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Senate proceeding 05-02-08 0:20:00 to 0:40:00 of 1:19:03
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0:00:00 to 0:23:19| Edit | History | Discussion

Speech By: Sheldon Whitehouse

0:19:58 to 0:20:13| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:kind of leadership on complex problems that the world expects and members deserve. second, the administration's conduct has demoralized e.p.a.'s professional work first -- the scientists, lawyers, regulatory
0:20:13 to 0:20:30| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:experts to whom e.p.a.'s owes its reputation as a champion of environmental protection and who time and time again during this administration is seen their expert counsel set aside in favor of a partisan, political
0:20:30 to 0:20:45| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:agenda. third, president bush and this administration have compromised the faith of the american people and the integrity of their government. we can disagree -- and this is a chamber that is built for disagreement
0:20:45 to 0:20:58| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:-- we can disagree on policy considerations; we can argue about what the right or wrong decision is to make. but it is a tragedy when we doubt the integrity of the process of american agencies
0:20:58 to 0:21:10| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:of government. and the president's eagerness to do the bidng of the special interests and the administrator's willingness to kowtow to the white house to the debt transcript of sound public policy
0:21:10 to 0:21:32| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:only confirm what too many in this country fear: that the united states of america is no longer governorrened by and -- governed by and for the people. within policy is made for special interests
0:21:32 to 0:21:43| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:and not for public good, america is left weaker. no matter how partisan or ideological standings, no one in this great chamber -- i hope -- would want to do supplement a such a thing to on -- such a thing
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Sheldon Whitehouse:to this country. the bush administration has done lasting harm to our environment and the american peopleri and next wednesday, may 7, at 9:30 a.m. i will join chairman of the environment d public
0:21:55 to 0:22:11| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:works committee for an oversight hearing to look into the many actions by this bush administration and its e.p.a. administrator which seem to be so badly at odds with the recommendation of the agency's scientists
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Sheldon Whitehouse:and the best interests of the american people. chairman boxer -- we can be so proud of her. she has been dogged, relentless, in her pursuit of the truth behind the screen of machinations of e.p.a.'s
0:22:29 to 0:22:45| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:leadership and the bush white house. her leadership will continue to be critical as we try to get to the bottom of this. we plan to ask the tough questions and we will expect honest answers because,
0:22:45 to 0:23:00| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:mr. president, the american people deserve an environmental protection agency that lives up to that name. i thank the president. i yield the floor.~ mr. nelson: mr. president, would the senator yield
0:23:00 to 0:23:19| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:for a comment and a couple of d questions? the presiding officer: the senator from florida. mr. nelson: mr. president, i want to commend the senator from rhode island for his extraordinary eloquence eloquent
0:23:19 to 0:32:02| Edit | History | Discussion

