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BUSINESS MEETING 

MEETING 

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON 

ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

NOVEMBER 29, 2017 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

( 

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov 

(II) 

COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS 

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming, Chairman 

JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma 

SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia 

JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas 

ROGER WICKER, Mississippi 

DEB FISCHER, Nebraska 

JERRY MORAN, Kansas 

MIKE ROUNDS, South Dakota 

JONI ERNST, Iowa 

DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska 

RICHARD SHELBY, Alabama 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware 

BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland 

BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont 

SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island 

JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon 

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, New York 

CORY A. BOOKER, New Jersey 

EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts 

TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois 

KAMALA HARRIS, California 

RICHARD M. RUSSELL, Majority Staff Director 

GABRIELLE BATKIN, Minority Staff Director 

(III) 

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

NOVEMBER 29, 2017 

OPENING STATEMENTS 

Barrasso, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from the State of Wyoming .......................... 1 

Whitehouse, Hon. Sheldon, U.S. Senator from the State of Rhode Island ......... 2 

Merkley, Hon. Jeff, U.S. Senator from the State of Oregon ................................ 3 

Harris, Hon. Kamala, U.S. Senator from the State of California ........................ 3 

Gillibrand, Hon. Kirsten, U.S. Senator from the State of New York .................. 4 

Markey, Hon. Edward J., U.S. Senator from the State of Massachusetts .......... 5 

Inhofe, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Oklahoma .................... 6 

Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware ................... 7 

Cardin, Hon. Benjamin L., U.S. Senator from the State of Maryland ................ 9 

PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS 

Kathleen Hartnett White to be a Member of the Council on Environmental 

Quality .................................................................................................................. 13 

Andrew Wheeler to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection 

Agency ................................................................................................................... 14 

COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS 

Lease, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Washington, DC, PDC-10- 

WA17 ..................................................................................................................... 15 

Lease, Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense Joint Staff, 

Suffolk, Virginia, PVA-01-SU17 .......................................................................... 16 

Lease, Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Washington, DC, PDC-03-WA17 .............................................................. 17 

Lease, Agency for International Development, Washington, DC, PDC-12- 

WA17 ..................................................................................................................... 19 

Lease, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management 

Agency, Washington, DC, PDC-02-WA17 ........................................................... 21 

Lease, Internal Revenue Service, Fresno, California, PCA-01-FR17 .................. 23 

Lease, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, 

Office of Information Technology, PVA-01-WA17 .............................................. 25 

Lease, Department of State, Washington, DC, PDC-07-WA17 ............................ 27 

Lease, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Washington, DC, PDC09-WA17 ................................................................................................................ 28 

Lease, National Institutes of Health, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, MD, PMD-01-WA17 ..................................................................................... 30 

Lease, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC, PDC-11- 

WA17 ..................................................................................................................... 31 

Lease, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, New Port Richey, Florida, PFL01-VA17 ................................................................................................................. 32 

Lease, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Oahu, Hawaii, PHI-01-VA17 ....... 33 

Lease, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Phoenix, Arizona, PAZ-01-VA17 . 34 

Lease, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Ponce, Puerto Rico, PPR-01- 

VA17 ...................................................................................................................... 35 

Lease, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Redding, California, PCA-01- 

VA17 ...................................................................................................................... 36 

Lease, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, San Antonio, Texas, PTX-01- 

VA17 ...................................................................................................................... 37 

Page

IV 

Lease, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, San Diego, California, PCA01-VA17 ................................................................................................................. 38 

Lease, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Tulsa, Oklahoma, POK-01-VA17 39 

(1) 

BUSINESS MEETING 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2017 

U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS, Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:03 a.m. in room 

406, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. John Barrasso (Chairman of the Committee) presiding. 

Present: Senators Barrasso, Carper, Inhofe, Capito, Boozman, 

Wicker, Fischer, Moran, Rounds, Ernst, Sullivan, Cardin, Whitehouse, Merkley, Gillibrand, Markey, Harris, and Shelby. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN BARRASSO, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF WYOMING 

Senator BARRASSO. Good morning. I call this business meeting to 

order. I want to thank everyone for coming. 

We are here to consider two nominations and 19 General Services Administration resolutions. 

