September 15, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5593 folks have forgotten about Hurricane his home. His metal roof was com- In June, I introduced legislation to Laura, that recovery efforts will be pletely ripped off. Water came all do away with the FEMA cost share for stalled, and things will be ignored as through his house. The ceiling is fall- local governments for 2020—for this attention turns to other issues— ing in, and every single room has ex- year—given the strain on their budgets COVID–19, Presidential race, et cetera. tensive water damage. caused by COVID. I urge my colleagues And, anecdotally, there is, of course, There is 20-year-old Hannah Vinson, to pass this bill. evidence that public opinion has who shared that her childhood home Lastly, let’s just reassure my con- slipped. was gone. The roof collapsed, flooded, stituents in Louisiana that they are Last week, I spoke with Gail McGov- and a tree fell in her mother’s bedroom not forgotten. The largest storm in our ern, the president of the American Red and all across their yard. She has this State’s history made news for about 2 Cross, who told me that donations are semester off from school because of days with hardly a mention after. lagging well below that which the Red lack of access and expenses she cannot Don’t forget about Hannah, who lost Cross had hoped to receive to cover the cover, even though she works. her childhood home and her job, or cost of their response. She assured me, She told us: about Mike, who lost his house to the though, that the Red Cross would still It’s overwhelming. People say why even go rain and wind, and about the nearly do everything needed. I saw testimony back when your school is destroyed? I start 150,000 people asking for help. of that, by the way. I flew from Lou- a new career, and that has to come to an end Americans are at our best when we isiana to Washington, DC, yesterday, because where I work is gone now. help those in need. The time is now to and the jet was full of Red Cross volun- There are thousands more stories extend that support once more. teers. We are so appreciative. like theirs. But amid the devastation, Thank you. I assure folks back home, just to say, there is hope. I am inspired by those I yield the floor. that I did get a call from President who rushed to help however they could. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Trump just as the hurricane hit. He as- The Cajun Navy is an organization of ator from New Mexico. sured me that whatever resources were volunteers who respond to disasters. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT ACTING needed, he would make sure they were They deployed immediately and con- DIRECTOR WILLIAM PENDLEY there. As I told folks in Louisiana, tinue to help today, delivering thou- Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, I want there was an audience of one paying at- sands of meals, clearing debris, helping to start by thanking my colleague Sen- tention, a very important audience, people meet energy needs, and assist- ator UDALL for organizing us to talk and that is the President. ing where they can. about the current Acting Director of In this speech, I hope to continue to I recently went to Central Louisiana the Bureau of Land Management. I say bring this hurricane and its aftermath to hand out supplies and meet with ‘‘acting’’ because this is an individual to the attention of other fellow Ameri- storm victims and volunteers. I met a who would not be able to be confirmed cans because fellow Americans take woman named Mandy in Hineston. by this body. But I want to take a step care of ourselves and take care of each Mandy has been loading up trailers of back and walk through a little bit other. So I am here to be a voice for donated groceries. She takes them to about why this is important. the people of Louisiana and share a the rural parts of the State, where There was once a strong young man story so that you may know what we folks can’t access critical supplies in who rose up through New York City so- are facing at home. Central and Western Louisiana. This is ciety. He led American soldiers in bat- Again, I am appreciative of the a critical service because folks on the tle and went west to learn what it United Way, American Red Cross, back roads couldn’t get out, and there meant to truly to work hard on Amer- President Trump, and others for swift- was a gas shortage in some storm-af- ica’s western landscapes. ly doing all they can do to help us fected areas. This man took all of his hard-driving through this recovery, but let’s tell the While I do believe Hurricane Laura spirit with him to the White House and story. recovery needs more attention nation- put it to work delivering for the Amer- Here is a wonderful story from Lake ally, I am so thankful for the thou- ican people. He took on big trusts and Arthur, LA. She probably doesn’t like sands of workers who came to rebuild gigantic corporations that had monop- the fact that I am showing this. She the electrical grid, as well as individ- olized the American economy and put