ACTION ALERT on CLIMATE CHANGE: Senate confirmation of Presidential Science Adviser John Holdren and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco put on hold by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) over an unrelated matter.
Juliet Eilperin of the Washington Post reports today that:
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) has placed a "hold" that blocks votes on confirming Harvard University physicist John Holdren, who is in line to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Oregon State University marine biologist Jane Lubchenco, Obama's nominee to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. ....Menendez is [allegedly] using the holds as leverage to get Senate leaders' attention for a matter related to Cuba ...
Anyone wishing to urge the Senator to release his hold and allow these highly qualified officials to get to work can contact him directly (see below)
We are seeing that grassroots democracy is an increasingly powerful means for advancing our civic responsibilities in dealing with climate disruption. His phone should be ringing off the hook and his email flooded today over this:
Menendez, Robert - (D - NJ)
528 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4744
www.menendez.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
The article explains what needs to happen to release this outrageous hold on appointments that are critical to moving the nation forward on dealing with global climatic disruption.
The delay -- which could end quickly if Menendez dropped his objection or Senate leaders pushed for a floor vote that would require 60 votes to pass -- has alarmed environmentalists and scientific experts who strongly back Holdren and Lubchenco.
Pressure from constituents is the most effective, so New Jersey residents are especially encouraged to weigh in on this matter, but broader grassroots action could also help to convince him to release this hold. Whatever his issue is with Cuba or its inherent merit, no issue trumps the need to get these key officials in place so they can start getting down to business helping our nation deal with the challenges we face -- including the eventual inundation of the New Jersey shore from sea level rise.
Example email or script for a phone call:
I read in today's (3 March) Washington Post ("Nominations on Hold For 2 Top Science Posts") that you have placed a hold on the nominations of John Holdren and Jane Lubchenco. Holdren was nominated to head the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Lubchenco is the President's choice to run the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Both were named on 20 December, 11 weeks ago and the nomination hearing was on 12 February, 3 weeks ago.
Both individuals are widely recognized experts on climate change, a critical problem for the United States -- a problem that is one of the most serious threats to our national security, economic well-being and to the ecosystems we all depend upon.
I urge you to immediately drop your hold on these nominations and take whatever steps you can to immediately move them to the floor of the Senate for a vote. Both Lubchenco and Holdren must be allowed to get to work, and there are no valid reasons for delaying their nominations any further.
Thank you.
Here is more from the Washington Post article:
A shamefully lame response to Eilperin:
Menendez spokesman Afshin Mohamadi declined to comment on the matter, writing in an e-mail, "It is our office's policy not to speculate or comment on anonymous holds or rumors of anonymous holds, across the board."
A national embarrassment in the making:
The delay comes as a slew of international officials are coming to Washington this week to meet with administration officials and members of Congress about addressing global warming. The lineup of foreign dignitaries includes Edward Miliband, Britain's secretary of state for energy and climate change; Connie Hedegaard, Denmark's minister for climate and energy; Jim Prentice, Canada's environment minister; Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, who is managing negotiations for a new treaty to limit greenhouse gas emissions; and former British prime minister Tony Blair