Concurrent Resolution On The Budget For Fiscal Year 2008--Conference Report
Floor Speech
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008--CONFERENCE REPORT -- (Senate - May 17, 2007)
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Mr. VITTER. Madam President, I rise very briefly to turn away from the budget for just a few minutes and focus on a matter of extreme importance for Louisiana and, indeed, the country, and announce a very important and positive resolution to this matter to give us the right leadership we need in place at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in time for this upcoming hurricane season which is due to begin this June 1.
Today LTG Carl Strock is ending his tenure as the Chief of Engineers and Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He served the Army honorably for 36 years, and for the last 2 years of his career, I would say he has gone under intense work and pressure as he led the Corps through the extraordinary events of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and those recovery efforts.
I join everyone here, Republicans and Democrats, in thanking General Strock for his service and wishing him all the best in the next phase of his life.
This comes, as I mentioned, right as our next hurricane season is due to begin on June 1. As we go into that threat and into that battle, as it were, it is very important we have a new commander in place to lead us. The President nominated LTG Robert Van Antwerp to replace General Strock.
I came to this floor literally just a half an hour ago very concerned that his nomination was being held up by a Democratic hold, and that threatened that we would not have our new commander in place for this new hurricane season.
One does not go into battle without a leader, and that battle, as I said, is just a few weeks away.
It is important to acknowledge that nobody wanted to rush into this nomination. We all wanted to make sure this nominee, General Van Antwerp, is the right person for the job. Indeed, we have. I spent weeks looking very carefully at the nomination, as did my colleague from Louisiana, Senator Landrieu. We held hearings on this nomination in the committee of jurisdiction for the Corps, on which I serve, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Everyone over that period of time got comfortable and very supportive of this nomination. That is why it is very appropriate that we move forward and make sure this nominee, this leader, is in place before the start of the next hurricane season.
As I mentioned, I literally came to the floor a half an hour ago, and this was very much uncertain because there was a Democratic hold on the nomination. I am very relieved and very happy to say that in that short period of time, that has been cleared up. That hold on this particular nomination has been lifted, and the nomination of the new head of the Corps, GEN Robert Van Antwerp, will be cleared through the Senate later today.
This is very positive. I thank Majority Leader Reid for agreeing to this literally in the last hour in light of the crucial nature of this position and the impending start of this next hurricane season, June 1.
I, again, thank everyone for working toward this important goal. It is important that we have the right leader at the helm in time for the battle, in time for the start of the new hurricane season, June 1. Clearly, our work in overseeing the Corps, and our work in funding key work of the Corps in the gulf coast region continues. I will certainly redouble my efforts in that regard. But at least we have our general in place, our leader in place for the hurricane season, which is very appropriate and very necessary.
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