For a video of Chairman Manchin’s floor speech, please click here.

Washington, DC – Today, Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the first vote of the week to confirm three nominees to serve as Commissioners on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Chairman Manchin spoke about the importance of a full complement of five Commissioners to continue FERC’s vital work safeguarding energy affordability and reliability for American consumers and voiced his support for David Rosner, whose nomination was voted on first. The Chairman voted for all three nominations last week in Committee and reiterated his support for them.

Chairman Manchin’s remarks as delivered are below:

We all know that having a fully staffed FERC is going to make a lot of difference in this country. 

So, we begin working this evening on the first of the three nominations for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – David Rosner is one, Lindsay See and Judy Chang.

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources reported all three of these nominations with strong bipartisan support last week.

During their confirmation hearing, each of the nominees demonstrated:

• deep experience on energy and legal matters, 
• a commitment to follow the law and work within the authorities Congress has provided to FERC, and 
• a recognition that all of our nation’s energy sources play an important role providing affordable, reliable energy to families and businesses across our country. 

Like most of our independent regulatory commissions, by law FERC must be bipartisan.  

But in protecting the public interest, Commission members must conduct themselves as nonpartisan guardians — no matter what their party affiliation may have been — of the public interest.

That’s exactly what we need from FERC Commissioners as they undertake the critical work of the Commission, and it’s what I expect from these three nominees before the Senate as they come up for votes this week.

Simply put, FERC’s job is to ensure the “orderly development of plentiful supplies of electricity and natural gas at reasonable prices.”

It must ensure adequate and reliable service while protecting customers from excessive prices.  

It enables us to keep the lights on and to heat and cool our homes and power our businesses and industries.

When Congress established FERC, it stipulated that members of the Commission must be able “to assess fairly the needs and concerns of all interests affected by Federal energy policy.”

As the Supreme Court has said, the Commission serves as “the guardian of the public interest” in these matters.  

And as David said during his confirmation hearing, “None of our country’s economic or policy priorities can be achieved if energy reliability is not preserved. Consumers demand it, they deserve it, and it is FERC’s most sacred duty to ensure it.”

I take special pride in speaking on the first of these nominations this evening.

David Rosner has been on detail from FERC to the majority staff of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for the past two years.

So, I know David. I have seen firsthand his expert knowledge on energy issues, his fairness, his non-partisan approach to every problem we’ve had and his ability to work with both sides on these issues, and he’s done that tremendously.

David Rosner has what it takes for this job:

• He has extensive experience with energy issues.
• He has been employed by FERC as an energy industry analyst for over seven years, including his detail to our committee.
• He previously worked for the Department of Energy as an economist and as a senior policy advisor, and at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

I can personally attest to his extensive knowledge of FERC matters based on his work for the Energy Committee.

I have seen his willingness and ability to work with others across the aisle on behalf of all Americans.

Our committee members have come to rely on David’s expertise.

So, we are proud that David has the opportunity to serve his country in an even more important role, though he will be missed by many of us here in the Senate.

I have every confidence that he will make a great FERC Commissioner, and I urge my colleagues to support his nomination.