Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee holds hearing to evaluate Energy and Interior Department nominees

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee recently held a hearing to consider six nominees from President Trump for leadership positions at the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of the Interior (DOI).

Trump nominated Brenda Burman for Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation at DOI, Susan Combs
for Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget at DOI, Paul Dabbar to be Under Secretary for Science at DOE, Douglas Domenech for Assistant Secretary of Insular Affairs at DOI, David Jonas for General Counsel at DOE and Mark Menezes for Under Secretary at DOE.

If confirmed, Burman would be first female commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation.

“I’m pleased to have a total of six nominees before our committee,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who chaired the hearing, said. “Having a full panel here is an important step as we seek to ensure that Secretary Zinke and Secretary Perry have the members of their leadership teams in place as soon as possible.”

Murkowski noted that she intends to report qualified nominees as soon as possible, so that they could be confirmed before the next state work period.

“I’ll look to you and your teams to help increase access to energy, make it more affordable, and improve its environmental performance,” Murkowski told the DOE nominees.