Hearing of the Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee - Opening Statement of Sen. Mitch McConnell, Hearing on Nomination of Kenny Allen to Serve on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Valley Authority

Hearing

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today before members of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety in support of Kenny Allen of Hopkins County, Kentucky, President Donald Trump's nominee to serve on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA):

McConnell delivers remarks during the Environment & Public Works Subcommittee hearing.

"Thank you for allowing me to join you this morning to speak in support of the nomination of Mr. Kenny Allen, of Hopkins County, Kentucky to serve on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

"President Trump made a strong choice in nominating Kenny to help lead the TVA to fulfill its important mission of delivering affordable and reliable energy and promoting economic development in the region it serves.

"Kenny is the right choice to fill this role, and he brings decades of relevant work experience to the position. Further, he has interacted firsthand with the agency for many years through his work in the coal industry. As members of this subcommittee know, the TVA is a critical resource to approximately nine million Americans in the Southeast, many of them in Kentucky.

"In my home state alone, about 205,000 households rely on the TVA for the delivery of electricity. In addition, the TVA is charged with serving as a responsible steward of land and water around the Kentucky Dam and Reservoir, which are important to the Commonwealth's economy and culture.

"As a native of western Kentucky, Kenny will help govern the TVA well and serve as a prudent caretaker of TVA-managed land in Kentucky and throughout the Southeast. Kenny understands the particular challenges facing the coal industry in states like mine. During his career in the private sector, much of his work focused on marketing coal to electric utility companies, and I am confident that his wealth of experience and knowledge will benefit the agency as it works to better serve Kentucky and the region.

"In addition to his nearly forty years of work experience in the coal industry, Kenny has also served on the boards of a number of associations and commissions dedicated to environmental stewardship, energy production, and economic development. For example, he has shown his commitment to conservation and land preservation by serving as the Commissioner and Vice Chairman of the Kentucky Reclamation and Guaranty Fund.

"For many communities, particularly in coal states like Kentucky, land reclamation and redevelopment are critical to economic growth. Kenny understands that priority. He has also served on the West Kentucky Consortium of Energy and Environment and the Kentucky Workforce Investment Board of Directors demonstrating his commitment to affordable energy, a clean environment, and promoting job creation and economic development. Through each of these positions, Kenny has built relationships with TVA communities.

"I would like to congratulate Kenny, his wife, Teresa, and their two sons, on this important nomination, and I thank the subcommittee for allowing me to be here today to support him during this process.

"I was proud to recommend him to President Trump to serve in this position, and I hope the subcommittee will move forward quickly to process his nomination. Through this morning's hearing, I am confident that you will find a qualified and talented individual, prepared to serve the TVA's service region as a member of its Board of Directors.

"Once again, thank you, for allowing me to introduce Kenny this morning. I appreciate the consideration of this subcommittee, and I look forward the Senate's confirmation of his nomination."

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