Senate Proceeding 07-29-08 on Jul 29th, 2008 :: 1:44:21 to 1:52:19
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1:44:21 to 1:44:35( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: administrator johnson's response was to label all of those concerned, many of whom are dedicated career employees of his agency, as yes, ma'amerring -- yammering critics. clearly a man after spiroing a

1:44:21 to 1:52:19( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Sheldon Whitehouse

1:44:35 to 1:44:48( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: knew's own --ing a new's own heart. when this great agency is weakened and the work subverted by political interference there is a great cost to this country. when e.p.a. scientists and career employees

1:44:48 to 1:45:04( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: become discouraged as their voices go unheard, there is a great cost to this country. when the people of america lose faith that the environmental protection agency actually lives up to its name,

1:45:04 to 1:45:21( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: there is a great cost to this country.| and when those who are chosen to serve this country instead serve themselves, their political allies and their patrons, there is a great and lasti cost to this

1:45:21 to 1:45:35( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: country. it's a failure of integrity and that is a failure we can no longer afford. we demand integrity. democracy demands integrity of our public officials. not just because integrity is an abstract

1:45:35 to 1:45:47( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: moral good, but because democracy fails without it. integrity sustains our democracy in such important ways. the first is integrity to the truth. in government, when the facts are clear enough for responsible

1:45:47 to 1:46:00( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: people to act, it is a failure of integrity to fail to confront those facts. as the late senator from new york, daniel patrick moynihan, famously said, "you're entitled to your own opinion; you are not

1:46:00 to 1:46:13( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: entitled to your own facts." america has traditionally been characterized by candid and practical assessment of the facts. a can-do attitude about responding to those facts and bold decision making to find

1:46:13 to 1:46:28( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: our way through those facts. practical, can-do, optimistic, realistic -- that's the american way. when government doesn't face the truth about the facts, it will almost certainly fail to meet the demands

1:46:28 to 1:46:42( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: of the moment and fail to serve the interests of our people. that is what is happeni at e.p.a. they simply won't face facts, plain to any responsible person. but facts are stubborn things. they do

1:46:42 to 1:46:55( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: not yield to ideology or influence. they do not care about your politics. unanswered, they stand, getting worse and eventually the piper must be paid. and if facts aren't can dild, realistically

1:46:55 to 1:47:10( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: and responsibly faced, not only will the problem get worse but the very capacity of government to address problems candidly, realistically, and responsibly, that capacity will itself degrade when not put

1:47:10 to 1:47:26( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: to use. so there are really ugly lasting consequences when government officials fail at their obligation to meet the truth head-on. another integrity is to honesty. as failures of truth have a harsh cost

1:47:26 to 1:47:40( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: in government, so do failures in honesty. i've swo in new assistant united states attorneys. i've sworn in new state assistant attorneys general. i've presided at nomination hearings. and every time, i've

1:47:40 to 1:47:54( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: seen the same thing: a little spark of fire, a moral fire sparked when someone makes a choice to earn less money thathey would otherwise, to work a lot harder than they would otherwise, to dare greater

1:47:54 to 1:48:08( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: challenges than they might otherwise. all in order to serve a larger purpose, to serve an ideal, to serve america. this spark of fire inspires young men and women to tackle problems that may seem unmanageable.

1:48:08 to 1:48:22( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: this spark of fire keeps people at their desks late into the night when others have gone home to their families. this spark of fire brings idealism and prince foley decisions and illuminates a moral

1:48:22 to 1:48:38( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: path through the complexities of government the value in government of that spark of fire burning in the hearts of a thousand men and women are real thousand points of life, is immeasurable. e.p.a.

1:48:38 to 1:48:56( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: is sustained by that spark of fire. but this spark of fire is quenched in the toxic atmosphere of dishonesty, whose guiding principles are help your friends, please your patron, dodge your responsibilities,

1:48:56 to 1:49:08( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: and fudge the truth. dishonesty and idealism cohabit. the third integrity is competence, a vital integrity. if we are to address the present and looming problems, a -- problems a new administration

1:49:08 to 1:49:18( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: will have to face, a war without end in iraq, a economy in a sickening slide, a broken health care system, a country divided into two increasingly separate americas, a public education system that is failing, the

1:49:18 to 1:49:32( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: dangerous wait of an alarming national -- weight of an alarming national debt, foreign policies that have unhinged us from responsible world opinion, bickering and irresolution on problems like immigration

1:49:32 to 1:49:47( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: and global warming -- we must see competence as a core integrity. we must demand competence of government officials, as a bare minimum, a core necessity. unfortunately, as one discouraged official has

1:49:47 to 1:50:03( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: complained, in the bush administration, loyalty is the new competence. mr. president, administrator steven johnson is a failure in all these dimensions. from everything we have seen, administrator johnson

1:50:03 to 1:50:19( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: has done the bidding of the bush administration and its political allies without hesitation or question and in violation of his clear duty. he has tried to cover up his dereliction of duty with evasive

1:50:19 to 1:50:38( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: and discreditable testimony. he has acted without regard for the law or the determinations of the courts. he has damaged the mission, the morale, and the integrity of his great institution, the environmental

1:50:38 to 1:50:51( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: protection agency. and he has betrayed his solemn duty to americans who depend on him to protect their health, particularly our very youngest and our very oldest whose vulnerability is greatest. administrator

1:50:51 to 1:51:08( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: johnson suggests a man who has every intention of driving his agency on to the rocks, of undermining and despoiling it, of leaving america's environment and america's people without an honest advocate in their

1:51:08 to 1:51:27( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: federal government. this behavior not only degrades his once great agency, it drives the dagger of dishonesty deep into the very vitals of american democracy. the american people cannot accept such a

1:51:27 to 1:51:44( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: person in a position of great responsibility responsibility. i am truly sorry it has come to this, but that is why this afternoon i called on administrator johnson to resign his position. i encourage

1:51:44 to 1:52:08( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: my colleagues to look closely at these concerns, look at the reasons, look at what i have prepared. whatever decision colleagues may come to, i hope all understand that i come to this decision sincerely

1:52:08 to 1:52:19( Edit History Discussion )

Sheldon Whitehouse: and after much review and reflection and with no pleasure. i thank the president, and i yield the floor. mr. brownback: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from kansas. mr. brownback: thank

1:52:19 to 1:52:33( Edit History Discussion )

Sam Brownback: you very much, mr. president. i want to spend a little time talking about a energy top chick has consumed this body, right -- topic which has consumed this body, rightfully. so it certainly has consumed

1:52:19 to 2:01:59( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Sam Brownback