Congressional Record—Senate S2422
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S2422 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 11, 2019 The motion was agreed to. move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- confirm Mr. David Bernhardt as the nation of Raul M. Arias-Marxuach, of Puerto f next Secretary of the Interior for the Rico, to be United States District Judge for United States of America. It was a EXECUTIVE SESSION the District of Puerto Rico. strong vote—56 to 41. Mitch McConnell, Deb Fischer, Mike Rounds, James E. Risch, John Thune, I want to begin my remarks this Rick Scott, James M. Inhofe, John Cor- afternoon by rising to express my grat- EXECUTIVE CALENDAR nyn, John Hoeven, Pat Roberts, Tim itude and appreciation to Mr. Bern- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I Scott, Steve Daines, Richard Burr, hardt for stepping up to the plate to move to proceed to executive session to John Boozman, Roy Blunt, Shelley continue to serve his country and to consider Calendar No. 33. Moore Capito, John Barrasso. continue to serve the Department of The PRESIDING OFFICER. The f the Interior now in the role of Sec- question is on agreeing to the motion. retary, the individual who is going to The motion was agreed to. LEGISLATIVE SESSION be running the Department of the Inte- The clerk will report the nomination. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I rior for the United States. The bill clerk read the nomination of move to proceed to legislative session. I thank my colleagues. It was a bi- Rodolfo Armando Ruiz II, of Florida, to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The partisan vote in the Senate, which I be United States District Judge for the question is on agreeing to the motion. think is important for voting for now- Southern District of Florida. The motion was agreed to. Secretary Bernhardt. Actually, I would like to be the first Senator to call him CLOTURE MOTION f Secretary Bernhardt. If you and your Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I EXECUTIVE SESSION send a cloture motion to the desk. family are watching, Mr. Secretary, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- thank you. I also want to mention that I have ture motion having been presented EXECUTIVE CALENDAR been listening to some of the speeches under rule XXII, the Chair directs the made by my colleagues on the other clerk to read the motion. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I side of the aisle. To be perfectly blunt, The bill clerk read as follows: move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 36. I find what we just witnessed a bit dis- CLOTURE MOTION heartening. I would like to say at the We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion. outset that we can and should disagree ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the on policy disputes. Certainly issues Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby The motion was agreed to. move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- The clerk will report the nomination. like land issues are really important to nation of Rodolfo Armando Ruiz II, of Flor- The bill clerk read the nomination of me in my State, that is for sure. We ida, to be United States District Judge for Joshua Wolson, of Pennsylvania, to be can disagree about the direction of how the Southern District of Florida. United States District Judge for the we are going to move some of those Mitch McConnell, Deb Fischer, Mike Eastern District of Pennsylvania. policies forward. What is disheart- Rounds, James E. Risch, John Thune, ening, though, is when you have some- CLOTURE MOTION Rick Scott, James M. Inhofe, John Cor- one like Mr. Bernhardt, who is willing Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I nyn, John Hoeven, Pat Roberts, Tim to serve his country again—and I am Scott, Steve Daines, Richard Burr, send a cloture motion to the desk. going to talk about that—essentially John Boozman, Roy Blunt, Shelley The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- getting his reputation dragged through Moore Capito, John Barrasso. ture motion having been presented the mud on the Senate floor. It is not under rule XXII, the Chair directs the f a good thing. It doesn’t encourage peo- clerk to read the motion. LEGISLATIVE SESSION ple to want to serve. The bill clerk read as follows: So, Mr. Secretary, thank you. I know Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I CLOTURE MOTION this wasn’t an easy confirmation proc- move to proceed to legislative session. We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- ess. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the When you look at his background, question is on agreeing to the motion. Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby this is actually one of the most quali- The motion was agreed to. move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- fied individuals to serve as the Sec- nation of Joshua Wolson, of Pennsylvania, to f be United States District Judge for the East- retary whom we have had in many EXECUTIVE SESSION ern District of Pennsylvania. years. He was the Solicitor General Mitch McConnell, David Perdue, Shelley under President George W. Bush, con- Moore Capito, John Barrasso, John firmed by the Senate; he was the Dep- EXECUTIVE CALENDAR Boozman, Mike Crapo, Richard C. uty Secretary for the last 2 years, con- Shelby, Mike Rounds, John Cornyn, firmed by this body; and now he is the Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I Roger F. Wicker, Pat Roberts, John Secretary. I would say those are very move to proceed to executive session to Thune, John Hoeven, Roy Blunt, Marco high qualifications. I just want to talk Rubio, Tim Scott, Kevin Cramer. consider Calendar No. 34. about him for a little bit. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Mr. MCCONNELL. I ask unanimous Why do I support Mr. Bernhardt? The question is on agreeing to the motion. consent that the mandatory quorum Secretary of the Department of the In- The motion was agreed to. calls for the cloture motions be waived. terior is really important to America. The clerk will report the nomination. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without It is critically important to my State, The bill clerk read the nomination of objection, it is so ordered. the great State of Alaska. We have Raul M. Arias-Marxuach, of Puerto Mr. MCCONNELL. I suggest the ab- over 200 million acres of land under the Rico, to be United States District sence of a quorum. Department of the Interior’s control in Judge for the District of Puerto Rico. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Alaska—200 million acres. That is over CLOTURE MOTION clerk will call the roll. two times the size of California. In Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I The bill clerk proceeded to call the fact, one-quarter of all the lands that send a cloture motion to the desk. roll. the Department of the Interior man- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I ask ages for the United States reside in ture motion having been presented unanimous consent that the order for Alaska. Let me repeat that. One-quar- under rule XXII, the Chair directs the the quorum call be rescinded. ter of all the lands that the Secretary clerk to read the motion. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without of the Interior manages in America are The bill clerk read as follows: objection, it is so ordered. in my State. CLOTURE MOTION CONFIRMATION OF DAVID BERNHARDT So we take this role of Secretary of We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, we the Interior very, very seriously, which ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the just voted in a very important vote on is why I wanted to come to the floor Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby the Senate floor—a bipartisan vote—to and again thank Secretary Bernhardt VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:03 Apr 12, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G11AP6.045 S11APPT1 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with SENATE April 11, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2423 and let him know that even though men and women in each State who watching, we would love for you to there were a lot of Senators down here manage fish and game like the Depart- come on up for a visit. You will love it. really ripping into him, the vast major- ment of the Interior. Here is what they It will be the best trip of your life. ity of us—56 of us, at least—think he is had to say: Right now, for example, what is hap- going to do a great job. The Association is appreciative of Mr. pening in Alaska is that it is a wonder- Why do we think that, Mr. Sec- Bernhardt’s continued support for the great ful time of the year. We are gaining retary? Well, certainly with regard to work of state fish and wildlife agencies in sunlight every day. The snow is melt- Alaska, sometimes Secretaries of the conserving our nation’s natural resources. ing. The birds are beginning their huge Interior understand our State and that The Congressional Sportsmen Foun- migration back to Alaska. Some flow- we are different and unique and that dation says: ers are even starting to bloom in parts Federal laws passed by this body say Mr. Bernhardt has demonstrated he is a of the State. It is a wonderful and in- so. Other Secretaries of the Interior true advocate for sportsmen and women credible time. don’t. They don’t understand that in across the country by working with the com- Like any State, and we all come Alaska you have to balance conserva- munity throughout his career in natural re- down here and like to talk about our tion with resource development and sources management, and implementing Sec- States, it is the people who truly make economic opportunity.