The Senate Thursday overwhelmingly confirmed Tom Strickland's nomination as assistant Interior secretary for fish and wildlife and parks, but Republican holds might delay the appointment of two of his fellow deputies at the department.
The Senate, 89-2, approved Strickland, who will continue to be Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's chief of staff. He is only the second of President Obama's nominees for Interior to be confirmed.
Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, Thursday announced he will try to hold up the nomination of Hilary Tompkins to be solicitor at Interior because he wants Salazar to clarify the administration's position on an agreement reached in 2003 between Utah and Interior, where the department agreed to stop designating land as wilderness study areas. Tompkins as solicitor would have to defend that agreement, which resulted from a lawsuit Utah filed against the federal government in 1996.
"I need to better understand the legal opinions and director of who will be the department's chief legal officer, and the answers provided just don't cut it," Bennett said. He sent a letter to Salazar Thursday seeking clarification.
Bennett also has a hold on David Hayes to be Interior deputy secretary because he wants more answers regarding why the administration canceled oil and gas leases in Utah.
Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, is threatening to hold up the nomination of the Interior Department's second-in-command to get more answers on why the Obama administration canceled oil and gas leases in his state.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today approved the nomination of David Hayes to be deputy Interior secretary, 17-5. Bennett afterward said he will put a hold on the nomination until he sits down with Hayes and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar about those leases. "We've been trying to get an appointment with them; I think maybe now they'll give us one," Bennett said after the vote. An Interior spokesman said Salazar and Hayes "are looking forward to talking to Senator Bennett about his concerns."
For more on this story, read CongressDailyPM (subscription).
By WINTER CASEY
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar welcomed yet another "czar" to the Obama administration today. As the "recovery czar" for the Department of the Interior, Chris Henderson will oversee more than $3 billion the department plans to invest in communities, parks, and public lands.
Henderson, who has been named senior adviser to the secretary for economic recovery, has served as the chief operating officer for Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper since 2006 and also has experience in private equity investing.
National Journal reported in February about the multitude of czars Obama has named or promised to name in his administration. Still yet to be filled are the congressionally created White House position of intellectual property enforcement coordinator, or "IP czar," and the long-promised tech czar post. Obama reportedly has selected Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske to be the nation's next drug czar and Melissa Hathaway may become the next cybersecurity czar.
By DARREN GOODE, CongressDaily
President-elect Obama's choice for Interior secretary might come down to two Western House Democrats: a three-term Hispanic lawmaker and a five-term Blue Dog backed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva appears to be the leading contender, but California Rep. Mike Thompson has Pelosi in his corner.
While Pelosi might have pushed for her fellow Californian before speculation accelerated about Grijalva, Thompson has also been endorsed by two of Pelosi's closest allies -- Reps. Anna Eshoo and George Miller, both of California. Thompson has the backing of hunting and fishing groups, while Grijalva is favored by environmental groups. Former two-term Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber -- another finalist to head Interior -- told the Associated Press this week he would bet on Grijalva.
Several other sources following the Obama transition team's deliberations also cite Grijalva -- who chairs the House Natural Resources National Parks Subcommittee -- as the likely favorite. But the importance that the Interior Department holds for Western governors, as well as his executive experience, makes Kitzhaber a sleeper pick.
