Barrasso's Behind GOP's Enviro Slowdown; Dems Decry 'Frustrating' Delay
Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chairman of the Senate environment committee, just confirmed to TPMDC that Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) is the culprit behind the slowdown in confirming to of Barack Obama's senior environmental policy nominees, Lisa Jackson and Nancy Sutley. (The Journal outs Barrasso here.)
"We'll break it," Boxer said of the Republican logjam. "Once we go public with it, it should go away."
But will it go away without satisfying Barrasso's call for a way to ensure Browner can answer to Congress as well as the president who appointed her?
Leaving aside the hypocrisy of the GOP's sudden insistence on preserving Senate input at all times (*coughJohn Boltoncough*), the delay of Jackson and Sutley effectively denies Obama a working environmental team when time is short for the U.S. to prepare for next year's global Copenhagen conference on climate change.
One important note: Barrasso's delay is not technically a Senate "hold." Those can only be placed after a nominee has been approved in committee, and the environment panel has not yet held a vote on Jackson and Sutley. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), a member of the environment panel, said Democrats had attempted to clear Jackson and Sutley unanimously through the full Senate -- it was that move to which Barrasso appears to have objected.
"She's a very intelligent person," Isakson said of Sutley, whom he had a private meeting with to discuss Georgia water issues. "I don't really know of any objections."
As for Browner, Isakson was more effusive. "I've got a long memory," he said, and Browner "was very helpful to us" in Atlanta when the city sought a waiver from the Clean Air Act to clean up local sites of environmental contamination.
Boxer was not the only environment committee member unamused by Barrasso's move. "If people want to vote against her, it requires a vote. It's a little frustrating," Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) said. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) cut to the chase: "Browner served ably within the Clinton administration ... let's get this show on the road."
Late Update: About 10 minutes ago, Claire McCaskill (D-MO) moved on the Senate floor to unanimously confirm Jackson and Sutley. The Republican side swiftly objected. It's on.
Josh
Elana
Matt
Eric
I've never even heard of Barrasso until this piece today. Wyoming and Texas Senators raising respective stinks - things that make you go hmmmm...
January 22, 2009 12:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't those in power have leverage over these scumbags?
January 22, 2009 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Doesn't it sort of piss you off that Wyoming has TWO senators?
January 22, 2009 1:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Barrasso: what. a. dick.
January 22, 2009 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am not so conceited that I think that there is some kind of trickery afoot simply because I don't know who this Senator is, but I think something is afoot because I don't know who this Senator is.
I saw "environmental" and "placed a hold" and "nomination" in the same sentence, and was sure the culprit was Inhofe. I mean, come on. The guy is like the Child-Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and everything that has green on it, or smells green, or has the word "climate" in it is a child Inhofe will capture and send to the sewers. It's like everything environmentally is Nicole Brown Simpson, and Inhofe's wearing the Bruno Maglis. Inhofe once bought a small, adorable puppy, brought it home, fed it, walked it, put a little sweater on it, and named it What I think About Climate Change. And then he kicked it to death.
Do you catch my drift?
So of course I thought: the holder is Inhofe. Let's move on.
But Barrasso?
I sense patsy. I think McConnell and company decided to trial balloon this bullshit. So they ponied up Fredo to see if anyone is going to take a hit on him. If the coast is clear, then they send Sonny out to do the real work. Bing bang boom. Welcome to the GOP 2009. It's a whole new bag of fuckery.
Barrasso? Huh.
January 22, 2009 2:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Very interesting take. You could be right. It would indicate that even they realize how foolish they sound.
January 22, 2009 3:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
January 22, 2009 2:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
What makes you think Republicans will care when Manhattan is underwater?
January 22, 2009 2:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
The red states are mostly in the middle of the country, the liberal coastal states go under water first.
January 22, 2009 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps like Lex Luthor, they plan to have waterfront property after the deluge hits the coasts.
January 22, 2009 2:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Senate needs to get their rules in some kind of order and stick to them. They have so many traditions and courtesies that aren't really rules that you don't know what is going on. Do some hard thinking and come up with some rules that are fair to the minority. Individual Senators can still filibuster the old fashioned way if they have objections but to allow a second priviledge where an individual Senator can hold legislation or appointments on a whim without so much as offering a word on WHY for the record is just too much courtesy.
The Senate rules are ridiculous and antiquated and a huge obstacle to effective governing. The Senate isn't a cooling saucer, it's a constipated old goat.
January 22, 2009 2:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Used properly, the hold rule serves a useful purpose. It prevents nominees from blowing off a Senator and refusing to answer tough questions. Any rule can be abused. A hold is only temporary, so at worst it's a delay. That's a pretty small price to pay to keep a useful function. A couple of days isn't going to make any difference.
January 22, 2009 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Senate Democrats should be embrassed. Enough of this nonsense. Are the Democrats ever going to assert their authority? What a bunch of pathetic wimps.
January 22, 2009 2:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hypocrisy is always pretty thick in Washington, but it's getting to the point where you could hide several nuclear submarines in it. The D's really need to start calling these clowns on it.
January 22, 2009 3:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just wrote this guy (who I had never heared of before) and told him to get his head out of his ass and stop being obstructionist.
Rethuglicans, same old ideas, 100% of the time.
Laetrile-sucking Brother John Birch wannabees...
Sen. John Barrasso... Are you sure The Matrix didn't just invent him on the spot specifically for this purpose? Seems kinda odd. REALLY, I have NEVER heard of this guy!
-Dana Kincaid
January 22, 2009 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dude...did you just play the "global Copenhagen conference on climate change" card?
January 22, 2009 4:09 PM | Reply | Permalink