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Senator on Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee says will back Prochaska, Pierce and oppose Mamula, Brightbill
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Summary
An unnamed senator on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee announced support for two nominees and opposition to two others, citing concerns about disinformation and past defense of environmental policies while at the Department of Justice.
An unnamed senator on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee said they will vote for the nominations of Mr. Prochaska and Ms. Pierce and will oppose the nominations of Mr. Mamula and Mr. Brightbill, citing concerns about disinformation and past legal positions.
The senator said Mr. Mamula has a “track record of spreading disinformation and conspiracy theories,” and that this record makes him an unsuitable choice to lead the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which the senator described as “an agency that prides itself on delivering unbiased, impartial, and objective scientific information.”
The senator also expressed concerns about Mr. Brightbill’s record. “Last week's nomination hearing, I asked Mr. Brightbill to square the Secretary's recent decision to roll back energy efficiency standards with prior court orders requiring the Department to update efficiency standards. Mr. Brightbill's response failed to provide me with comfort,” the senator said, adding concern about Brightbill’s past work at the Department of Justice during President Trump's first term: “I am also troubled by Mr. Brightbill's past record of defending the administration's ... environmental policies while at the DOJ during President Trump's first term.”
The senator framed the Brightbill opposition in policy terms, saying DOE's general counsel must “advocate for the rule of law as passed by Congress and signed by the president,” and concluding, “I am not convinced Mr. Brightbill will do so. For this reason, I cannot support his nomination.”
The senator prefaced the remarks with a note about quorum and said the support for Mr. Prochaska and Ms. Pierce was made “with considerable reservation.” The remarks occurred during the committee's consideration of multiple nominations.
No formal roll call or committee vote outcome appears in the provided remarks; the transcript records only this senator's stated intentions.
