Topic: Landrieu: A Hold Is Still A Hold Until I Decide Otherwise

CQ Today
April 19, 2007
By Kathleen Hunter, CQ Staff
Sen. Mary L. Landrieu would like to lift her hold on Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp’s nomination to head the Army Corps of Engineers — but not just yet.
At least not until she has a chance to gauge his reaction to Louisiana’s storm-battered wetlands.
The Louisiana Democrat placed a hold on Antwerp’s nomination April 3, saying it would not be lifted until he met with Louisiana lawmakers and personally toured the hurricane-ravaged coastal areas of her state.
The meeting took place earlier this week, and Landrieu called it “a positive step” and “very encouraging.”
Antwerp heads to Louisiana on Thursday, hoping to check off the second part of her demands. Landrieu spokesman Scott Schneider said the hold “could be lifted by the weekend.”
But he added, “It depends on how everything goes down there.”
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee considered Antwerp’s nomination at a hearing Wednesday. Landrieu is not a member of the panel, but her hold prevents the nomination from advancing.