Washington, D.C. – Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement following the Senate’s bipartisan vote to confirm Sally Jewell to be the Secretary of the Interior:

“Sally Jewell has the brains, the experience and the drive to lead the Interior Department, and I’m glad my colleagues voted overwhelmingly to approve her nomination,” Wyden said. “She made clear in her confirmation hearing that she intends to strike a balance between the dual roles of conserving and developing resources. That’s exactly the right approach to take on the diverse issues facing Interior, including safely developing natural gas, maximizing jobs and opportunities from recreation and improving management of federal forests, including the O&C lands.”

The Senate confirmed the nomination by a vote of 87 to 11, following the committee’s favorable nomination report last month.