Ken Salazar

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I am in support of the nomination of Dr. Samuel W. Bodman to be Secretary of Energy. I look forward to working closely with Dr. Bodman as we tackle the important task of crafting a national energy policy that assures our Nation's energy independence and energy security and at the same time protects our air, land, and water for future generations. Colorado is blessed with an abundance of natural energy resources, and the oil and gas industry is a significant part of our state economy. As long as America is dependent on foreign oil for a significant part of our energy needs, however, our economy and our national security are at risk. We need to move rapidly toward energy independence. Renewable energy and conservation must also play a significant role as, together, we look for ways to diversify our portfolio of energy sources and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. As we work to attain energy independence, we can also strengthen our economy, increase our national security, and protect our air, land, and water. During Dr. Bodman's confirmation hearing before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I had the opportunity to discuss with Dr. Bodman a few of the many issues affecting Colorado, to which I hope Dr. Bodman will immediately turn his attention upon being confirmed today. First, Dr. Bodman understands the importance of DOE's environmental cleanup at Rocky Flats, and he assures me that he will continue to make this a priority for the Department until the site is cleaned up and a large portion of it converted to a national wildlife refuge. The cleanup of Rocky Flats serves as a model for the cleanup of DOE facilities nationwide, and it is therefore important to the people of my State and to the country as a whole for DOE to make its plant closure mission at Rocky Flats a priority and to complete environmental cleanup, waste management, and decommissioning by December 2006. Second, I specifically requested that Dr. Bodman look into the Department's refusal, so far, to comply with the State of Colorado's institutional control laws, which were passed unanimously by the Colorado legislature and signed into law by our Governor. DOE has refused to put those restrictions in an environmental covenant, as required under State law. DOE has refused to comply with other States' institutional control laws as well. This refusal has raised serious questions about the long-term reliability of the cleanup now underway at DOE facilities across the country. I strongly urge the Department to adopt a policy to comply with State institutional control laws. These are valid State laws. They enhance the safety of cleanups, and the cost of compliance is minimal. In my judgment, DOE is required to comply with these laws under the Federal Facility Compliance Act. Dr. Bodman assured me that he would look into this important matter promptly, and I intend to hold him to that promise. Third, Dr. Bodman pledged his support for the Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO. As you know, Mr. President, NREL is the Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. I am a proud supporter of NREL and its research projects. Providing NREL with the resources it needs will lead our Nation to greater energy independence and security. In response to my questions, Dr. Bodman assures me the Department fully supports the construction of NREL's new Science and Technology Facility--the first new research laboratory on the lab's main campus in nearly a decade. The new facility will house key elements of NREL's world-class research in hydrogen and other promising renewable energy technologies and will push the envelope on sustainable, energy efficient building design. Construction of the facility is scheduled for completion in early 2007. With these and other answers to my questions, I am pleased to vote today in support of Dr. Bodman's nomination to be our country's next Energy Secretary. But I want to make clear that I will continuously work to ensure that Dr. Bodman and the Department of Energy live up to these commitments to Colorado--that is my duty and I intend to fulfill it. The Congress will work on an energy bill again this year. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and with Dr. Bodman to do everything we can to help develop a comprehensive and sustainable energy strategy that is also protective of a healthy environment in the West and across the country. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a congressional fellow in my office, John Plumb, from LaFayette, CO, be granted the privileges of the floor for the purposes of the bill introduction.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today along with my colleagues in relation to the Pueblo Chemical Depot. When the Senate ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997, it became U.S. law and our sworn obligation to destroy our Nation's chemical weapons stockpiles by 2012. With the advent of the global war on terror, this responsibility has taken on even more importance. We must destroy these weapons to ensure the health and safety of the citizens of the State of Colorado. We must also stand as an example to the world that we are firmly resolved in our commitment to reducing the threats posed by weapons of mass destruction in our Nation. Given the gravity of the situation, I cannot understand why the Department of Defense is shirking from their responsibility in this matter. Until recently, the relationship between the Army and the citizens of Pueblo had an excellent track