a didn’t like how she looked. I think she uals and churches and nonprofits who stranglehold on American workers. De- looks fantastic. This is Bethel came to help. There is a Facebook spite coming from a wealthy New York Boudreaux, a great American patriot video from YAIPaks—a nonprofit orga- family, this man focused on delivering and a great Louisiana name. If you nization in Clarksville, TN—who came a ‘‘Square Deal’’ to working-class look at this picture, there is a tree down to Lake Charles with portable Americans. But perhaps his most im- that has fallen over the guy’s house. showers and trailers of supplies. The portant and lasting legacy was this: There is a fellow in the tree cutting lady in the video said they handed out After our country’s previous century of down limbs that is on top of his house. so many meals that they lost count. explosive growth across the North Here she is with a tree behind her and I cannot say thank you enough to our American continent, he saw clearly all the debris associated with it hold- fellow Americans and those from Lou- that we needed to rein in the pillaging ing up an American flag. Now, her con- isiana who saw a need and answered of our forests, the draining of our wet- cern was that if we showed this pic- the call to serve. Now I ask my col- lands, the destruction of America’s ture, we recognize that her husband, a leagues to do the same. wildlife, and the loss of irreplaceable veteran, is familiar with how damaged Local governments’ resources have cultural resources. He saw that we had flags should be destroyed, but this had been stretched to the limit because of only one chance left to protect the been fluttering during the hurricane, COVID–19—tax base destroyed. Damage splendors of our uniquely American and she just wanted to show it. assessments are still underway, but we landscapes for future generations. She has got a smile. This is 1 or 2 will likely need a disaster supple- When looks up every days after this devastating hurricane. mental from Congress to continue the once in a while from his television With all this, in the spirit of Ameri- recovery. I ask my fellow Senators to screen or from yet another tweetstorm cans, she is holding that flag, and she consider the plight of Hurricane Laura portrait on his phone to the portrait of is smiling. She is a great American pa- victims and support such a bill, which that great American President, I am triot, but it also shows the attitude of should include California due to the sure he sometimes tells himself that he Americans and the attitudes of people terrible wildfires and perhaps those af- could be just like Teddy Roosevelt. in Louisiana. We are resilient in the fected by Sally. Our prayers are with I am sure he imagines that he is face of adversity. all of those as well. equally deserving of a place on Mount There is more than enough adversity Local government resources have Rushmore and that if it weren’t for his to go around. Let me just give you a been stretched to the limit because of bone spurs, he could have been just as couple of stories that are on our COVID–19 in Louisiana, but I suspect in tough as Teddy, charging up San Juan Facebook page. Mike Williams from California and Alabama and Mississippi Hill or riding on horseback through the Lake Charles gave our office a tour of as well. Dakota Badlands rather than jumping

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President Trump has shown that he in Florida that he has been ‘‘the num- I don’t think anyone in their right is willing to circumvent Congress and ber one environmental president since mind could call that a great record of skip the constitutionally required con- Teddy Roosevelt.’’ conservation or environmentalism, not firmation process for other key Federal I don’t really need to tell you that by any measure. leadership posts by illegally placing this claim is just about as absurd as That takes us to why we are here people into unofficial and indefinite saying that he has done a great job today—President Trump’s decision to ‘‘acting’’ roles. Mr. Pendley has now protecting Americans from the put William Perry Pendley in charge of been serving in one of these ‘‘color out- coronavirus that has now led to the the public lands that are the birthright side the lines’’ acting posts for well deaths of nearly 200,000 of our country- of every American. over a year. men or his claims, frankly, that he de- We have a saying in New Mexico: As long as the Republican Senate serves a Nobel Peace Prize for sending ‘‘Dime con quien andas y te dire quien majority refuses to act on its constitu- love letters to a nuclear-armed despot eres.’’ Loosely translated, it means: tional duty to hold this administration in North Korea or making long-term ‘‘Tell me who you hang around with, accountable on nominations like this, peace in the Middle East even more out and I will tell you who you are.’’ I Mr. Pendley and other Trump officials of reach. think it says a great deal that Presi- in ‘‘acting’’ roles can and will continue Let’s pause and take a look at what dent Trump has chosen to hang around to operate with impunity. That is not President Trump’s record has actually with William Perry Pendley. right, and in this case, we are talking For the last 30 years, Mr. Pendley has been on the environment. Yes, I will about someone whose whole career has been a driving force in a campaign acknowledge that President Trump has been built on opposition to the very fueled by anti-government propa- signed some great pieces of conserva- idea that public lands should remain in ganda—and propped up by special in- tion legislation that many of us here in public hands. terests and extractive industry dol- the Senate worked hard to pass with Mr. Pendley’s role in the Trump ad- lars—to seize and sell off the American veto-proof majorities. But since taking ministration represents a direct attack people’s public lands. office, President Trump has also em- As an industry-paid lawyer and lob- on Teddy Roosevelt’s legacy for our en- powered an Army of former oil, coal, byist, Mr. Pendley has fought against vironment. The mission of public land and timber industry lobbyists to roll hunting and fishing access laws and management should be focused on serv- back nearly every protection of wild- supported the elimination of protec- ing the American public and safe- life habitat, clean air, and clean water tions for our national monuments. In guarding the values that deliver bene- that they could get their hands on. fact, he has championed the repeal of fits to the American people. He has systematically attacked cli- the very law that Teddy Roosevelt used In these times, that means that work mate science, setting us up for worse to protect our Grand Canyon. by the leaders of our land management and worse natural disasters like the He has filed numerous lawsuits in agency should be rooted in the con- fires that we are now experiencing State and Federal courts, seeking to servation of our wildlife, our water, across the West. deny access to public lands for sports- and our landscapes. Their mission Just 1 year into his Presidency, Don- men and attacking key protections for should include expanding access to out- ald Trump did something no President wildlife, clean air, and clean water. door recreation, preserving biodiver- in the last 100 years would have ever Now President Trump has placed him sity, restoring healthy carbon seques- thought to do. He completely erased in charge of the Federal agency that tering forests and productive water- national monument designation for manages so many of our public lands sheds. They should work alongside treasured red rock landscapes in across the West. This is the man who is Tribal nations and rural communities Southern Utah’s Bears Ears. By doing on record saying that we should ‘‘sell to protect cultural landscapes and pro- so, he also gutted key protections for all BLM lands’’ east of the Mississippi. mote sustainable economic develop- cultural sites that Tribal nations President Trump handpicked this zeal- ment—or as Teddy Roosevelt put it across the American Southwest hold to ot to lead the agency responsible for more simply and much more artfully be sacred. stewarding those very same public than I could all those years ago: That egregious and, I believe, illegal lands. What would Teddy Roosevelt Here is your country. Cherish these nat- action cut against the very heart of the think? ural wonders, cherish the natural resources, Antiquities Act. This is the law that William Perry Pendley’s beliefs cherish the history and romance as a sacred many Presidents over the last century hearken back to the era right before heritage. . . . Do not let selfish men or used to protect so many of our national Teddy Roosevelt’s Presidency, when greedy interests skin your country of its monuments and national parks. The railroad barons, hard rock mining oper- beauty, it is riches or its romance. Antiquities Act was truly Teddy Roo- ators, and timber companies were The question before us here in the sevelt’s landmark conservation given free rein over our landscapes and Senate is whether we will stand by as achievement during his Presidency. our natural resources. By putting Mr. those greedy interests take what is our Rather than carry on Roosevelt’s leg- Pendley in charge of the Bureau of American birthright or whether we will acy, President Trump used the Antiq- Land Management, President Trump is stand up for our sacred heritage. uities Act in a novel, new way. He used saying loud and clear that he wants to I choose to stand up. I hope the Pre- it to unprotect two national monu- take us backward to those same failed siding Officer and my colleagues will ments—Bears Ears and Grand Stair- and destructive policies of the past. join us. case-Escalante. Now over 2 million I am proud that the entire Senate The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. CAS- acres of the most paleontologically im- Democratic caucus joined a broad coa- SIDY). The Senator from West Virginia. portant and culturally significant sites lition of hunters, fishermen, wildlife Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, as