Senate Proceeding 09-09-09 on Sep 9th, 2009 :: 0:24:30 to 0:32:34
Total video length: 2 hours 42 minutes Stream Tools: Stream Overview | Edit Time

Note: MetaVid video transcripts may contain inaccuracies, help us build a more perfect archive

Views:20 Duration: 0:08:04 Discussion

Previous speech:

Next speech:

0:24:18 to 0:24:39( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: administrator of the office of information and regulatory affairs, office of management and budget. mr. lieberman: i thank the chair. mr. president, as chairman of the senate committee on homeland security and governmental affairs, i'm pleased to both express my unquafied support for the nominationf cass sunstein to lead the office of information and regulatory

0:24:30 to 0:32:34( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Joseph Lieberman

0:24:40 to 0:25:00( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: affairs, which was family known in government circles as oira, and also to favorably report the bill out from -- the nomination from our homeland security committee. this nomination was considered and reported out by the committee on may 20th, that was almost 3 1/2 months ago.

0:25:01 to 0:25:21( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: but, unfortunately, professor sunstein's nomination has been the subject of unnecessary holds and and this is an important position that needs to be filled. so i want to thank majority leader reid for bringing this important nomination to a vote. obviously there is a filibuster

0:25:22 to 0:25:42( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: and we will now need to invoke cloture so that professor sunstein can important job that president obama hasominated him to do for our country and each one of us. what's oira? it is one of those governmental agencies that has a low public profile,

0:25:43 to 0:26:06( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: influence over the workings of government and, therefore the daily lives of most americans. in congres express our values, that draw lines between what is right and wrong, what is desirable and undesirable for our society. but because we cannot ever

0:26:07 to 0:26:27( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: foresee every permutation of the law or its effect, we must leave many of the details to the executive branch and its regulatory actions or immy taitions of the law -- implementations of the laws that we for over a quarter of a century now, presidents of the united states have asked oira to help

0:26:28 to 0:26:48( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: oversee and coordinate this critical regulatory process. thus the widest range of problems. as wide as the purview of our government itself, including the health and safety of every american and the stability of the american economy.

0:26:49 to 0:27:11( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: in professor cass sunstein, the president has found someone with exceptional qualitifications and extraordinary talent. positive direction to fulfill congress's intentions in the adoption of laws. when he began teaching at harvard law school in 2008,

0:27:12 to 0:27:33( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: after a distinguished career teaching and residing in the city of chicago, ably represented by the occupant of the chair, his new employers at harvard announced that they had secured for their faculty, and i quote -- "the preeminent legal scholar of our time.

0:27:34 to 0:27:55( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: the most wide-ranging, the most prolific, the most cited and the most influential." end of quote. as a graduate of yale law school, i was suspect of that. those words of alena kagan, then dean of harvard law, now solicitor general of the united

0:27:56 to 0:28:16( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: states, really are validated by the extraordinary record of professor cass sunstein. he has taught and written about many subjects including particularly regulation, the management of risk and, in fact, oira, itself. mr. president, our committee

0:28:17 to 0:28:38( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: conducted a thorough review of professor sunstein's writings and his background. he's met individually with me, with senator collins, our ranking member and most other members of the committee. we held a confirmation hearing on this nomination on may 12th of this year, at which the members of our committee thoroughly questioned professor sunstein about his views on

0:28:39 to 0:28:59( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: several important matters, and i believe he responded directly, the members' concerns. for example, for example, i wanted to be sure that his previous advocacy for a rigorous implementation of a cost-benefit analysis to

0:29:00 to 0:29:22( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: regulations did not mean that oira under his leadership would interfere with the agencies issuing regulations necessary protect public health and safety. and professor sunstein cvinced me in his answer that he would diligently support the purpos of laws to protect public health and safety as adopted by

0:29:23 to 0:29:43( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: congress and signed by the president. mr. president, because professor sunstein i brilliant, creative and prolific, he has written some things that are unconventional and for some controversial. i believe, when asked about each

0:29:44 to 0:30:04( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: of those matters, he answered sincerely and fully and reassuringly. for example, hunters were concerned about professor sunstein's views on gun rights and he made very clear that he believes the second amendment creates an individual right to

0:30:05 to 0:30:26( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: possess guns for hunting and self-defense. to farmers and oths concerned with his previous writings and comments on cruelty to animals, professor sunstein has said that he would take no steps to promote litigation on behalf of animals, which some concluded was his position based on

0:30:27 to 0:30:47( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: provocative article that he wrote, and that he haso plans certainly to regulate animal husbandry. so this is a bright, thoughtful, has written some provocative, unconventional ideas. and i suppose if you wanted to

0:30:48 to 0:31:09( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: take advantage of them for your own purposes in a -- and to politicize ideologize in s nomination, you might seize on those. but at bottom, this is a person extraordinarily well qualified for this position. i will say, he's been endorsed by the american farm bureau

0:31:10 to 0:31:31( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: federation of the agriculture community are concerned. he met with them, he answered their questions. they said -- and i quote -- "we hope the senate can take up this nominati in the near future and all senators will vote to confirm him in this post." professor sunstein has also won the public endorsement of a

0:31:32 to 0:31:52( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: variety of united states chamber of commerce and the national association of manufacturers, which writings and their meetings with -- with him that he will be fair and is not antibusiness, antigrowth in this important position.

0:31:53 to 0:32:14( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: as for myself, after meeting with this distinguished and thoughtful and very gentlemanly individual, listening to him at our hearings, seeing how he has responded thoroughly and forthrightly to those who have approached him with their concerns, i'm convinced that ofessor sunstein has superior qualifications for this office

0:32:15 to 0:32:34( Edit History Discussion )

Joseph Lieberman: and a strong commitment, if confirmed, to guide conformity with the law and the public interest above all. and that is why i urge my colleagues to support cloture and to support this nomination. mr. president, i'm really pleased minnesota here, the senior