We will be voting at roughly 10:20 to accommodate members’ 

schedules, but before we vote we will debate and discuss the matters before us. The majority will have 10 minutes to speak, beginning with my opening statement. The minority will have 10 minutes to speak, beginning with the Ranking Member’s opening statement. So, I would ask that the clock please be started on the majority time, and I will make a few brief comments, then reserve the 

balance of the majority’s time to make additional comments after 

the minority’s time has expired. 

The Ranking Member may recognize those members of the minority wishing to speak during the minority’s time. 

After each side has used its time, we will move to votes as soon 

as a quorum is present. 

After completion of the votes, I would be happy to recognize 

every member who still wishes to speak. 

Today we consider the nomination of Kathleen Hartnett White to 

be a member of the Council on Environmental Quality, CEQ. President Trump intends to designate Ms. White as Chair of CEQ upon 

her confirmation by the Senate. Ms. White’s experience in environmental matters is broad. Neil Bradley, the Senior Vice President 

and Chief Policy Officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, wrote 

this about Ms. White, that she is well suited to serving as Chair 

of the CEQ and has ‘‘wide ranging experience relevant to the position.’’ 

I ask unanimous consent to enter his entire letter into the 

record. Without objection. 

2 

[The referenced information was not received at time of print.] 

Senator BARRASSO. If confirmed, Ms. White will bring her extensive experience to the job at CEQ, and I urge my colleagues to vote 

yes on her nomination. 

We will also consider the nomination of Andrew Wheeler to be 

Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Over 25 years working in the environmental field, Mr. Wheeler has 

proven himself to be a well qualified, experienced, and dedicated 

public servant. Twelve of those years he spent working at this 

Committee as this Committee’s Clean Air Subcommittee Staff Director and Republican Staff Director and Chief Counsel. 

We know what an invaluable contribution Mr. Wheeler will make 

in the protection of America’s public health and safety as Deputy 

Administrator of the EPA. I urge my colleagues to vote on his nomination in a positive way as well. 

We will also consider 19 resolutions to approve prospectuses providing for General Services Administration leases. The leases will 

provide office space for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 

the Department of Defense, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency for International Development, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, Customs 

and Border Protection, the Department of State, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Institutes of Health, Securities and Exchange Commission, and eight Department of Veterans Affairs locations. 

I would like to reserve the balance of my time at this point and 

turn to the Ranking Member for his statement and for him to recognize members of the minority as he sees fit. 

Senator CARPER. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. I am going to refrain 

from speaking at this moment and see if Senator Whitehouse 

would like to make some comments. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND 

Senator WHITEHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, thank you. 

A nominee who can’t follow the thread from carbon pollution to 

ocean warming to sea level rise, who imagines science that is not 

there and ignores science that is there is a preposterous nominee. 

There is a popular legend of the Emperor Caligula appointing his 

horse to the Roman Senate. Had he done that, it would have raised 

important questions. But the real questions would not have been 

about the horse. The horse was just a horse. The real questions 

would have been about the power of the Emperor Caligula and the 

spine of the Roman Senate. Discussing the merits of the horse 

would be pointless. 

Approving this nominee for CEQ would be so preposterous that 

it would be like appointing Caligula’s horse in that the real question becomes about the power of our fossil fuel emperors and the 

spine of the Senate. This is a moment in which the Senate takes 

its own measure. I guess we are about to see the answer. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator CARPER. Senator Merkley, would you like to speak, 

please? 

3 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JEFF MERKLEY, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF OREGON 

Senator MERKLEY. Thank you very much. 

Today we are on the verge of substantial disservice to the American people. Our job as Senators is to ensure the posts in the Federal Government are filled by qualified individuals who will do the 

right thing for the public, not execute the agenda of the fossil fuel 

industry. But today we are on voting on nominees who deny basic 

science, ignore public health risks, and are riddled with conflicts of 

interest. 

Ms. White, for example, not only denies that we are experiencing 

the devastating impacts of climate disruption; she also tries to tell 

us more carbon pollution would be good for humanity. And she has 

demonized those who would advance renewable energy and diminish pollution as pagans and communists. 

In her response to my written questions, she said she would 

‘‘work to ensure that any regulatory actions are based on the most 

up to date and objective scientific data.’’ But she made this promise 

directly after casting doubt on the overwhelming scientific consensus that human greenhouse gas emissions are driving climate 

disruption. 

She will be charged with running the U.S. Council on Environmental Quality, yet she denies there are environmental issues left 

to address. She is choosing to ignore water contamination, air pollution, and toxic sites impacting communities across our nation. 