the in the entire Southwest are open for advocates, and outdoor recreation en- ranking member on the Committee on uranium mining, ATV abuse, and fossil thusiasts, all of whom called on Presi- Energy and Natural Resources, I was fuel extraction. dent Trump to withdraw Mr. Pendley’s especially pleased by President Just a few weeks ago, in a similarly nomination. Thanks to that widespread Trump’s decision to withdraw the nom- destructive act, President Trump outcry from those of us who love our ination of William Perry Pendley to opened up our Nation’s marquee na- public lands, President Trump was lead the Bureau of Land Management, tional wildlife refuge in the Arctic to forced to withdraw Mr. Pendley’s nomi- or the BLM, as we know it. industrial oil and gas drilling. It seems nation last month. But forcing the I said, when the President nominated there are no landscapes that are too sa- Trump administration to withdraw the Mr. Pendley, that he is the wrong per- cred to make a quick buck in this Pendley nomination was only half the son in the wrong job in the wrong place White House. Not even the calving battle. and he should not continue to lead the grounds of the porcupine caribou herd In fact, William Perry Pendley is Bureau. The job of the Director of the will have been spared. He is also now still sitting in his office today, leading Bureau of Land Management is not

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He has denied the existence of come. manages 245 million acres of public , comparing it to a uni- I yield the floor. land, more land than any other Federal corn, and those who acknowledge it as The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- agency. The Bureau is required by law ‘‘kooks.’’ He said that the Black Lives ator from Nevada. to manage the lands committed to its Matter movement is based on a lie. He Ms. ROSEN. Mr. President, Nevada’s care not only for the benefit of our own has said that undocumented immi- public lands are a source of pride and generation but for many generations to grants are ‘‘like a cancer.’’ natural beauty, but they are also so come. It must carefully balance the use Mr. Pendley was nominated for office much more. They are a source of eco- of the land for grazing, timber produc- once before. People might not realize nomic strength for our outdoor indus- tion, mineral development, recreation, that. President Reagan nominated him tries, and they help support our com- fish and wildlife, and the protection of to be the Assistant Secretary for En- munities and our State’s economy. scenic, scientific, and historic values of ergy and Minerals in 1983. While his Each year, tens of thousands of visi- the lands. nomination was pending, he was being tors come to Nevada to see and experi- In addition to the 245 million acres of investigated by the Department of the ence our majestic public lands and our surface land the Bureau manages, it Interior’s inspector general and the De- monuments firsthand. We must keep also manages another 700 million acres partment of Justice for possibly vio- our State’s public lands open and ac- of subsurface mineral rights. It man- lating conflict of interest rules. cessible for Nevadans, for visitors to ages over 63,000 oil and gas wells and The Senate returned his nomination our State, and for future generations. over 300 coal leases, covering nearly to the President, and he was not con- That is why we are passionate about half a million acres of coal lands, firmed. The General Accounting Office protecting and preserving our State’s which together contribute about $4 bil- later found that the Interior Depart- natural wonders. lion a year to the Federal Treasury. ment sold the coal leases in the Powder Public lands make up a big part of It manages another 55 million acres River Basin at roughly $100 million less our State. In fact, over 80 percent of of timberlands and 155 million acres of than their estimated fair market value. our land is managed by the Federal grazing lands. It issues permits for The below-market sales were made pos- Government, and well over 60 percent wind, solar, and geothermal energy de- sible by a change in bidding procedures of Nevada—close to 48 million acres—is velopment. In addition, more than 10 approved by Mr. Pendley on the same managed by the Bureau of Land Man- years ago, Congress designated about day that he had dinner with the coal agement. 