To watch Chairman Manchin deliver remarks on the Senate floor, click here.

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, took to the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to support the nomination of Tommy Beaudreau to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior. The Senate voted to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to consideration of his nomination by a recorded vote of 89-9.

Chairman Manchin’s remarks can be viewed here or read as prepared below:

Today the Senate will be voting on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Tommy Beaudreau.

Mr. Beaudreau has been nominated to serve as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior.

I believe Mr. Beaudreau will be an outstanding Deputy Secretary.

He is experienced. He knows the Department of the Interior and is familiar with the wide range of issues that come before it.

He has previously served as the first Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, and as Chief of Staff of the Department.

His performance at his nomination hearing demonstrated that he has both a firm grasp of the issues and the ability to listen, learn, and work with all sides and to find common sense solutions to difficult problems.

He has the knowledge, the experience, the temperament, and the skills needed to serve in this important position.

Mr. Beaudreau fully understands the role of the Department of the Interior in striking the balance in its dual mission of preserving and protecting our national parks and public lands and providing a large part of the energy and mineral resources that we need to power the nation.

And I believe Senators on both sides of the aisle will find that he is someone they can work with.

Mr. Beaudreau is supremely well qualified for the job.

He was reported out of the Senate Energy Committee with a strong bipartisan vote.

I heartily support his nomination and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

###