It seems unreal that we are considering a nominee so far beyond 

the fringe of even climate deniers, a woman who is not an advocate 

for human health and environmental protection, but is an advocate 

for carbon pollution and completely unqualified for this post. 

Mr. Wheeler is the ultimate revolving door lobbyist, no way 

qualified to serve as Deputy Administrator of the EPA. As recently 

as August he lobbied for Murray Energy, a company with an extremely long history of environmental and labor violations. As a 

lobbyist for the company, Wheeler personally helped Murray Energy formulate a plan for rolling back EPA’s environmental regulations and undermining the Agency’s ability to carry out its mission 

of protecting the health of our planet and our people. He personally 

attended meetings held to discuss Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s 

proposal to have the Federal Government subsidize putting coal in 

nuclear plants. 

Time and again he has routinely put the interests of his clients 

above the interests and well being of the American people. It is beyond comprehension how this individual, so beholden to the fossil 

fuel industry, so deeply imbedded in a record of fighting for private 

interest at the expense of public welfare, could possibly serve in an 

agency tasked to protect our environment and our people. 

I urge my colleagues to reject these nominees. 

Senator CARPER. I thank the Senator from Oregon. 

The Senator from California. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. KAMALA HARRIS, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA 

Senator HARRIS. Thank you. 

4 

I urge my colleagues to vote no on the nominations of Ms. White 

and Mr. Wheeler. These nominations are the latest in a pattern by 

this Administration to send us candidates with work experience 

that directly conflicts the mission that they are supposed to execute. 

Earlier this month we voted on a nominee whose job at EPA is 

to oversee the safety of chemicals. Yet this same person spent their 

life promoting dangerous levels of chemicals in water and took 

money from the chemical industry to combat the mission of the 

EPA. 

Today we are considering a fossil fuel lobbyist, Mr. Wheeler, to 

be the second in command at the EPA. We are also considering a 

fossil fuel industry supporter, Ms. Hartnett White, to head the 

Council on Environmental Quality, a nominee who has claimed 

that ‘‘the fossil fuel industry helped end slavery.’’ So, apparently, 

she is putting the fossil fuel industry right up there with the 13th 

Amendment. 

Now, let’s be clear that extracting, transporting, and burning fossil fuels, such as coal and oil and gas, pollute our environment. It 

harms the health of our families and communities, and it produces 

carbon dioxide that contributes to climate change. If confirmed, Ms. 

White will be tasked with coordinating Federal environmental efforts, including the implementation of the National Environmental 

Protection Act, that works to ensure that Americans can drink 

clean water and breathe clean air. 

She even claimed that we ‘‘already cleaned up our environment 

enough.’’ Well, I disagree. There are still far too many Americans 

who are exposed to dangerous environmental conditions. 

With these nominees, the Administration is placing corporate interests over public health and the economic interests of Americans. 

It is dangerous, morally bankrupt, and undermines our ability to 

create jobs, economic success, and healthy communities for all 

Americans in the years and decades ahead. 

In closing, in my home State of California we have over 90 

Superfund sites full of toxic chemicals, one of which is in Los 

Angeles’s Harbor Gateway, right next to a Boys & Girls Club 

where young children play. We have not cleaned up our environment for these children. We cannot turn our backs on Americans’ 

right to live in safe communities without toxins, and unfortunately, 

these nominations have demonstrated no interest in meeting this 

goal. 

My colleagues and I have a responsibility to those Americans, 

and I urge them to join me in voting against these nominations. 

Thank you. 

Senator CARPER. Thank you. 

The Senator from New York. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK 

Senator GILLIBRAND. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, I strongly 

oppose these two nominees, and I urge everyone to vote against 

them. 

I am particularly troubled by Kathleen Hartnett White to serve 

as the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. Her extreme 

5 

views, as my colleagues have noted, on issues ranging from climate 

change to the role of science to clean air regulations, make her 

unfit to serve. Mrs. White denies that extreme weather is getting 

worse as a result of climate change, despite all the evidence to the 

contrary. We do not need to look any further than this year’s hurricane season to see how dangerously callous her point of view is. 

My constituents in New York, as well as those in Texas, Florida, 

Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, deserve someone leading the 

CEQ who will take climate change seriously and ensure that the 

Federal Government is doing everything we can to make our country more resilient. And it is clear from her record in Texas, as well 

as her past writings and statements, that she will side again and 

again with her patrons in the fossil fuel industry, and not the 

health and well being of our constituents. 