record, proving that when good people come together and operate from a position of trust, significant problems can be solved. Yet, one day after Senator Allard and I were absolutely assured by the Department of Defense that the chemical weapons stored in Pueblo would not be transported, and that the weapons would be destroyed in Pueblo by the environmentally safe method of water neutralization, the Department of Defense turned around and commenced a study on the feasibility of transporting the stockpiles out of Pueblo to be incinerated at another site--twenty-four hours after they said they wouldn't. I believe we were given a good faith commitment last week that the destruction of the weapons would continue at Pueblo using the water neutralization technology agreed upon, and that the munitions would not be transferred elsewhere. While we wait for the promised clarification on these matters, Senator Allard and I believe it is necessary to emphasize our resolve. To help provide that emphasis, we are introducing this bill. It is a straightforward, one-line bill to prohibit the use of Department of Defense funds for any study related to the transportation of chemical munitions across State lines. Mr. President, the sheer number of weapons awaiting destruction at the Pueblo Chemical Depot is staggering: more than three-quarters of a million artillery shells and mortar rounds. Transporting these weapons would be a dangerous and expensive enterprise. It would be subject to legal challenges by the towns and the States involved, and it is against Federal law. In short, transporting these weapons will not save time, and it will not save money. But this bill we have brought to the floor will save both time and money, because it stops the frivolous study and returns the focus to the issue at hand: the safe destruction of the chemical weapons at Pueblo by water neutralization.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today along with my colleagues in relation to the Pueblo Chemical Depot. When the Senate ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997, it became U.S. law and our sworn obligation to destroy our Nation's chemical weapons stockpiles by 2012. With the advent of the global war on terror, this responsibility has taken on even more importance. We must destroy these weapons to ensure the health and safety of the citizens of the State of Colorado. We must also stand as an example to the world that we are firmly resolved in our commitment to reducing the threats posed by weapons of mass destruction in our Nation. Given the gravity of the situation, I cannot understand why the Department of Defense is shirking from their responsibility in this matter. Until recently, the relationship between the Army and the citizens of Pueblo had an excellent track record, proving that when good people come together and operate from a position of trust, significant problems can be solved. Yet, one day after Senator Allard and I were absolutely assured by the Department of Defense that the chemical weapons stored in Pueblo would not be transported, and that the weapons would be destroyed in Pueblo by the environmentally safe method of water neutralization, the Department of Defense turned around and commenced a study on the feasibility of transporting the stockpiles out of Pueblo to be incinerated at another site--twenty-four hours after they said they wouldn't. I believe we were given a good faith commitment last week that the destruction of the weapons would continue at Pueblo using the water neutralization technology agreed upon, and that the munitions would not be transferred elsewhere. While we wait for the promised clarification on these matters, Senator Allard and I believe it is necessary to emphasize our resolve. To help provide that emphasis, we are introducing this bill. It is a straightforward, one-line bill to prohibit the use of Department of Defense funds for any study related to the transportation of chemical munitions across State lines. Mr. President, the sheer number of weapons awaiting destruction at the Pueblo Chemical Depot is staggering: more than three-quarters of a million artillery shells and mortar rounds. Transporting these weapons would be a dangerous and expensive enterprise. It would be subject to legal challenges by the towns and the States involved, and it is against Federal law. In short, transporting these weapons will not save time, and it will not save money. But this bill we have brought to the floor will save both time and money, because it stops the frivolous study and returns the focus to the issue at hand: the safe destruction of the chemical weapons at Pueblo by water neutralization.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today in relation to the nomination of Dr. Rice to be Secretary of State. Section 2 of Article II of the Constitution obligates the Senate to advise and consent on the President's nominees for his cabinet. That is a solemn duty, to be sure. So let me be clear up front that I will give my consent to Dr. Rice's nomination. I believe she is qualified for this important post and I am hopeful she will do an outstanding job advancing the interests and ideals of this great country. As a U.S. Senator, given the gravity of the situation facing the United States in Iraq, I also want to take this moment to meet my obligation to advise Dr. Rice and the President. I do this for one reason. We all serve here at the pleasure of the citizens of our States. Our efforts fail or succeed based on the informed consent of those citizens. Nowhere is that more clear than in the areas of war and peace. The