36 million acres of the lands by the Bu- industry lawyers. I stand here today before you because reau as National Conservation Lands The inspector general referred the our Nation’s public lands are in danger, because of their outstanding cultural, matter to the Justice Department for not just from the threat of climate ecological, and scientific value. possible criminal prosecution. The Jus- change or from deadly wildfires, which National Conservation Lands include tice Department ultimately declined to are raging across our Nation’s Western 28 national monuments covering nearly prosecute Mr. Pendley, but he left the States as we speak, but also from an 8 million acres, over 260 wilderness Department shortly afterward. unconfirmed and unaccountable acting areas covering nearly 10 million acres, For all of these reasons, I think Mr. head of the Bureau of Land Manage- nearly 3,000 miles of wild and scenic Pendley is the wrong person to lead the ment, Mr. William Perry Pendley. It is rivers, and nearly 6,000 miles of his- Bureau of Land Management. Today, well past time for him to go. Allow me toric and scenic trails. he is still there in the position and to explain just how dangerous Mr. Nearly 50 years ago, Congress de- having the authority to run the BLM. Pendley is for our public lands and for clared that the public lands managed He should not be there a minute Nevada. by the Bureau of Land Management longer. In the past, Nevada has been able to should be retained in Federal owner- The President was right to withdraw strike a balance between the protec- ship and managed to preserve and to his nomination. Now it would be right tion of our public lands and the need protect them without permanent im- for the President to remove him from for development. That is how things pairment of the productivity of the that position. Withdrawing his nomina- should be. But Mr. Pendley does not re- land and the quality of the environ- tion doesn’t solve the problem. We spect this balance. When it comes to ment. know that. It is outrageous that he our public lands, Mr. Pendley has a That, in a nutshell, is the job of the continues to exercise the authority of longtime and documented history of Director of the Bureau of Land Man- the Director, despite having been nomi- working to destroy our national treas- agement: to be a good and faithful nated and withdrawn for cause. ures. steward of the people’s lands so that we Although the legality of his role is a Some of the highlights of Mr. might pass them on to our children and matter of opinion in the courts right Pendley’s disturbing anti-public-land our children’s children in at least as now, Mr. Pendley is still, in effect, run- actions and sentiments include this: good condition as we inherited them, if ning the Bureau of Land Management working on behalf of private interests not better. and continuing to make decisions nega- to roll back critical public land protec- Mr. Pendley is not the right person tively impacting millions of acres of tions during his tenure at a law firm; for this job. He spent most of his adult public lands of significant importance advocating for the repeal of the Antiq- life arguing against the principles upon to millions of Americans, all without uities Act, a landmark law signed by which our Federal land management the proper vetting and approval of the President Teddy Roosevelt that pro- policy is based. He has called for the Senate. That is simply wrong, and I be- tects our public lands and gives the sale of the public lands that the BLM is lieve on both sides of the aisle we know President the power to designate na- responsible for retaining and man- wrong when we see it. tional monuments; and fighting to drill aging. He has called for the repeal of He should resign, Secretary Bern- on sacred Native American lands while the Antiquities Act, upon which our hardt should remove him, or the Presi- mocking these same Native Americans’ national monuments were founded. dent should step in and remove him. religious beliefs. He has denigrated the National Envi- Withdrawing his nomination was a step This is a man put in charge of one- ronmental Policy Act, the Endangered in the right direction, but for all the third of our Nation’s public lands who Species Act, and the Clean Water Act— reasons I have outlined today, William has referred to the National Environ- the bedrock of environmental laws that Pendley is not qualified to be man- mental Policy Act, our Nation’s bed- the Bureau must operate under. He aging—to be managing—our Nation’s rock environmental law, as ‘‘a terrible cannot be a good steward of the public treasured public lands in any capacity. burden,’’ who has written that ‘‘the domain if he does not believe the pub- So I would ask President Trump to Founding Fathers intended all lands

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They are a cul- people entrusted with leading our Fed- and who views climate change as ‘‘junk tural touchstone for all of us in the eral agencies are, at a minimum, quali- science.’’ West. fied for the positions they hold and I Mr. Pendley holds shocking and ex- Instead of comprehending this, Presi- would hope are within the mainstream tremist views and has consistently dent Trump, as he has done in so many of conventional American political ide- worked to dismantle the very lands he other areas, has pursued a public lands ology, but we have not been allowed to is in charge of protecting. The adminis- agenda that is way outside the main- do that in this case. tration knows just how bad Mr. stream of conventional American Mr. Pendley was nominated by the Pendley is, which is why it has with- thought. Few decisions better capture President to lead the BLM. The re- drawn his nomination to serve as Di- how extreme that position is and how sponse was so negative that I have to rector of the BLM. frenzied his agenda is than his decision imagine there were Senators on the His nomination would never pass the to hire William Perry Pendley to lead other side of the aisle who said: Sen- Senate. However, it is unacceptable the Bureau of Land Management. ator MCCONNELL, please don’t make us that Mr. Pendley continues to run the As we have heard today, Mr. Pendley take this vote. Please. I have a tough Bureau of Land Management as Acting doesn’t even believe in the idea of pub- election coming up. BLM Director. This bureaucratic loop- lic lands. He has argued that the Don’t make me take this vote, Mr. hole allows Mr. Pendley to indefinitely Founding Fathers intended for all Fed- President. I am scared to take this serve as the de facto head of the BLM eral lands to be sold. Think about what vote. without a confirmation hearing before that would have meant if we had sold As a result, they withdrew his nomi- the American people and in direct defi- off the public lands of the United nation because it couldn’t pass the ance of the Senate’s constitutional re- States. Senate. That is how the system is sup- sponsibility to advise and consent to They are the envy of the world. They posed to work. You can always put it executive nominations. are the envy of the world, and all of the on the floor and see whether we will My office has heard from thousands work that Teddy Roosevelt and others support it. In this case, the response of Nevadans about the importance of had done to make sure that our genera- was so negative, they withdrew the our public lands or to raise their con- tion would be able to benefit would nomination. That happens regularly. cerns about Mr. Pendley—and with have been lost if Pendley’s constitu- What is incredibly unusual in this case good reason. As I said before, the Bu- tional interpretation had controlled. is they left him in his job. Having dem- Asking someone like that to manage reau of Land Management oversees 67 onstrated that there was no public sup- our public lands, including 8.3 million percent of Nevada, and if Mr. Pendley port in the Senate—the Senate unwill- acres in Colorado, is like asking some- sells off our State’s public lands, Ne- ing to take a vote for fear of how un- body to be Secretary of Education who vadans will be the ones paying the doesn’t believe in public education. popular it would be in the Western price. Given the track record of this adminis- —they said: Well, you can I share the concerns of my constitu- tration, I guess it is not that surprising be the Acting BLM Director. ents. Mr. Pendley was unfit to be con- That is a disgrace. I don’t know how that he would put somebody in charge firmed as Director, and he is unfit to of public lands who believed that they anybody in this Chamber could call exercise the authority of the Director are actually illegal or unconstitu- themselves committed to the U.S. Con- without being confirmed. For these tional. stitution if a President can nominate reasons, this summer I joined my Sen- Mr. Pendley is by far the most ex- somebody, see the votes aren’t there, ate colleagues in asking Secretary treme anti-public lands nominee in my withdraw it, and make them the Act- Bernhardt to remove Mr. Pendley from lifetime. You have heard the Senator ing Director of the agency. That is the his unconfirmed position immediately. from New Mexico talk about his at- work of a dictator, not the President of I stand here today to reiterate: Mr. tacks on people of color. You have the United States. Pendley must step down or be removed. heard about the fact that he doesn’t be- Every now and then, you would ex- I call on the President to nominate a lieve in climate change. Pendley’s ide- pect the leader of this body to stand up qualified Director through the stand- ology on public lands, on climate, and for the prerogatives of this body, to ard confirmation process, one who un- on so many other issues doesn’t look stand up for the separation of powers derstands the balance of conservation anything like the consensus we have and for the rule of law—particularly if and development and who has respect worked so hard to try to establish in you call yourself a constitutional con- for the job that they would hold, be- Colorado. servative. cause Nevadans can’t afford to find out I think fundamental to this is that We have a choice to make: to do if Mr. Pendley will put two-thirds of his extreme ideology does not perceive nothing or to do our jobs. The Amer- our State on the chopping block. or conceive the economic reality in ican people want us to do our jobs. I yield the floor to my colleague from Colorado or New Mexico or Nevada or They are sick of the dysfunction here. Colorado, Senator MICHAEL BENNET. Arizona or Montana, where public From the perspective of Colorado, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- lands sustain local businesses and cli- the decision on Mr. Pendley is simple: ator from Colorado. mate change is undermining our farm- Someone who spent his entire career Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I appre- ers and ranchers. opposed to the very idea of public lands ciate very much my colleague from Ne- Since the BLM moved to Colorado, is unfit to lead a land management vada. sort of, we have had a front row seat to agency, period. Let me start by welcoming the Pre- this extremist agenda. This spring, He should do the right thing if the siding Officer back to the Senate. We Pendley signed off on a resource man- President won’t: Step down imme- are glad that you are here and that you agement plan that opened up the North diately and allow somebody to take on are feeling better. Fork Valley of the Gunnison—one of the responsibility who actually under- I thank my colleague from New Mex- our most beautiful agricultural valleys stands how important it is to preserve ico, my neighbor, the senior Senator in Colorado—to more oil and gas devel- the legacy our parents and grand- from New Mexico, Senator UDALL, for opment. parents created for us so we can pre- organizing this today. This is, I know, Local leaders worried that his plan serve it for the next generation of a matter that is very close to his heart. failed to protect the region’s watershed Americans and the generation after Thanks in large part to Senator and will threaten the area’s agricul- that. UDALL’s leadership and the leadership tural and outdoor economy. Instead of With that, I yield the floor. of the Senator from Arizona and oth- listening to Colorado, Mr. Pendley The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ers, we have worked really hard to not signed off on a plan, as he so often ator from New Mexico. have public lands be a partisan issue in does, written in Washington by a bunch Mr. UDALL. Mr. President, I very the Senate, and I think that reflects of special interests here who want to much appreciate the eloquent words of the way it is out West, where our pub- plunder our land out there. Senator BENNET of Colorado. Not only

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:18 Sep 16, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G15SE6.041 S15SEPT1 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE September 15, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5597 does Senator BENNET speak with elo- VOTE ON HOLCOMB NOMINATION to the Robinson nomination expire at quence, but he matches it with deeds Mr. ROMNEY. Mr. President, I ask 11:30 a.m. tomorrow and that following and with action. He has a major piece unanimous consent that the 5:15 p.m. the disposition of the Robinson nomi- of legislation before the Senate to try vote start at this time. nation, the Senate vote on the motions to protect public lands in his State of The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without to invoke cloture on the Dugan and Colorado. We very much appreciate objection, it is so ordered. McGlynn nominations in that order; Senator BENNET and his activism Under the previous order, the ques- further, that if cloture is invoked on there. tion is, Will the Senate advise and con- the Dugan and McGlynn nominations, I would also like to thank Senators sent to the Holcomb nomination? the postcloture time expire at 3:30 p.m. HEINRICH, MANCHIN, and ROSEN for so Mr. TILLIS. Mr. President, I ask for tomorrow and the Senate vote on con- eloquently talking about why William the yeas and nays. firmation of the nominations in that Pendley is unfit to continue as the de The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a order; finally, that if any of the nomi- facto BLM Director. sufficient second? nations are confirmed, the motions to Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, if I There appears to be a sufficient sec- reconsider be made and laid upon the could just ask— ond. table and the President be immediately The PRESIDING OFFICER. Yes. The clerk will call the roll. notified of the Senate’s action. Mr. UDALL. Yes, please. The legislative clerk called the roll. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there Mr. BENNET. The Senator from New Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is objection? Mexico was so kind to refer to the necessarily absent: the Senator from Without objection, it is so ordered. CORE Act, the Colorado Outdoor West Virginia (Mrs. CAPITO). INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS Recreation Economy Act. Just a re- Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Mr. ALEXANDER. Madam President, minder: At the heart of that bill, which Senator from Delaware (Mr. COONS), this morning in the Education Com- is 400,000 acres of public lands in Colo- the Senator from California (Ms. HAR- mittee, we had a really interesting dis- rado—70,000 of which is wilderness area RIS), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. cussion on intercollegiate athletics— to protect our critical watershed—is HEINRICH), and the Senator from specifically on the proposals that are the Camp Hale National Historic Land- Vermont (Mr. SANDERS) are necessarily appearing in various States to pay stu- scape, which is the first such national