Washington, D.C. – Pete V. Domenici, Chairman of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, today expressed strong support for President Bush’s nomination of Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne as the new Department of Interior Secretary, replacing Gale Norton, who is return to Colorado.

"I recommended Dirk Kempthorne highly to the White House. I look forward to having him before my committee. Everything I know about him tells me he will be confirmed and make an excellent secretary."

Kempthorne is finishing his second term as Idaho’s governor. Before that, he served a six-year term in the United States Senate. As a senator, he wrote, negotiated and won passage of a substantial revision of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

As governor, Kempthorne worked to develop consensus on management of Idaho's and the West's natural resources. He worked with his colleagues in Oregon, Washington and Montana to develop an historic bipartisan agreement on a state-based solution for returning salmon runs in the region.

Following the devastating wildfires of 2000, he worked with fellow western governors and federal officials to fundamentally change the approach to forest health and wildfire management.

Under Kempthorne’s leadership, Idaho has developed wolf and grizzly bear management plans aimed at delisting the endangered species and protecting state's rights by giving the state management responsibilities.

Kempthorne began his political career as mayor Boise. In 2003, his gubernatorial colleagues elected him as the Chairman of the National Governor’s Association. He has served as President of the Council of State Governments and Chairman of the Western Governors Association. He serves on the Executive Committees of the National Governors Association and the Republican Governors Association. U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige appointed Governor Kempthorne to the National Assessment Governing Board and U.S. Secretary Tom Ridge appointed him to the Homeland Security Task Force.

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