Vitter placed a hold on Rebecca Wodder's nomination in August
The Obama administration will not re-nominate Rebecca Wodder to be assistant secretary of the Interior for fish, wildlife and parks. "As a result of the prolonged nomination process, Rebecca Wodder has asked the president that she not be re-nominated," Interior spokesman Adam Fetcher said last week.
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Rebecca WodderThe person most responsible for prolonging the nomination process was Sen. David Vitter, R-La., who last August placed a hold on her nomination, demanding that Interior first extend hundreds of Gulf of Mexico drilling leases that were set to expire.
While Interior's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, after a review of 1,413 deepwater leases that were affected by the post-Macondo drilling moratorium, extended 97.7 percent of them, Vitter also wanted extensions for all shallow-water leases as well, which were not explicitly affected by the moratorium, though the industry complained that they too suffered through a dramatic slowdown.
"Completing 97.7% of only half of your job doesn't mean the work is complete," Vitter said. On news of the administration's decision not to try again with the Wodder nomination, Vitter said, "It's very telling of just how political Washington has become under this administration that they'd rather withdraw their own nominee than extend current Gulf drilling leases."
Fetcher said that, "based on her extensive experience and expertise, the secretary has asked (Wodder) to serve as a senior adviser, working primarily on conservation issues and the America's Great Outdoors initiative." Wodder formerly was president and CEO of the environmental group, American Rivers.
Bruce Alpert can be reached at balpert@timespicayune.com or 202.450.1406. Jonathan Tilove can be reached at jtilove@timespicayune.com or 202.450.1404.
