Hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee - Suh and Schneider Nominations

Hearing

The Committee meets this morning to continue its consideration of the nominations of Rhea Suh to be the Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and Janice Schneider to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management.

* The Committee previously held a hearing on Ms. Suh's nomination on December 12 and on Ms. Schneider's nomination on December 17.

* After discussing this with colleagues, a number of colleagues have requested that we have an opportunity to ask the nominees additional questions.

* Because today's hearing is a continuation of our previous hearings, it's not necessary to repeat the usual formalities that were completed last month.

* So there's no need to repeat the oath, though I want to remind the witnesses that they remain under their previous oaths, in accordance with the Committee's rules.

The purpose of today's hearing, then, is to supplement, rather than reproduce, the extensive hearing record the Committee complied last December.

* Also I want to assure that each member of the Committee will have an opportunity to ask the nominees the additional questions that they may have, and I'm equally committed to ensuring that the Committee has an opportunity to act on these two nominations within the next week.

* Senator Murkowski, would you like to make any remarks before we begin?

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