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JULY 2, 2001

Thanks to a last minute agreement brokered by Republicans and Democrats, the Senate late Friday night confirmed Neal McCaleb as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs.

The action gives McCaleb the distinction of being the first appointee, besides Secretary Gale Norton, to be confirmed at the Department of Interior. Up until now, Norton had been the sole member of President Bush's Cabinet without any of her top advisers in place, earning her the title of "Home Alone" by political pundits.

But now that McCaleb has cleared his final hurdle, Norton is eager to see the other appointees complete the process. "The Secretary is very happy with the news and hopeful that this is going to spark a trend where the nominees that are now pending before the Senate can be confirmed as quickly as possible" said spokesperson Stephanie Hanna.

Norton's wish is easier said than done. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee has held hearings for a number of Interior nominees but has only approved one: J. Steven Griles as Deputy Secretary.

The nomination, however, has been held up by Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who opposes Griles' stance on drilling off the coast of Florida. McCaleb, on the other hand, was largely uncontroversial and he might have been confirmed last month were it not for party squabbling over a Senate organizing resolution.

Although Democrats had taken over committee leadership roles after Senate Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.) left the GOP nearly a month ago, the two parties had failed to approve a resolution, which determines how the Senate is run. Every area of business from political and judicial nominees to office space is affected by the resolution.

Republicans had been holding out on President Bush's potential Supreme Court nominees, fearing Democrats would stall those they opposed. Yet while Democrats didn't make any guarantees, Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the ranking Republican, said they intended to honor the "traditional practice" of bringing high court nominees to the Senate floor even if opposed at the committee level.

A member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, McCaleb was named to the post in April and had his hearing before the Indian Affairs Committee last month. After a short delay, members approved his nomination last week with the sole recommendation that he agree to appear before the panel when requested.

Meanwhile, McCaleb's peers are still stuck in the Energy committee. The panel has heard from Bill Myers as Solicitor; Lynn Scarlett as Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget; Bennett Raley as Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, who would oversee the Bureau of Reclamation and the US Geological Survey; Frances P. Mainella as Director of the National Park Service; and John W. Keys as Commissioner of Reclamation.

Interior officials yesterday said they didn't know when McCaleb might be sworn in, a requirement before beginning his duties, but that Norton could do it at any time. Norton would probably swear McCaleb in privately and a public ceremony would be held at a later date.

McCaleb, who is in Oklahoma, could not be reached for comment. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is expected today to make a statement on his approval.

Interior officials had no indication of when Griles might be considered by the full Senate. The Senate has adjourned for the Fourth of July holiday.

Department of Interior Profiles:
Deputy Secretary: J. Stephen Griles (3/9)
Solicitor: Bill G. Myers (3/30)
Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget: P. Lynn Scarlett (4/4)
Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs: Neal McCaleb (4/18)

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McCaleb nomination hangs in limbo (6/28)
Sandia Pueblo case still in limbo (6/21)
Interior nominees face Senate hearing (6/20)
McCaleb breezes through confirmation hearing (6/14)
McCaleb endorses BIA on recognition (6/14)