to the Department of Commerce. I am certain his nomination will move through very quickly. I am certain he will do a very good job.
The same thing can be said of the Governor of Nebraska, Mike Johanns, who has been tapped by the President to serve as the new Secretary of Agriculture. He and I had a very positive conversation and dialog yesterday. He is from Iowa originally. He went to law school in Nebraska and made it his home. He was elected Governor. Having grown up on a dairy farm in Iowa, he understands farming first hand. We had a very positive conversation. He succeeds an excellent Secretary, Ann Veneman, who now will go on to be the head of UNICEF.
Mike Johanns was an excellent choice by President Bush and was confirmed without any debate or controversy. I say that because many people think when it comes to the Senate floor it is nothing but a fistfight every single day. That is not a fact. We will disagree, but in many instances the President's recommendations are approved without controversy and without debate. Every White House prays that every recommendation, every nomination, and every bill will have the same outcome. That is never the case. We will do our best to work with this President. Coming together today, in this session, immediately after the inauguration, is an indication of our efforts to do so.
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