To watch a video of Senator Manchin’s opening remarks, please click here.

To watch a video of Senator Manchin’s questioning, please click here.

Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of David M. Turk to be Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Committee, expressed his support for Mr. Turk’s nomination. Chairman Manchin also stressed the importance of the Department of Energy’s role, and that of its highest-ranking officers, in ensuring effective management and administration of the nation’s energy policies and programs.

“It is the Department of Energy’s job to see that the people of this country have ‘an adequate and reliable supply of energy at the lowest reasonable cost.’ The Department also has many other responsibilities, [b]ut its primary mission, its reason for being, is to ‘promote the general welfare by assuring coordinated and effective administration of Federal energy policy and programs,’” said Chairman Manchin. “Next to the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary bears the principal responsibility for this task. The Deputy Secretary is the second-highest ranking officer in the Department and the Department’s chief operating officer. The Deputy must be prepared to act for the Secretary and perform all of the Secretary’s functions and duties in the Secretary’s absence and to manage the Department’s wide-ranging mission and budget of over $35 billion. I am convinced that Mr. Turk is up to the job.”

During the hearing, Chairman Manchin highlighted the importance of the United States’ position as a leader in combatting the global climate challenge and questioned Mr. Turk on the nation’s role in energy markets worldwide.

“President Biden has already signaled his interest in reclaiming U.S. leadership on the global climate stage, but existing competition in markets and our reliance on foreign supply chains may be obstacles. How do you see the Department of Energy playing a role to boost U.S. competitiveness and leadership on providing climate solutions to the global energy markets?” asked Chairman Manchin.

“The U.S. is a leader in the world and needs to be the leader in the world, including when it comes to the technologies of the future. We need to approach other countries, whether it’s China or others, with our eyes wide open and with a very pragmatic streak. I look forward to promoting the interests of U.S. companies and communities,” said Mr. Turk.

Mr. Turk also stressed the importance of the Department of Energy’s role in ensuring that communities are not left behind in transistion to a cleaner energy future.

“The Department needs to be focused like never before to help communities in transition. We must ensure we don’t again leave towns alone without the support to succeed well into the future. The American people don’t want hand-outs or empty promises. They deserve real-world opportunities and a fair chance to succeed. We can and must do better for all our American neighbors,” said Mr. Turk.

To read Mr. Turk’s testimony, please click here.

To watch the hearing in full, please click here.

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