I strongly urge a sense of conscience and a no vote. 

Senator CARPER. Thanks very much. I reserve my time. 

Senator Markey. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. EDWARD J. MARKEY, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS 

Senator MARKEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Kathleen Hartnett White, from my perspective, on issue after 

issue, she has made statements and holds views that are not just 

outliers; they are outrageous. Her views aren’t just incorrect; they 

are incomprehensible for someone charged to lead the coordination 

of all Federal environmental action. She has stated many times 

that ‘‘carbon dioxide is not a pollutant,’’ in direct opposition to the 

ruling of the Supreme Court in Massachusetts v. EPA. She has 

written that ‘‘renewables are a false hope that simply won’t work’’ 

and stated that renewable energy is inconsequential, even as we 

are going to have more than 200,000 megawatts and 500,000 workers in the wind and solar industries just within the next 3 years. 

Under Ms. Hartnett White, CEQ would no longer stand for the 

Council on Environmental Quality; it would stand for Crazy Environmental Quackery. We cannot, at this time, have this type of 

person in charge of the environment in our country. 

I urge a no vote. 

Senator CARPER. Thank you, Senator Markey. 

Senator BARRASSO. Senator Inhofe. 

Senator WHITEHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, before we go, could I just 

ask unanimous consent? I have a letter from 300 U.S. scientists opposing the nomination of Ms. Hartnett White. To quote them, ‘‘because one thing more dangerous than climate change is lying.’’ And 

I would like to have that letter admitted to the record. 

Senator BARRASSO. Without objection. 

[The referenced information was not received at time of print.] 

Senator BARRASSO. Let me just say that comparing Ms. White to 

a horse, as one of our Democrat colleagues just did, to me is a new 

low. It is disturbing, it is demeaning, and it is dehumanizing. 

Yesterday, President Obama’s Assistant Secretary of Energy, 

Charles McConnell, wrote an op-ed in support of Ms. White, which 

I am going to introduce to the record as well. Mr. McConnell explained that ‘‘Listening to her critics, one might think she opposes 

all regulation. That is simply untrue, as her record shows.’’ He goes 

6 

on to say, and again, this is President Obama’s Assistant Secretary 

of Energy, ‘‘The fact is she has always supported and insisted on 

smart regulation.’’ He goes on to say, ‘‘Kathleen led the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality during an extraordinary period 

of growth in the Texas population, and yet the State realized impressive declines in the levels of pollution during that time.’’ He 

cites declines in ozone, declines in nitrogen oxide, decline in other 

pollutants. This is President Obama’s Assistant Secretary of Energy. 

I ask unanimous consent to enter this op-ed in the record as well. 

Without objection. 

[The referenced information was not received at time of print.] 

Senator BARRASSO. Senator Inhofe. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES M. INHOFE, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA 

Senator INHOFE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

We have had a lot of name calling here, and I am sure that 

makes everybody on the left feel better. 

I don’t know Kathleen White as well, obviously, as I do Andrew 

Wheeler, but you said exactly what I was going to say. We have 

people out there that are singing her praises, and you don’t need 

to get down in the mud and name calling and these things. 

But I do know Andrew Wheeler, and I know Andrew probably 

better than anyone except maybe his mother. Andrew Wheeler has 

been with me for so many years, actually, 14 years. He was a counselor in my personal office, and then he was a staff director when 

I chaired the Subcommittee—on the Clean Air Subcommittee, and 

he was the one who, really, I relied on at that time. He has been 

the chief counsel for the EPW, for our Committee; he has been majority and minority staff director. We have worked on things together that are successful. 

You know, we can be really proud on this Committee because, 

once you get through with all the name calling, we have done so 

many good things. We have accomplished things. I can remember 

when we used to have the Chairman’s meeting every Tuesday at 

12:15, and the Republican leader would go around to all the different Chairmen, and when it got to me I would say, now, from the 

Committee that actually does things. That was us. We did it on a 

bipartisan basis. 

Well, when we were working with Andrew Wheeler, we did the 

1998 and the 2005 highway bills, huge bills; the Energy Policy Act 

of 2005; the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The 

Clear Skies Act, that was one that was early on. We couldn’t get 

Democrats to join in on that, so that ended up not being successful. 

