Business meeting to consider the nominations of Lanny Erdos, of Ohio, to be Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, and Audrey Robertson, of Colorado, to be an Assistant Secretary (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy), and Timothy John Walsh, of Colorado, to be an Assistant Secretary (Environmental Management), both of the Department of Energy.

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

2025-07-30

Source: Congress.gov

Summary

The Energy and Natural Resources Committee held its eighth business meeting to vote on three nominations for key leadership roles within the Departments of Energy and Interior, following the withdrawal of one previously considered nominee. [ 00:05:01-00:05:20 ] A significant part of the meeting also included a heartfelt tribute to David Brooks, a retiring and long-serving member of the committee staff. [ 00:08:14-00:08:22 ]

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Themes

Consideration and Approval of Nominees

The committee proceeded to vote on three nominees once a reporting quorum was achieved: Lanny Erdos for Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Audrey Robertson for Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and Timothy Walsh for Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management. [ 00:05:27-00:05:50 ]

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 Senator Murkowski highlighted the nominees as highly qualified individuals crucial for President Trump's goal of energy dominance, expressing frustration with delays in their confirmation at the Senate level. [ 00:07:01-00:07:27 ]

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 Conversely, Ranking Member Heinrich opposed all nominations, citing concerns that the administration consistently disregards the will of Congress by cancelling programs, withholding funds, and pursuing unapproved policies once officials are confirmed. Despite this opposition, all three nominations were favorably reported to the Senate floor, each passing with a vote of 11 ayes to 9 nays. [ 00:22:36 ]

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[ 00:23:34 ]

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[ 00:24:52 ]

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Tribute to David Brooks, Retiring Staff Member

A considerable portion of the meeting was dedicated to honoring David Brooks, the committee's longest-serving staff member, who is retiring after 38 years of public service. [ 00:08:14-00:08:22 ]

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 Brooks began his public service in 1987 and joined the committee staff in 1989, contributing to every public lands bill for over three decades. Senators Heinrich, Barrasso, and Murkowski lauded his extensive knowledge of public land laws, legislative drafting, and parliamentary procedure, emphasizing his professionalism and dedication to crafting sound policy for the nation. [ 00:09:05-00:09:15 ]

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 His efforts were credited with the enactment of hundreds of laws and the protection of millions of acres of public land.

Tone of the Meeting

The meeting maintained a respectful and appreciative tone, particularly during the tribute to David Brooks, where numerous senators conveyed their gratitude for his decades of service. [ 00:08:23 ]

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[ 00:09:21 ]

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 However, a clear partisan divide was apparent during the discussions and votes on the nominations, reflecting underlying disagreements regarding the administration's policies and the efficiency of the confirmation process. The chair conveyed a sense of urgency for timely confirmations, while the ranking member expressed principled opposition.

Participants

Transcript

The committee will come to order.
Good morning and welcome to all.  Today is the Energy and Natural Resources Committee's eighth business meeting of the 119th Congress, and I want to thank my friend and colleague, the ranking member, Senator Heinrich, and his staff for working on the schedule for today's Marco.  I also want to thank all the senators on the committee for your prompt attendance and your participation today.  This morning we'll be voting on nominations of three nominees.   from whom we heard at our hearing on Wednesday, July 9th.  We'll not be voting on David Eisner for Assistant Secretary of Energy as he's asked for his nomination to be withdrawn.  All three nominees who are under consideration today in today's business meeting submitted timely answers to questions submitted by senators for the record on our July 9th hearing.  First, we'll vote on the nomination   of the Honorable Lanny Erdos.  Second, we'll vote on the nomination of Ms.  Audrey Robertson.  And third, we'll vote on the nomination of Mr. Timothy Walsh.  I'm happy to support each of these very well-qualified nominees.  As soon as we have a reporting quorum present, I'm going to ask the committee to vote on the nominations.  And then after the votes, I'll recognize any member who wishes to speak briefly on any of the nominees and continue to be   grateful to senators insofar as they're willing to keep their remarks brief.  Let's see.  We do not yet have a voting quorum present, but hope to do so soon.  So, again, today we're going to vote to advance three more of President Trump's highly qualified nominees for critical leadership positions within the departments of energy and interior.   To date, we've considered 21 nominees, and the majority of them have received bipartisan support from members of the committee.
Americans elected President Trump to disrupt business as usual and deliver bold results.  These nominees reflect that promise.  They're highly qualified, and they're exactly the kind of leaders the American people expected him to assemble to achieve energy dominance.  They're proven, experienced professionals, many with decades of experience of distinguished leadership   in both the public and private sectors, who have earned praise from Republicans and Democrats alike.  Yet despite broad bipartisan approval, we continue to have stall and delay tactics when we get to the Senate floor.  Of the nominees we've advanced out of this committee before today, only five have been confirmed by the Senate more than six months into a new administration.  Each day, these vital positions remain unfilled.  We delay   the work needed to strengthen our energy systems, steward our natural resources, and support communities that depend on both of these things.  As a result, American families face higher energy costs, and our nation's interests remain unnecessarily vulnerable.  This kind of defunction is precisely what the American people are fed up with.  They spoke clearly in November.  They expect results.  And to achieve   Those results, the President of the United States needs to be able to put his personnel in place.  This committee has consistently filled its responsibilities by holding timely hearings and swiftly moving nominees forward with bipartisan cooperation and support.  Now it's time for both parties to come together to confirm these qualified bipartisan nominees so that they can get to work for the American people.   We've done our job on these, and it's time to give the President the tools and the team that he needs to make America stronger, safer, and more secure.  We do not yet have the voting quorum present.  Ranking Member Heinrich, would you like to give your opening statement?
Thank you, Chairman Lee.  Before I address today's agenda, I want to take a moment   To offer my thanks and pay my respects to the dean of the committee staff, David Brooks.  David plans to retire at the beginning of September.  So this will be his last committee meeting.  None of us recall his first because none of us were here at the time.  David's public service began in 1987, 38 years ago, working for Representative Morris K. Udall on what was then the House Interior Committee.   He joined our committee staff in February 1989, 36 and a half years ago.

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