Speech By: Bill Nelson

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Bill Nelson:and very insightful comment into some of the machinations behind closed doors that we have seen going on in this administration that just absolutely perplexes the mind that governmental agency ies
0:23:39 to 0:23:52| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:that are set up for the purpose of serving the people and protect protecting the public and, in n indeed, the e.p.a. is supposed to be the environmental protection agency, that they go off on these
0:23:52 to 0:24:09| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:half-cocked ideological ideas, and the senator has said it so eloquent eloquently -- i wantue to thank him for it; i want to thank him for his leadership; i want to thank hmmm for calling the attention
0:24:09 to 0:24:28| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:to the -- i want to thank him for calling the attention to the hearing that's going to be held next week. and as the senator has speaking -- and i've been mesmerized by what he said -- just completely off
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Bill Nelson:the top of my head, i remember, for example, three years ago the e.p.a. decide ed that it was going to do a study in my state -- jacksonville, florida -- now, get this. you won't believe this.
0:24:43 to 0:24:59| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:it was going to expose toddle ers to pesticides to see what the effect was. and, of course, where do you think those toddle ers were going to be? they were going to be in a minority neighborhood.
0:24:59 to 0:25:15| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:it was going to be in a low-income neighborhood. and the e.p.a. had concocted this scheme that it was sending out these flyers, and in order to get a household to participate, it said, we want
0:25:15 to 0:25:35| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:you to participate in this study study. i can't remember the amount of money that they would pay. but they were going to give them a t-shirt. they were going to give them a certificate if they completed
0:25:35 to 0:25:52| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:the process over several months. and they were given a camcorder that then, at the end of the study, if they successfully completed it, they would keep it it. and the study was, they were going to
0:25:52 to 0:26:08| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:put pesticides all over this house and see what the effects were on these toddle ers. this was the purpose of the study. i mean, you just couldn't believe it. i happened to discover it about the
0:26:08 to 0:26:27| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:same time that the chairman of the environment committee -- and she wasn't chair then; she was -- senator boxer was the ranking member -- and the two of us collaborated. we had a press conference.
0:26:27 to 0:26:47| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:we blew this thing sky high. as a matter of fact, now that it's coming back to me, senator boxer held up the nomination of the newly appointed e.p.a. administrator until he would finally relent and
0:26:47 to 0:27:02| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:say that he was not going to have this study study, before she would away the confirmation. and yet he tried to dodge and weave and not even answer the question. and, i mean, it just defies descriion.
0:27:02 to 0:27:28| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:the senator senator from rhode island has given a number of examples, and that one just leapt to my mind. i want to give the senator from rhode island another example. in the little agency that i cher cherish
0:27:28 to 0:27:45| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:cherish so much, theational aeronautics and space administration, can you believe that one of the most distinguished and noted scientists in that institution of nasa -- dr. hansen -- little underlings in
0:27:45 to 0:28:11| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:the p.r. department of nasa -- and i say "little underlings"; i don't remember what their job description was. but i think they were in their 20's. they had the audacity to go in and change the
0:28:11 to 0:28:30| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:wording on dr. ha dr. hansen's conclusions with regard to a climate change study study. and, finally, this came out and, ultimately, his -- his words were restored. another example. or, i'll give you
0:28:30 to 0:28:53| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:another example in that little agency. i mean, they've got an inspector general in nasa that's just running amok. and there was a theft of a $2 billion rocket design in the nasa computers, and he refused
0:28:53 to 0:29:15| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:to investigate it. and then when the rest of us went and tried to get him dis dismissed,is the buddy-buddy club wouldn't allowow him to be fired. i will a guff give you another example. this will
0:29:15 to 0:29:35| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:just blow your mind. for years the florida everglades have been on the endangered list in a list that is kept by the united nations, a list of the most environmentally endangered sites in the world.
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Bill Nelson:a third-ranking department of state employee took it upon himself in a conference in new. mr. enzi:land to speak -- a third-ranking department of state employee took it upon himself in a conference
0:30:00 to 0:30:19| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:in new z zealand to speak on it -- trying to re restore the everglades to something what mother nature had intended. now, these, as, the senator was eloquently speaking -- these are things that just have
0:30:19 to 0:30:38| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:popped into my mind of what we have seen over and over and over again. mr. nelson: of the ideological rigidity, the excess excessive part partisan partisanship, when which when you combine the two,
0:30:38 to 0:30:53| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:they areethal to common sense and to protection of the public. and yet that's what we've seen. and then when some of us in our role of oversight capacity try to start change ing it and get accountability
0:30:53 to 0:31:12| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:and responsibility in the executive branch of government, then they won't do anything about it. the nasa ig n.a.s. i.g. -- the nasa i.g. is still there that third-tier department of state employee
0:31:12 to 0:31:29| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:is was still there until he finally re retired. and the e.p.a. administrator is still there. and so here we are. and so i just thank the senator for yielding, and i want to thank himth again
0:31:29 to 0:31:46| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:for his eloquence today. and i want to thank him for his service to our country and for his representing his state. mr. whitehouse: i thank my good friend from florida. i would close with the following
0:31:46 to 0:32:02| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:point, which my friend, senator nelson, the distinguished senator from florida, calls to mind, because of his extraordinarily distinguished service to our country. he was willing to put himself at great risk
0:32:02 to 0:34:30| Edit | History | Discussion