consequences of war are clear. Like so many American families, my family knows the pain and sacrifice of war. My relatives have been killed on the soils of Europe and other places. In World War II, we lost nearly half a million Americans. In the war in Iraq, we have lost 1,371 soldiers and more than 10,000 have been wounded. I visited some of our young brave men and women at Walter Reed Army Medical Center a few weeks ago and saw the struggles and pains of them and their families as they suffered from the wounds of war. I support our troops and I pray and hope that their efforts in Iraq will have not been in vain and that the elections next week will usher in a new and free democracy in that nation. Nor do I rise today out of some partisan spirit. In fact, over the last 3 weeks I have very publicly and very clearly spoken in favor of two other cabinet nominees. This is a patriotic obligation, not a partisan exercise. As we look to the future, I believe strongly we must reflect on the past and constantly review and assess our performance for lessons learned for the American people. In fact, no one does a better job of this than the United States military. It invests great manpower and hours in after-action reviews to ensure that its doctrine, planning and execution were as good as it could have and should have been. Such an after-action review for the aministration would, I think, reveal clear concerns. There has been a general lack of candor--to our troops and their families, to our taxpayers and even, to some extent, to ourselves. Only by addressing this failure can we hope to ensure the continued informed consent of the American people for this historic undertaking in Iraq. This morning's paper reports that the Army is preparing to keep the level of U.S. troops in Iraq unchanged through the next 2 years. It is troubling because our troops have been told so many different things so many times that I fear they no longer know what lies ahead in their future. I have to believe that was a troubling headline to read for the 150,000 families--including the more than 2,000 in Colorado--who have loved ones deployed to Iraq and the thousands of others who know that their loved ones will be redeploying to Iraq for a second or even a third tour. This morning's newspaper also reports that the administration will seek an additional $80 billion for ongoing operations in Iraq. This is over and above the more than $149 billion already appropriated for this effort. Compare that with what the aministration told the American people on January 19, 2003, when it said that this entire effort would cost less than $50 billion. I remind my colleagues that each and every dollar of this operation is money added to the deficit. That is money borrowed from foreign governments that will have to be paid for by our children. As troubling as that deficit is, we will soon be faced with the challenge of deciding how to pay for many domestic issues, including most importantly, the health care our veterans have earned, and some are arguing we should tell the American people and our veterans that we simply cannot afford a level of care they have come to expect. Lastly, I am concerned about what can only be called a lack of candor--and urgency--with ourselves and our decisions. What else could explain the massive intelligence failures that preceded 9/11--the failure to see what was coming from al-Qaida, despite the years of its hateful rhetoric and despicable actions. And what else can explain the slowness in creating the Department on Homeland Security, or the lack of support for the 9/11 Commission and its clarion call for intelligence reform in the face of this hateful enemy. And what else-- unless it was that, counter to all warnings from our military, we convinced ourselves that this effort in Iraq would be over in weeks, not years--can account for the fact that now, nearly 2 years since the start of this operation, our troops do not have the armor they need? I end where I began, Mr. President. My advice is simple. To succeed in Iraq and elsewhere in the world, we need to heed the lessons learned over the past years. We need to be sure our intelligence is sound before we commit our troops, ensure our troops are prepared, and ensure our citizens are informed. Educated, as she was, in Denver, I am confident Dr. Rice took to heart the candor and straight talk that we value in the West and in Colorado. Those will be important attributes for her to employ as she becomes Secretary of State. I yield the floor.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise in support of the nomination of Governor Johanns to be Secretary of Agriculture. I very much look forward to working with him on issues of importance to Colorado's rural communities--its ranchers, farmers, agribusinesses and consumers. I also look forward to putting into action my own experience as a farmer and rancher and learning from the experience and leadership of the Governor from Nebraska, a neighboring State that is struggling with many of the same challenges that Colorado faces. I anticipate that Governor Johanns will be confirmed today, and that is as it should be because he has a lot of work waiting for him. I fear that many in the country do not recognize the challenges facing farmers, ranchers and rural towns in Colorado and across America today. Farming, ranching and agri-related businesses play a vital role to rural communities, and it is the job of the Senate Agriculture Committee and the United States Department of Agriculture to help those communities preserve this way of life and ensure that it will