Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a business meeting to consider the pending nomination of Mr. James P. Danly, nominated to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). He passed out of committee by a recorded vote of 12-8. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, voted to support Mr. Danly. Ranking Member Manchin also supported Mr. Danly’s nomination in November 2019 when the Committee voted 12-8 to pass Mr. Danly out of committee.

Senator Manchin took this opportunity to again express his disappointment with the White House for failing to nominate a Democratic FERC Commission nominee that could be paired with Mr. Danly’s nomination. 

“I supported Mr. Danly’s nomination to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission when the Committee reported his nomination last November, and I will vote for him again this morning. I found him to be professional, bright, and well qualified for the job in my meeting with him and during his confirmation hearing in November. As the Commission’s General Counsel for the past two and a half years, Mr. Danly has demonstrated that he has a firm grasp on the issues before the Commission. I must say again, however, that I am disappointed we are advancing the nomination for the Republican seat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission without pairing Mr. Danly’s nomination with a nomination to fill the Democratic seat that has been vacant since last August. I think we can all agree that the Commission functions best when it is fully staffed with all five Commissioners. Commissioner McNamee has said he will not seek another term when his current term expires at the end of June.  Unless we fill the vacant Democratic seat, we will again be faced with a bare quorum of three Commissioners even after Mr. Danly is confirmed, once Mr. McNamee’s term expires. Moreover, filling the Republican seat while leaving the Democratic seat vacant is not in keeping with the longstanding practice of this Committee or the need to keep the Commission bipartisan. That said, I will vote for Mr. Danly on the strength of his qualifications. I implore my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to do the same when we receive the qualified nominee for the open Democratic seat,” Ranking Member Manchin said.

###