Speech By: Sheldon Whitehouse

0:32:02 to 0:32:17| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:in the extraordinarily challenge ing pursuit of becoming an astronaut for the united states of america america. i mean, talk about the best and the brightest. and and, as we know, from many tragedies,
0:32:17 to 0:32:30| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:it's not only an extraordinarily challenge ing pursuit, it's one where you do put your life very much at risk on behalf of the progress of this country. and i think he in that very important way -- me
0:32:30 to 0:32:47| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:in a much smaller way -- share an important belief, which is that the government of the united states of america, our american system of government, which has been passed down to us after a revolutionary
0:32:47 to 0:33:07| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:war, a civil war, two great world wars, great depressions, essentially intact and indeed improving through the decades and generations is one of god's great gifts to human humankind. and it is now in
0:33:07 to 0:33:27| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:our hands, particularly as we represent our states in this body, and it is to be treasured. it is to be viewed with respect. it is, indeed, to be viewed with reverence. and the thing that, to me,
0:33:27 to 0:33:48| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:is worst of all from this politics, from this corruption, from this debasement of public service, is the lack of respect, the lack of reverence for what we have been given, for what we hold in trust
0:33:48 to 0:33:57| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:for oursees and for future generations. i think it has never been as low as it is now. but the light still burns, and we will continue to call attention to the miscreeancecy that we find and soon in
0:33:57 to 0:34:13| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:january it will be over. i thank my friend from florida. i thank the president. i yield the floor. mr. nelson: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from florida. fr mr. nelson: mr.
0:34:13 to 0:34:30| Edit | History | Discussion
Sheldon Whitehouse:president, i came to the floor to discuss another matter, and i want to thank the senator from rhode island. and, as a matter of fact, before the senator from rhode island de departs the chamber,
0:34:30 to 0:34:56| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:he might want to hear what i came to talk about. it's actually a little success story, but it is born on another fail huer that we have seen. and this, i'm sad to say, is the failure of american
0:34:56 to 0:35:16| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:women who are contractor personnel serving in iraq and afghanistan, when sexually assaulted, when raped, have not been able to have their assailants prosecuted. as contractor personnel. and we dramatically
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Bill Nelson:brought this to light in a hearing about three weeks ago, and two very courageous americans stepped forward -- one for the first time publicly. in her particular case, she had been drugged and then
0:35:36 to 0:35:57| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:gang-raped by not only fellow american contractor personnel, k.b.r., a subsidiary of halliburton; but in that case, also participate ed in by members of the military. and when she tried to seek help,
0:35:57 to 0:36:15| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:it was all swept under the rug. and in her particular case it , did not even get any medical attention until three weeks later. well, the little success story that we have, mr. president, is that
0:36:15 to 0:36:33| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:in the passage of the defense authorization act, which occurred on wednesday in the senate armed services committee, there is inserted into the defense authorization act a new requirement under law.
0:36:33 to 0:36:51| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:and that requirement is that contractors who are contractors to the department of defense -- and, mind you, we have tens of thousands of those contractors in iraq and afghanistan -- that, number one,
0:36:51 to 0:37:08| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:they will be required to report the offenses of sexual assault to the appropriate investigative authorities; and, number two, they will be required, by having the responsibility of providing victim
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Bill Nelson:and witness protection and assistance to contractor employees. now, if we can maintain that position in the defense authorization bill, as it works its way here to the floor of the senate and then to
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Bill Nelson:work out the final product with the house -- and i think we will be able to protect this, because who's going to vote against this? -- that's one little happy victory that will give some additional
0:37:46 to 0:38:09| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:protection to american women that are serving in harm's way that are not members of the military but, in fact, are americans serving overseas as contractors to the military.
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Bill Nelson:testimony was they're assaulted, they cannot find someone that will investigate. if they have any evidence, in other words, if they've been able to get to a doctor and have the evidence from a rape kit,
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indeed, that evidence is lost. that the counseling is not there d they are left on their own. now, the united states military actually has done a pretty good job of this for military personnel. not so

0:38:54 to 0:39:16| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:with contractor personnel personnel. there are laws on the books that protect contractor personnel. but out of the 26 known cases that we know of raping american women contractor personnel, not
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Bill Nelson:one of them has been prosecuted. and so the insertion -- the amending to the defense authorization act, this new requirement that will require -- i mean, you would think that common sense would tell
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Bill Nelson:you that the contractors would do this. but no. in 26 adged alleged cases there, has not been one prosecution and certainl y no conviction. and so it's my hope that this will mandate to the contractors. they
0:39:54 to 0:40:15| Edit | History | Discussion
Bill Nelson:have to report the offenses and they have to provide the victim and witness protection and assistance. in this one case that was so dramatic that