Boxer: Explanation Needed on Polar Bears -Interior Secretary Kempthorne fails to appear before panel

[Kadie]

Boxer: Explanation Needed on Polar Bears
By MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, April 2, 2008


(04-02) 12:11 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --

The chair of the Senate Environment Committee Wednesday slammed Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne for failing to appear before her panel to explain why the Bush administration has delayed a decision on whether to protect polar bears under the Endangered Species Act.

snip...
"It's wrong that Mr. Kempthorne is not here," Boxer said after the hearing, which went on without an appearance from Kempthorne or any other administration official. "I like him, but it's wrong."

The deadline for a decision on listing Alaska's polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act was Jan. 9. Conservation groups petitioned to list polar bears as threatened more than three years ago because their habitat, sea ice, is shrinking from global warming.

Boxer said Kempthorne and other administration officials were "ducking their responsibility to the American people" by delaying a decision on the bears — and then failing to appear at a hearing to explain why.

Boxer said she was especially troubled because the administration did not hesitate to open a major bear habitat to oil leases. The Interior Department opened a large area of the Chukchi Sea to oil and gas leases in early February, despite sharp criticism from environmentalists who note that one-fifth of the Arctic's polar bears depend on sea ice in their hunt for food.

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/04/02/national/w121117D44.DTL&tsp=1

[tanyev]

1. The only acceptable reason for Mr. Kempthorne's failure to appear

is if he were stranded on an ice floe and drifting in the ocean.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. Will she subpoena him?

Will the Democrats once again look hurt and do nothing?

[Hydra]

3. Look- someone else from the current admin refuses to show up

Color me surprised.