But the Clean Air Interstate Rule, the Diesel Emissions Reduction 

Act, greenhouse gas emission legislation. 

Five out of those seven were successful, and they were all huge. 

And I have to say that I totally relied on Andrew Wheeler for the 

background, the knowledge, the expertise that he has demonstrated year after year after year on a very bipartisan basis. So, 

I am just hoping that you folks will remember we have had some 

successes in this Committee and a lot of those successes we have 

7 

had were due to one staffer in particular, and that was Andrew 

Wheeler. 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you, Senator Inhofe. 

Senator Carper. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS R. CARPER, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF DELAWARE 

Senator CARPER. Thanks very much. 

I just want to start off on one positive note. We are going to be 

approving 19 General Services Administration lease prospectus resolutions today. Nineteen. Hopefully we will go 19 for 19. And one 

of the reasons why we are able to move forward is because GSA 

has acted with sufficient good faith to allow us to move forward 

today, and we are going to do that. 

I want to say, with respect to Andrew Wheeler, I don’t know him 

as well as Jim Inhofe does, but during his hearing and in response 

to the questions for the record, I thought that he may have demonstrated a more transparent and straight forward approach to engaging with members of the Committee than any other Trump administration EPA nominee thus far. I find that encouraging. I hope 

that you do, too. 

Senator INHOFE. There is not a lot of competition for that. 

Senator CARPER. Some would say that is a low bar. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator CARPER. But it is a fact. 

That is as close as I am going to get to name calling here today. 

I want to be honest with you. I remain less encouraged with Administrator Pruitt’s progress in responding to the 31 letters requesting information that have been sent to him by our side of this 

Committee. Thus far, he has only adequately responded to 12 of 

those letters. That is better than zero, but six of the unanswered 

letters are more than 6 months old. More than 6 months old. That 

is just unacceptable. 

Having said that, it is my understanding that EPA is making an 

effort to respond to more of our letters, and to do so soon, and we 

look forward to reviewing those responses soon. And the related 

documents we have been requesting and receiving responses to future oversight inquiries on a timely basis going forward. 

I just want to thank my colleagues, a number of whom have been 

very vocal in calling on EPA to do just that, and I think the message is getting through. 

Let me say this as clearly as I know how. If the responses that 

are being crafted by EPA now are completed in short order and are 

truly responsive, we will make progress on a number of nominations. If the nominations are further delayed or unresponsive, that 

progress may not be realized. I think we want progress. So thank 

you again for those of you who are speaking up. 

I want to devote the remainder of my opening remarks this 

morning to the nomination of Kathleen Hartnett White to be the 

White House’s top environmental official. The importance of the Office of Environmental Quality cannot be overstated; it has historically played a vital role in coordinating the efforts of all Federal 

agencies on cost cutting and important environmental issues. I 

know this from a firsthand account from one of my earliest menVerDate Aug 31 2005 06:52 May 07, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 S:\_EPW\DOCS\29855.TXT SONYA
8 

tors, Russell Peterson, who served as the CEQ chair during both 

the Nixon and the Ford administrations, a Delawarean. 

Before serving in the White House, Russ Peterson had a distinguished career as a chemist and a leader at the DuPont Company 

and went on to serve as Governor of our State from 1969 to 1973. 

And despite his being a Republican and me being a Democrat, Russ 

Peterson graciously served as one of my key mentors from the time 

that we met in 1976 until his death in 2001. He spoke fondly of 

his time as CEQ Chair, and he explained to me on more than one 

occasion the real importance and influence of the job. As CEQ 

chair, you are kind of like an orchestra leader—not playing the instruments, but making sure that everyone is playing from the same 

music and in harmony. 

Make no mistake about it, CEQ’s role and responsibility, their influence is considerable and consequential; it has been for many 

years. That is why I am deeply disappointed at the nomination of 

Ms. White, whose views I believe are extreme, whose words are 

staggeringly inappropriate, and who shows remarkable disrespect 

for science, the environmental laws that are on the books, and our 

Federal Government. 

I want to just take a minute to look at her record. 

Ms. White refers to renewable energy sources as false hope and 

parasitic. She has called repeatedly for the repeal of solar and wind 

tax credits. She has also called for the repeal of the Renewable 

Fuel Standards repeatedly over the past decade, stating the program is counterproductive, ethnically offensive, and destructive. 

