Republican News

Energy panel vets administration nominees

June 3, 2009
11:58 AM
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE             CONTACT: ROBERT DILLON (202) 224-6977
June 2, 2009                                          or ANNE JOHNSON (202) 224-7875
                                   
ENERGY PANEL REPUBLICANS VET ADMINISTRATION NOMINEES
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today told nominees for posts in the Department of Energy and Department of the Interior that the key to a swift confirmation is frank and full responses to questions from committee members, regardless of their political affiliation.
 
“I believe the president deserves to have the people of his choice fill key positions in the administration,” Murkowski said. “However, we have had some discussion over the past few weeks regarding the need for the administration, and its nominees, to give clear answers to legitimate questions regarding the policies and actions of the administration.” 
 
Murkowski, along with Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, recently lifted holds on David Hayes to be Deputy Secretary at Interior after successfully pressing the administration to be more forthcoming about the direction of its energy policy.
 
“Today, we have a new set of nominees and a new set of questions,” Murkowski said. “While we may have differences of opinion, I will restate my opinion that clear and open communication is the key to Senate confirmation.”
 
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today held a hearing to consider the following nominees:
 
Catherine Radford Zoi to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy:
 
Zoi served as CEO of the Alliance for Climate Protection, founded by former Vice President Al Gore. She also served as a manager at the Environmental Protection Agency and worked on energy and environmental issues in the Clinton White House.
 
Some of Zoi’s past statements, such as “big oil and coal lobbies are blocking the switch to clean power,” are likely to draw criticism from Republicans on the energy panel.
 
Some senators could question Zoi on advertisements run by the Alliance for Climate Protection alleging that “big oil spends hundreds of millions of dollars to block clean energy – lobbyists, ads, even scandals – all to increase their profits, while America suffers."
 
William F. Brinkman to be Director of the Office of Science, Department of Energy:
 
Brinkman is currently a Senior Research Physicist in the Physics Department of Princeton University. His long career in research includes the position of vice president for research from Bell Laboratories, prior to which he was vice president of research at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM. 
 
Anne Castle to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science:
 
Castle has more than 25 years of experience practicing water rights and water quality law as a private attorney. She was appointed by Colorado Gov. Romer to the Colorado Ground Water Commission. 
 
####
For further information, please contact Robert Dillon at 202.224.6977 or Robert_dillon@energy.senate.gov or Anne Johnson at 202.224.7875 or anne_johnson@energy.senate.gov.