absent. dent athletes for their name, image, The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. historic landscape designation in the and likeness. MCSALLY). Are there any other Sen- history of the United States. It memo- This is the jurisdiction of the Com- ators in the Chamber desiring to vote? rializes the incredible work of our vet- merce Committee, and Senator WICKER The result was announced—yeas 83, erans who came to Camp Hale to train, and his committee are considering nays 12, as follows: to fight in the mountains of Northern whether there should be any congres- Italy, pushed the Nazis out of Northern [Rollcall Vote No. 175 Ex.] sional action, but we were looking at Italy. And that wasn’t even enough for YEAS—83 the impact of the proposal to pay stu- them. Then they came back, and they Alexander Gardner Portman dent athletes on the tradition of the started our entire outdoor recreation Baldwin Graham Reed intercollegiate student athlete in our Barrasso Grassley industry, our ski resort. It was the Risch country, and here is my own view. Bennet Hassan Roberts If student athletes are paid by com- same generation of people. That is an Blackburn Hawley Romney mercial interests for their name, exact, perfect example—I am so glad Blunt Hirono Rosen Boozman Hoeven image, and likeness, that money ought Senator UDALL brought it up—a perfect Rounds Braun Hyde-Smith Rubio to go to benefit all of the student ath- example of why we need to treasure our Brown Inhofe Sasse letes at that institution. In other public lands. Burr Johnson Scott (FL) Cardin Jones words, if the quarterback at the Uni- With that, I will yield the floor and Scott (SC) Carper Kaine Shaheen versity of Tennessee is paid $500,000 by turn it back over to Senator UDALL. Casey Kennedy Shelby the local auto dealer to advertise the Mr. UDALL. I thank Senator BENNET Cassidy King Sinema auto dealer, that money ought not go once again for the good work he is Collins Lankford Cornyn Leahy Smith to him; it ought to go for the benefit of doing there. Cortez Masto Lee Stabenow Sullivan all the student athletes at the Univer- Just a couple of other words in clos- Cotton Loeffler sity of Tennessee, including the wom- ing, talking about the career employee Cramer Manchin Tester Thune en’s sports, the men’s sports, the minor scientists, the people who work at the Crapo McConnell Cruz McSally Tillis sports, the major sports. BLM. The men and women who work at Daines Menendez Toomey Student athletes shouldn’t be on the Udall the BLM are public servants dedicated Duckworth Moran payroll and be treated as hired hands, to the mission of the agency. They de- Durbin Murkowski Van Hollen Enzi Murphy Warner in my opinion. I don’t see a good end- serve a leader who values them and re- Ernst Paul Whitehouse ing to allowing a few student athletes spects them and carries out that mis- Feinstein Perdue Wicker to be paid by commercial interests Fischer Peters Young sion, not an extremist who doesn’t while most of their teammates are not. even believe that public lands should NAYS—12 If young athletes want to be part of a exist. Blumenthal Klobuchar Schatz team, enjoy the undergraduate experi- Mr. Pendley’s hostility toward our Booker Markey Schumer ence, learn from coaches who are public lands resulted in his nomination Cantwell Merkley Warren Gillibrand Murray Wyden among the best teachers in the coun- as BLM Director being pulled by the try, and be paid a full scholarship that President. If he is not fit to be con- NOT VOTING—5 helps them earn a degree worth $1 mil- firmed as BLM Director by the Senate, Capito Harris Sanders lion during their lifetime—that is ac- Coons Heinrich he is not fit to exercise the authority cording to the college boards esti- of Director and should be immediately The nomination was confirmed. mates—those earnings of that student relieved of that authority. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under should benefit all student athletes at I yield the floor. the previous order, the motion to re- the institution. If a student athlete I suggest the absence of a quorum. consider is considered made and laid prefers to keep the money, then that The PRESIDING OFFICER. The upon the table, and the President will student athlete should become a pro- clerk will call the roll. be immediately notified of the Senate’s fessional athlete. The legislative clerk proceeded to actions. We had a bipartisan discussion this call the roll. The Senator from Tennessee. morning. I want to thank Senator Mr. ROMNEY. Mr. President, I ask ORDER OF PROCEDURE MURRAY, the Senator from Washington unanimous consent that the order for Mr. ALEXANDER. Madam President, State, who is the ranking Democrat on the quorum call be rescinded. I ask unanimous consent that, not- our committee. Our committee always The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without withstanding the provisions of rule has diverse views, but we always have objection, it is so ordered. XXII, the postcloture time with respect good, civil discussions.

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