Ms. White has compared the views of those who believe that 

human activity is causing climate change to be those of pagans and 

communists. Talk about name calling. These are her words; these 

are not mine. She has suggested that policies to reduce global 

warming pollution could lead to poverty and even to concentration 

camps. She has said several times that fossil fuels ended slavery. 

Ms. White consistently denies the cause and impacts of climate 

change. She has repeatedly stated that we would benefit from more 

carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, not less. She has actively supported groups that promote this extreme point of view. 

Moreover, Ms. White has repeatedly contradicted the accepted 

views of previously Republican and Democratic administrations 

alike about the health effects of air pollution, saying that ‘‘people 

do not die of particulate matter levels,’’ that ‘‘ozone isn’t harmful 

unless you put your mouth over the tailpipe of a car for 8 hours 

a day,’’ and that the Clean Air Act no longer provides an effective 

scientifically credible or economically viable means of air quality 

management. 

Nothing that Ms. White said at her hearing or in response to 

post-hearing questions provides me with as much as a shred of confidence in her suitability for almost any Senate confirmed role, let 

alone one that carries with it the responsibility of chairing the 

Council on Environmental Quality in this or some other Administration. 

If she is confirmed to serve in this important leadership position, 

I believe we will have failed in our responsibility as United States 

Senators to provide advice and consent, and we will have failed the 

9 

people of this country. I cannot urge my colleagues more strongly 

to oppose her nomination. 

We sat here, Mr. Chairman—I will conclude with this. We sat 

here for her hearing. I have been sitting through hearings here for 

17 years. It was painful to watch. It was painful to watch, and it 

was painful to hear, and we should not inflict this pain on the people of this country. 

Thanks so much. 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you very much, Senator Carper. 

Anyone else wanting to make a statement on this as we wait for 

the final member for the vote? 

Senator Cardin. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND 

Senator CARDIN. I was going to wait until after the vote, but I 

will be very brief. 

I want to explain my strong opposition to Ms. Hartnett White for 

the position that she has been nominated to. She authored an article indicating one of the worst ways to celebrate Earth Day is the 

signing of the Paris Accords. 

I had the opportunity to be with four of our colleagues in Bonn 

2 weeks ago to try to represent the U.S. view that we want to be 

part of the international community and the international community’s efforts to deal with global climate change. We are now the 

only country that has announced that we will not be part of these 

discussions. 

And I have had conversations with members of the Administration, including the Secretary of State, who recognizes the importance for America to be part of this process. I want to make sure 

that we have people in the Administration who understand the importance of the U.S. global engagement, and Ms. Hartnett White 

clearly does not fall into that category, and that is why I oppose 

her nomination. 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you, Senator Cardin. 

Now that the majority and minority have had an opportunity to 

debate and discuss the issues and members have arrived, I would 

like to move the votes on the items of today’s agenda. We will defer 

additional statements until the end of voting, and I will be happy 

to recognize any additional members still wishing to speak. 

The Ranking Member and I have agreed to bring up the nominees to be a member of the CEQ and the Deputy Administrator of 

EPA for separate roll call votes. The Ranking Member has requested that each of these nominees receive a separate roll call 

vote. The Ranking Member and I have agreed to vote on the 19 

GSA resolutions en bloc by voice vote, but members may choose to 

have their votes recorded for a specific resolution in that bloc after 

the voice vote. 

To begin, I would like to call up Presidential Nomination 1101, 

Kathleen Hartnett White, of Texas, to be a member of the Council 

of Environmental Quality. I move to approve and report the nomination favorably to the Senate. 

Is there a second? 

Senator INHOFE. Second. 

10 

Senator BARRASSO. The Clerk will call the roll. 

The CLERK. Mr. Booker. 

Senator CARPER. No, by proxy. 

The CLERK. Mr. Boozman. 

Senator BOOZMAN. Yes. 

The CLERK. Mrs. Capito. 

Senator CAPITO. Yes. 

The CLERK. Mr. Cardin. 

Senator CARDIN. No. 

The CLERK. Mr. Carper. 

Senator CARPER. No. 

The CLERK. Ms. Duckworth. 

Senator CARPER. No, by proxy. 

The CLERK. Mrs. Ernst. 

Senator ERNST. Yes. 

The CLERK. Mrs. Fischer. 

Senator FISCHER. Yes. 

