Tag Archives: Eric Fanning

BREAKING NEWS: Federal Government Kills Dakota Access Pipeline

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BREAKING NEWS: Federal Government Kills Dakota Access Pipeline

USA Today reports:

U.S. Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning has informed tribal leaders that the Army Corps of Engineers will halt construction on the controversial Dakota Access pipeline, the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe said here Sunday.

Dave Archambault II said the Army has denied the permit to bore under Lake Oahe, the reservoir behind the Missouri River in North Dakota. Native Americans and environmentalists have camped out near the lake for weeks protesting the 1,172-mile pipeline, which is intended to carry crude oil from the Bakken oil region in North Dakota to a distribution hub in Patoka, Ill.

“I wanted you to hear it from me,” the chairman said as people banged drums, danced and cheered in glee at the snowy camp. The Missouri River portion of the pipeline was the only remaining contested portion. A federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C. is still pending.

For months, members of the Sioux tribe and their supporters have camped out, fighting the pipeline they say could be hazardous and damage the water supply of their reservation nearby.
“People have said that this is a make it or a break it, and I guess we made it,” Chief Arvol Looking Horse, Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe, announced to a cheering crowd of protesters.

The easement marks a stunning victory for pipeline protesters in southern North Dakota.

MAIN Coalition, a right pro-pipeline coalition, called the move a “purely political decision.” “Unfortunately, it’s not surprising that the President would, again, use executive fiat in an attempt to enhance his legacy among the extreme Left,”

Senate Armed Services Committee Advances Eric Fanning as First Gay Army Secretary

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eric fanning

The Senate Armed Services Committee has approved the nomination of Eric Fanning to be Army secretary. Fanning is the first openly gay leader of a U.S. military service.

President Obama nominated Fanning to the post last September

Eric served as the Army secretary’s principal adviser on management and operation of the service, with a focus on the budget. He was undersecretary of the Air Force from April 2013 to February 2015, and for half a year was the acting secretary of the Air Force

The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus today applauded the vote, and called on the full Senate to quickly schedule a vote on the nomination.

“This is truly a groundbreaking achievement for the LGBT community and a monumental step forward for our military”. – Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.)

“I want to applaud my Senate colleagues for their recommendation to confirm Eric Fanning as the new Secretary of the Army,” said LGBT Equality Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) “This is truly a groundbreaking achievement for the LGBT community and a monumental step forward for our military. Not only is Eric the most qualified, but he will ensure all our service members are treated equal regardless of who they are or who they love.”

Despite the Armed Services committee approval the road ahead is not entirely clear for Fanning.  Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., last year placed a hold on his nomination to protest the Obama administration’s efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility

“The Senator’s hold on Eric Fanning is not personal,” Roberts spokesperson Sarah Little said in a statement Thursday. “The Senator has asked the Administration to provide a guarantee that detainees will not wind up in Kansas, as he was able to do when this issue first arose in 2009. This request has been articulated to John McHugh, before he left office as Secretary of the Army, to those working closely on the ‘plan,’ and to Secretary Carter on several occasions. He remains committed to stopping the president from moving a single detainee to the U.S. and will continue to use all legislative tools at his disposal to do so.”