Congressional Record—Senate S10508
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
S10508 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 27, 2005 knows he will do just that, equal jus- ing the week when I am in DC, I visit Matthew R. Simmons, author of ‘‘Twilight tice under the law for every American. with the janitors, electricians, picture in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock I yield the floor. hangers, and others around the offices. and the World Economy,’’ (John Wiley & Mr. ENZI. I rise today to share my To a person they had comments like Sons Inc., 2005), says crude from the Arctic thoughts on the nomination of Judge National Wildlife Refuge’s 1.5-million-acre ‘‘this man really knows his stuff.’’ ‘‘He coastal plain could play a valuable role in John Roberts to be the Chief Justice of answers their questions without a sin- the nation’s energy policy. the U.S. Supreme Court. Like most gle note or staff person whispering in Simmons, an investment banker who holds Americans, I watched the Judiciary his ear. I bet he could take the bar an MBA from Harvard University, is chair- Committee hearings with great inter- exam tomorrow and still pass it. This man and chief executive officer of Houston- est and curiosity. Judge Roberts could guy is good’’ and I think that is the based Simmons & Co. International, which potentially be the 17th Supreme Court specializes in the energy industry. He serves opinion of mainstream America. I look on the boards of Brown-Forman Corp. and Chief Justice in the history of the forward to voting on his nomination The Atlantic Council of The United States. United States. It is amazing to con- later this week. He’s also a member of the National Petro- sider that only 16 other people have Even after the vote, the Senate’s leum Council and The Council of Foreign Re- shared that honor. It is a much shorter work to fill the Supreme Court will not lations. line than the number of Presidents be complete. We are waiting for an- Simmons recently shared his views with back to George Washington—42. other nomination from President Bush Petroleum News on Alaska’s oil and gas in- Considering this tie with history, I dustry. He has been busy promoting his book to replace retiring Justice O’Connor. I with appearances on several talk shows, in- was thrilled to be watching the pro- am pleased with the recent precedent cluding a recent radio interview with Jim ceedings. However, I am also aware of set by the Judiciary Committee. Puplava, host of Financial Sense Newshour. my serious responsibility as a U.S. In a bipartisan and timely manner, ‘‘Twilight in the Desert’’ hit the bookstores Senator at this time. The Senate has they voted out a nominee based on his in the spring and is generating considerable the duty to give its advice and consent qualifications. They voted him out comment in energy, economic and political to the President’s nomination. Given based on his stated devotion to apply- circles. the comparative youth of Judge Rob- Simmons’ book is the culmination of years ing the rule of law. As the Senate pre- of research, including scrutiny of 200 tech- erts, the vote this week could affect pares to consider the next Supreme nical papers, published by the Society of Pe- the dispensation of constitutional Court nomination, it is my hope that troleum Engineers, on problems encountered questions for many decades. the same process will be followed—a by professionals working in Saudi Arabia’s During over 20 hours of questions, I timely consideration based upon the oil fields. The papers, combined with tran- had ample opportunity to consider the qualifications of the nominee and not scripts from little-noticed U.S. Senate hear- qualities and character of Judge Rob- on scoring political points. ings in the 1970s and Simmons’ discovery that little actual public and verifiable data erts. I observed Judge Roberts’ keen in- I suggest the absence of a quorum. telligence and modesty regarding his exists on Saudi oil reserves, form the back- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bone of observations and conclusions in the accomplishments. I also enjoyed his clerk will call the roll. book. sense of humor in the midst of intense The assistant legislative clerk pro- While most energy economists start with and repetitive questioning. He con- ceeded to call the roll. the assumption that Middle East oil reserves vinced me that he is qualified to serve Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, I ask are plentiful, Simmons questioned that as- on the highest Federal bench. unanimous consent that the order for sumption after he found that no one had ever During the hearings, I was reminded compiled a verifiable list of the world’s larg- the quorum call be rescinded. est oil fields and the reserves they hold. of a common fallacy where people The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without His questions first surfaced at a Wash- think judges are politicians. Judges are objection, it is so ordered. ington, D.C., workshop, conducted by CIA not politicians. It has been easy to slip f energy analysts, where top energy experts into the thinking that we need to know gathered several years ago. their political allegiance so that we MORNING BUSINESS ‘‘We’d spend a day doing a discussion of all can know what their decisions will be. Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, I ask the key countries, and how much oil capac- We also begin thinking that judges ity they had in place over the course of the unanimous consent that there now be a corning three years,’’ Simmons recalled. should make decisions based on good period of morning business with Sen- ‘‘And I basically said, ’How do you all even policy. Finally, we believe that judges ators permitted to speak for up to 10 know that? What are the three or four top have to make us promises on the future minutes each. fields in China?’ And no one had any an- decisions so they can win our votes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without swers. Judges are not politicians. We need to objection, it is so ordered. ‘‘So I decided it would be interesting and know their qualifications, not their po- educational to see if you could actually put f together a list of the top 20 oil fields by litical allegiances. We need to know MIDDLE EAST OIL name,’’ he added. that their decisions will be made on That exercise revealed that Saudi Arabia, the rule of law, not on good policy. We Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask like most of the other Middle East countries, need to know that judges will not unanimous consent to have printed in extracted 90 percent of its oil production make promises to prejudge future cases the RECORD a recent article from Pe- from five huge fields, and the biggest of the in order to win votes. Judges are not troleum News which is entitled ‘‘Saudi fields, Ghawar, had been producing oil for politicians. A judge’s only constituent Oil Shock Ahead,’’ in which Matthew more than 50 years. ‘‘What I also found is that the top 14 fields should be the U.S. Constitution. If the R. Simmons discusses the relative im- that still produce over 500,000 barrels per day people were the constituents of judges, portance today of oil and gas explo- each, were 20 percent of the world’s oil sup- our confidence in an impartial hearing ration in the Arctic National Wildlife ply, and on average they were 53 years old,’’ and ruling on our case would collapse. Refuge and discusses the valuable role he observed. A judge should be an intelligent, im- this area can play in our national en- Historically, oil field discoveries fit a pat- partial, open, and unbiased executor of ergy policy. tern that Simmons likens to the nobility of the law. I believe that Judge Roberts There being no objection, the mate- a European country or the pieces on a chess- meets these qualifications and is fit to board. In each of the world’s great oil basins, rial was ordered to be printed in the explorers have found a large field first, most serve as the Chief Justice of the Su- RECORD, as follows: often the ‘‘queen’’ field but sometimes the preme Court. I am pleased that a bipar- [From Petroleum News, Sept. 11, 2005] ‘‘king.’’ Next explorers typically find an- tisan majority of the Judiciary Com- other large field, usually the other half of SAUDI OIL SHOCK AHEAD—SIMMONS POKES mittee passed him through the com- the royal pair. After that, oil basins typi- HOLES IN IMAGE OF UNLIMITED MIDDLE EAST cally yield several moderate-sized fields, or mittee. I go home to Wyoming most OIL; PREPARE FOR WORST ‘‘lords.’’ Beyond that, only small pools of weekends. It lets me personally poll (By Rose Ragsdale) my constituents. That is an advantage crude reserves or ‘‘peasants’’ typically re- As Congress turns to legislation that could main, he said. of being from the least populated open a new era of Alaska Arctic oil produc- In ‘‘Twilight in the Desert,’’ Simmons not State. I can assure you they are im- tion, one highly regarded energy analyst only documents the history of Saudi Arabia pressed with Judge Roberts. That is says he’s convinced the move is critical to and its oil fields, he also questions the Mid- probably not a surprise. However, dur- the success of a national energy strategy. dle East country’s claims that it still has VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:36 Sep 28, 2005 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G27SE6.078 S27SEPT1 September 27, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10509 plentiful oil reserves.