The CLERK. Mrs. Gillibrand. 

Senator GILLIBRAND. No. 

The CLERK. Ms. Harris. 

Senator HARRIS. No. 

The CLERK. Mr. Inhofe. 

Senator INHOFE. Aye. 

The CLERK. Mr. Markey. 

Senator MARKEY. No. 

The CLERK. Mr. Merkley. 

Senator MERKLEY. No. 

The CLERK. Mr. Moran. 

Senator MORAN. Aye. 

The CLERK. Mr. Rounds. 

Senator ROUNDS. Aye. 

The CLERK. Mr. Sanders. 

Senator CARPER. No, by proxy. 

The CLERK. Mr. Shelby. 

Senator SHELBY. Aye. 

The CLERK. Mr. Sullivan. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Aye. 

The CLERK. Mr. Whitehouse. 

Senator CARPER. No, by proxy. 

The CLERK. Mr. Wicker. 

Senator WICKER. Aye. 

The CLERK. Mr. Chairman. 

Senator BARRASSO. Aye. 

The Clerk will report. 

The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, the yeas are 11, the nays are 10. 

Senator BARRASSO. We have approved the nomination of Ms. 

White to be a member of the Council on Environmental Quality, 

which will be reported to the full Senate for approval. 

I would like to now call up Presidential Nomination 1084, Andrew Wheeler, of Virginia, to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. I move to approve and report the 

nomination favorably to the Senate. 

Is there a second? 

Senator INHOFE. Second. 

11 

Senator BARRASSO. The Clerk will call the roll. 

The CLERK. Mr. Booker. 

Senator CARPER. No, by proxy. 

The CLERK. Mr. Boozman. 

Senator BOOZMAN. Yes. 

The CLERK. Mrs. Capito. 

Senator CAPITO. Yes. 

The CLERK. Mr. Cardin. 

Senator CARDIN. No. 

The CLERK. Mr. Carper. 

Senator CARPER. No. 

The CLERK. Ms. Duckworth. 

Senator CARPER. No, by proxy. 

The CLERK. Mrs. Ernst. 

Senator ERNST. Yes. 

The CLERK. Mrs. Fischer. 

Senator FISCHER. Yes. 

The CLERK. Mrs. Gillibrand. 

Senator GILLIBRAND. No. 

The CLERK. Ms. Harris. 

Senator HARRIS. No. 

The CLERK. Mr. Inhofe. 

Senator INHOFE. Aye. 

The CLERK. Mr. Markey. 

Senator MARKEY. No. 

The CLERK. Mr. Merkley. 

Senator MERKLEY. No. 

The CLERK. Mr. Moran. 

Senator MORAN. Aye. 

The CLERK. Mr. Rounds. 

Senator ROUNDS. Aye. 

The CLERK. Mr. Sanders. 

Senator CARPER. No, by proxy. 

The CLERK. Mr. Shelby. 

Senator SHELBY. Aye. 

The CLERK. Mr. Sullivan. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Aye. 

The CLERK. Mr. Whitehouse. 

Senator CARPER. No, by proxy. 

The CLERK. Mr. Wicker. 

Senator WICKER. Aye. 

The CLERK. Mr. Chairman. 

Senator BARRASSO. Aye. 

The Clerk will report. 

The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, the yeas are 11 and the nays are 10. 

Senator BARRASSO. We have approved the nomination of Mr. 

Wheeler to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, which will be reported to the full Senate for approval. 

I would now like to call up 19 resolutions to approve 

prospectuses providing for the General Services Administration 

leases en bloc. I move to approve 19 General Services Administration resolutions en bloc. 

Is there a second? 

Senator CARPER. Second. 

12 

Senator BARRASSO. All those in favor say aye. 

[Chorus of ayes.] 

Senator BARRASSO. Opposed, no. 

[No audible response.] 

Senator BARRASSO. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it. 

We have approved 19 GSA resolutions. 

The voting part of the business meeting is concluded. I will be 

happy to stay and recognize any member who wishes to make additional statements on the nominations or on the resolutions. 

I ask unanimous consent that the staff have authority to make 

technical and conforming changes to each of the matters approved 

today. 

If no one else wants to make a statement, with that, and no 

other business coming before the Committee, the business meeting 

is concluded and adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 10:32 a.m. the Committee was adjourned.] 

[Presidential nominations and Committee resolutions submitted 

for the record follow:] 

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