Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I am pleased to support President Obama's nomination of Dr. Ernest J. Moniz to be the next Secretary of Energy. Dr. Moniz has a solid and extensive background in the energy field and I believe will bring a balanced and practical perspective to our Nation's energy policy. Dr. Moniz has significant familiarity with the Department of Energy and its issues, having served as Under Secretary during the second Clinton administration. During the Obama administration, he has served in a number of advisory positions, including as a member of the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, the Department of Defense Threat Reduction Advisory Committee, and the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future. The Committee on Armed Services, which I chair, has jurisdiction over both the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, and Department's Environmental Management Program. The NNSA is responsible for the management and security of the Nation's nuclear weapons, nuclear nonproliferation, and naval reactor programs. The Environmental Management Program is responsible for cleanup of the environmental legacy from the Nation's nuclear weapons development and government-sponsored nuclear energy research. Combined, these programs represent more than $16.7 billion of the Department of Energy's $26.3 billion budget, or more than 63 percent. I recently had the opportunity to meet with Dr.…”