Nomination of Jennifer Mulhern Granholm

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I am proud to stand today in support of Jennifer Granholm's nomination to be the next Secretary of Energy.

I have known Secretary-designate Granholm for many years, and I served in her administration while she was Governor. There is no question she is uniquely qualified to serve as Secretary of Energy. As the Governor of Michigan, she led our State through an economic crisis. She knows how to deal with multifaceted challenges and has a documented record of strong leadership.

During her confirmation hearing, Jennifer Granholm outlined three key missions that she wants to prioritize in her new role: one, strengthening national security, particularly on nuclear nonproliferation through the National Nuclear Security Administration; two, supporting the research and development at scientific research facilities all across our Nation; and, three, utilizing that research to create new, good-paying jobs for Americans. All of these issues are issues that Jennifer Granholm has been focused on throughout her entire career.

As Governor, she worked to support groundbreaking research that is conducted at Michigan's world-class institutions--research that is constantly leading to new discoveries that will change the world to create jobs and save lives. As Governor, Jennifer Granholm secured bipartisan support to establish the 21st Century Jobs Fund, which leveraged funding to diversify Michigan's economy, create jobs in clean energy by attracting new business investments, and put Michigan on a better path.

Those are the kinds of actions and investments that I look forward to working closely with Secretary-designate Granholm on in the coming months and in the coming years, and it is clear that she also recognizes what must be done to advance our Nation's energy interests, because she has already achieved results in Michigan.

If we are going to build back better, we must do so in a sustainable, forward-thinking way that addresses climate change. That is something President Biden's administration is committed to doing, and I know Secretary Granholm is as well. I could not be more excited to say that we will have a fellow Michigander leading the Department of Energy, and I urge all of my colleagues to support her confirmation.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source