sustain many more generations of families. Governor Johanns has assured me that he understands this and that as Secretary of Agriculture he will rise to meet this challenge. One of the first important challenges that Governor Johanns will have to address is the issue of mad cow disease and the Canadian border. The Governor must direct the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Food Safety Inspection Service, as well as work with the Food and Drug Administration to thoroughly examine and fully understand the implications that reopening the border to Canadian live cattle will have on farmers, ranchers, consumers and agricultural organizations and industries across the U.S. In addition, the Governor will have the challenge of reviewing the testimony and comments of farmers and ranchers, consumers and other agricultural industries and organizations whose livelihoods and families will be directly impacted by USDA's decision. I look forward to the Governor and USDA's review of each of these items and, as a member of the Agriculture Committee, will enjoy our further discussions on their findings and final decision. Furthermore, this ongoing mad cow issue underscores another challenge for Governor Johanns as well as a matter of vital importance: country- of-origin labeling, COOL. American consumers have the right to know where their food is coming from, and I think that common sense dictates that if we can label where our shirts and socks are made, we can surely label where our meat and food comes from. I hope that Governor Johanns will work with us to ensure that COOL will go ahead once and for all, as passed by law. During Governor Johanns' nomination hearing in the Senate Agriculture Committee, he spoke about the need to encourage and explore biotech opportunities, open new markets, and provide expanded opportunities for productivity in agriculture. Important value-added initiatives such as these will be an essential factor to ensure a viable future for rural areas. Toward that end, early next month the President will release his budget for the upcoming fiscal year. That will provide a good indicator of his priorities for rural residents across the country. In last year's budget, the administration cut funding for rural development and eliminated or severely limited funding for programs to get rural communities broadband access, promote rural investment and help rural firefighters. Knowing of the Governor's commitment to expand opportunities for rural communities, I look forward to his help in protecting important programs such as these. Earlier this week, I also received written answers to questions I had submitted to Governor Johanns. While I certainly appreciate Governor Johanns' timely reply, I also look forward to hearing more detailed answers on the questions that he did not respond to, including an important issue to Colorado that has to do with a proposed development at the base of a ski area at Wolf Creek Pass. The Governor also spoke of the importance of the spirit of cooperation. I agree that we must cooperate to provide our rural residents with increased rural development and sustainable agricultural opportunities as well as reasonable commodity supports and eligibility guidelines to ensure that federal supports go to the family farmers who are the intended beneficiaries. Part and parcel of protecting our family farmer and rancher is ending the monopolization of the meatpacking industry and helping small, family agri-businesses to compete. Our family farmers, ranchers, and rural business people deserve fair farm, rural development and conservation programs as well as a safe food supply and other policies that help create more successful communities. I send my thanks to Governor Johanns for his service to Nebraska and his willingness to serve the Federal Government, and I look forward to working with him on these important issues. (At the request of Mr. Reed, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I wish to express my profound condolences for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa. I commend our two leaders for writing S. Res. 4, passed unanimously by the Senate earlier this afternoon. It is right and fitting that on our first day of business in this Congress the Senate has united to send a message of hope and leadership to the victims of this horrible disaster. We were all mortified to learn of the devastation caused by this disaster as we awoke after a day of Christmas celebrations. The news from this disaster has been arriving so fast and furious that it is hard to put the kinds of numbers we are talking about in perspective. We know there are more than 150,000 people dead--that is 150,000 personal tragedies. And there are hundreds of thousands of others who are homeless and whose lives have been turned upside down by this tragedy. We said clearly to their families and loved ones in our resolution today that we are here to help them recover and rebuild. The generosity and compassion of America will be felt in Bangladesh, Burma, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Seychelles, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Thailand. In fact, our troops and humanitarian assistance professionals are already bringing hope to those countries in the form of water, food and comfort. We thank our troops for their hard work and for showing the world the best of America, as they always do. I am also mindful this afternoon that this terrible disaster has wreaked havoc in our own country and in my own state of Colorado. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and their families.