The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“EXECUTIVE SESSION” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S11186-S11187 on Nov. 5, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
EXECUTIVE SESSION
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NOMINATION OF IGNACIA S. MORENO TO BE AN ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will proceed to executive session to consider a nomination, which the clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of Ignacia S. Moreno, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today, the Senate will confirm yet another outstanding nominee to fill a high-level vacancy at the Department of Justice. The confirmation of Ignacia Moreno to head the Environment and Natural Resources Division is long overdue. Ms. Moreno's nomination has been stalled on the Senate Executive Calendar without explanation for almost 6 weeks. Nominations for four other Assistant Attorneys General to run divisions at the Department remain stalled by Republican objections to their consideration.
I thank Senator Whitehouse for chairing the Judiciary Committee hearing on this nomination on September 9. When we reported this nomination by unanimous consent--without a single dissenting vote--on September 24, I did not imagine it would not be considered by the full Senate until November.
Senate Republicans have irresponsibly held up nominations to critical posts in the Department of Justice, depriving the President, the Attorney General, and the country of the leaders needed to head key law enforcement divisions at the Justice Department. These are leaders in our Federal law enforcement efforts. Presidents of both parties, especially newly elected ones, are normally accorded significant deference to put in place appointees for their administrations.
Yet, 10 months into President Obama's first term, even after we confirm Ms. Moreno, four nominations to be Assistant Attorneys General will remain stalled on the Senate's Executive Calendar due to Republican opposition and obstruction. These are the President's nominees to run 4 of the 11 divisions at the Justice Department--nearly half. By comparison, at this point in the Bush administration the Senate had confirmed nine Assistant Attorneys General and only one nomination was pending on the Senate Executive Calendar. The difference is that the Republican minority is refusing to consider these nominations.
The nomination we consider today, President Obama's nomination of Ignacia Moreno to be the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, has been on the Senate Executive Calendar for almost 6 weeks, even though it was reported by the Judiciary Committee without a single Republican Senator dissenting. By comparison, a Democratic majority in the Senate confirmed President Bush's nomination of Thomas Sansonetti to the position only 1 day after it was reported by the Judiciary Committee.
The President nominated Dawn Johnsen to be the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department on February 11. Her nomination has been pending on the Senate Executive Calendar since March 19. That is the longest pending nomination on the calendar by over 2 months. We did not treat President Bush's first nominee to head the Office of Legal Counsel the same way. We confirmed Jay Bybee to that post only 49 days after he was nominated by President Bush and only 5 days after his nomination was reported by the committee. Of course, his work in the Office of Legal Counsel is now the subject of an ongoing review by the Office of Professional Responsibility.
Mary Smith's nomination to be the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Tax Division has been pending on the Senate's Executive Calendar since June 11--nearly 5 months. We confirmed President Bush's first nomination to that position, Eileen O'Connor, only 57 days after her nomination was made and 1 day after her nomination was reported by the Committee. Her replacement, Nathan Hochman, was confirmed without delay, just 34 days after his nomination.
Chris Schroeder's nomination to be the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Office of Legal Policy has been pending on the Senate Executive Calendar since July 28. It was reported by voice vote without a single dissenting voice. President Bush's first nominee to head that division, Viet Dinh, was confirmed 96 to 1 only 1 month after he was nominated and only a week after his nomination was reported by the committee. The three nominees to that office that succeeded Mr. Dinh--
Daniel Bryant, Rachel Brand, and Elisabeth Cook--were each confirmed by voice vote in a shorter time than Professor Schroeder's nomination has been pending. Ms. Cook was confirmed 13 days after her nomination was reported by the committee, even though it was the final year of the Bush Presidency. By contrast, the majority leader may have to file another cloture position in order to overcome Republican obstruction and obtain Senate consideration of Professor Schroeder's nomination.
Instead of withholding consents and filibustering President Obama's nominees, the other side of the aisle should join us in treating them fairly. We should not have to fight for months to schedule consideration of the President's judicial nominations and nomination for critical posts in the executive branch.
Upon the announcement of her nomination, President Obama described Ignacia Moreno as a ``talented individual'' whose leadership will help us ``preserve our environment.'' I agree. Ignacia Moreno is a well-
qualified nominee who has chosen to leave a lucrative private practice to return to government service.
Ms. Moreno currently works for General Electric, where she oversees that corporation's compliance with State and Federal laws. Prior to that, she spent 7 years in the Energy and Natural Resources Division, where she served as a Special Assistant and later Principal Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General. I am confident that Ms. Moreno's significant experience will be put to good use when she is confirmed to return to the Justice Department.
I congratulate Ms. Moreno and her family on her confirmation today. I thank her many supporters for helping to free this nomination for Senate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination of Ignacia S. Moreno, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General?
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Byrd), the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Carper), and the Senator from Louisiana (Ms. Landrieu) are necessarily absent.
Mr. KYL. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. DeMint), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson), and the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Voinovich).
Further, if present and voting, the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. DeMint) would have voted ``yea.''
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 93, nays 0, as follows:
YEAS--93
AkakaAlexanderBarrassoBaucusBayhBegichBennetBennettBingamanBondBoxerBrownBrownbackBunningBurrBurrisCantwellCardinCaseyCoburnCochranCollinsConradCorkerCornynCrapoDoddDorganDurbinEnsignEnziFeingoldFeinsteinFrankenGillibrandGrahamGrassleyGreggHaganHarkinHatchHutchisonInhofeInouyeJohannsJohnsonKaufmanKerryKirkKlobucharKohlKylLautenbergLeahyLeMieuxLevinLiebermanLincolnLugarMcCainMcCaskillMcConnellMenendezMerkleyMikulskiMurkowskiMurrayNelson (NE)Nelson (FL)PryorReedReidRischRobertsRockefellerSandersSchumerSessionsShaheenShelbySnoweSpecterStabenowTesterThuneUdall (CO)Udall (NM)VitterWarnerWebbWhitehouseWickerWyden
NOT VOTING--7
ByrdCarperChamblissDeMintIsaksonLandrieuVoinovich
The nomination was confirmed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The President will be notified of the Senate's action.
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