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

Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a business meeting to consider five pending nominations. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Committee, voted to advance all five nominations.

Mr. Robert T. Anderson, nominated to be Solicitor of the Department of the Interior, passed out of committee by a recorded vote of 11-9. Ms. Shalanda H. Baker, nominated to be the Director of the Office of Minority Economic Impact at the Department of Energy (DOE), passed out of committee by voice vote. Mr. Samuel T. Walsh, nominated to be DOE’s General Counsel, passed out of committee by voice vote. Mr. Andrew E. Light, nominated to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (International Affairs), also passed out of committee by voice vote.

The motion to report Ms. Tracy Stone-Manning’s nomination to be Director of the Bureau of Land Management resulted in a tied vote. Chairman Manchin will notify the Secretary of the Senate of the tie vote, after which the Senate Majority Leader may move to discharge the nomination so that, if agreed to, the nomination can be placed on the Senate Executive Calendar. During the business meeting, Chairman Manchin reiterated his strong support of Ms. Stone-Manning’s nomination and addressed allegations made against her.

“I have taken very seriously all of the charges that have recently been leveled at Ms. Stone Manning. Tree spiking is a serious crime and the allegation that she may have been involved in tree spiking requires our serious attention… I have been unable to find any credible evidence in the exhaustive trial record of the tree spiking case that shows that Ms. Stone Manning was an ‘eco-terrorist,’ that she spiked any trees, that she conspired with ‘eco-terrorists’ to spike trees, or that she lied to the Committee. What I find instead is compelling evidence that she built a solid reputation over the past three decades as a dedicated public servant and as a problem solver, who has brought people together. That is the message I took from Senator Tester’s testimony before this committee in support of her nomination, from Governor Bullock’s letter of support, and from the letters of support from other organizations that know her and have worked with her. And that is the evidence on which I will base my vote in support of her nomination, and I will urge my colleagues to do the same,” said Chairman Manchin.

To watch the hearing in full, please click here.

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