Jeff Bingaman: “My hope was in my discussions with Senator Murkowski were that this hearing would be a chance to identify any bills that…”

It's important that we have a person with substantial knowledge and many varied skills in order to succeed.

Second, we would want a person with demonstrated managerial abilities.

I would certainly like to thank Senator Bingaman, who just retired just very recently, for the strong support that he has shown me over the years, and including support for this nomination.

He knows the crucial role that Congress plays in setting policy and in overseeing how that policy is carried out.