Click here to watch Chairman Barrasso’s remarks.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), delivered the following remarks at a committee business meeting.
At the business meeting, the committee considered and favorably reported the following items:
- PN 1716, Katherine A. Crytzer, of Tennessee, to be Inspector General of the Tennessee Valley Authority;
- PN 1609, Beth Harwell, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority;
- PN 1610, Brian Noland, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority; and
- 27 General Services Administration Resolutions.
EPW advanced Crytzer’s nomination by a vote of 11 to 10. The committee advanced Harwell’s nomination by a vote of 13 to 8. Noland’s nomination and the 27 GSA resolutions passed the committee by voice vote.
To watch the full business meeting, click here.
Senator Barrasso’s remarks:
“Today we will consider three nominations and 27 General Services Administration resolutions.
“The three nominations we will consider are – Katherine Crytzer; to be inspector general of the Tennessee Valley Authority; Beth Harwell and Brian Noland to be members of the board of directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
“I had also planned to consider the nomination of Douglas Benevento to be the deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Mr. Benevento is well qualified and would have made a good deputy administrator.
“On Friday, Senator Ernst expressed her opposition to moving this confirmation forward.
“While I strongly disagree with Senator Ernst on the Renewable Fuel Standard, her long-standing position on the side of Iowa corn farmers will not be overcome in this case.
“The committee will therefore not be taking up Mr. Benevento’s nomination.
“Turning to the Tennessee Valley Authority nominations.
“The subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety held a hearing on the nominees in May.
“I would like to thank the chairman of the subcommittee, Senator Braun, for holding the hearing and assisting the full committee in considering these nominations.
“President Trump nominated Ms. Katherine Crytzer to serve as inspector general of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
“She currently serves as acting deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Policy at the U.S. Department of Justice.
“She previously served as an assistant United States attorney, where she led teams of agents, investigators, and auditors in fraud investigations and prosecutions.
“Ms. Crytzer received the attorney general’s award for Distinguished Service in 2019.
“President Trump has also nominated Beth Harwell and Brian Noland to serve as members of the board of directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
“Dr. Harwell is a visiting professor at Middle Tennessee State University.
“She was the first-ever female Speaker of the House of Representatives for the state of Tennessee.
“Mr. Noland is president of East Tennessee State University.
“He previously served as chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, responsible for developing and implementing the public policy agenda for higher education in West Virginia.
“Each of the three nominees is well qualified and will bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the position that they have been nominated for.
“Lastly, we will consider 27 resolutions to approve prospectuses providing for General Services Administration leases.
“These prospectuses will allow agencies to consolidate space, resulting in increased efficiency and fiscal responsibility.”
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