Daniel-Davis Nomination

Statement of
Laura Daniel-Davis
Nominee for the Position of
Assistant Secretary
for
Land and Minerals Management
at the
U.S. Department of the Interior
Before the
Energy and Natural Resources Committee
United States Senate

February 8, 2022

Good Morning Chairman Manchin, Ranking Member Barrasso, and Members of the Committee. It is again an honor to appear before you as President Biden’s nominee to be the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the Department of the Interior. I understand that my statement from my previous hearing before this Committee is part of the hearing record and so will offer brief remarks today.

The Department of the Interior has been one of the most significant and formative influences on my life. The leadership positions that I have held there, and in other organizations, have given me knowledge of the public lands; the energy programs – both on- and offshore – that the Department manages; and a deep understanding of the Department’s operations and broad mission, which touches so many people’s lives in very real ways every day. This is true whether we live in the West or another part of our great country.

Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege of working with and learning from so many significant mentors, including former –  and current – Secretaries of the Interior and former Congressman and Senator Mark Udall.

These lessons were meaningful and are still with me – of the importance of government service and that it is the people, not yourself, that you serve; of the value of collaboration; to ensure we are leading with equity and fairness; and that we should strive for a bipartisan spirit to accomplish goals that are so important to our country’s future.

I deeply value and appreciate the role that the Department’s bureaus serve in accomplishing its mission activities, including those that fall under the jurisdiction of the position for which I have been nominated. The Bureau of Land Management’s multiple use mission that makes it uniquely important for resource development, recreation, and to provide economic opportunities to working families as it manages the vast federal acreage under its jurisdiction.

Offshore, the important work of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement to responsibly and safely develop energy resources on our Outer Continental Shelf helps assure our country’s energy independence and is critical to our energy future. And the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement provides crucial support to coal communities for reclamation of former mining lands and economic development opportunities, making sure states have the tools to oversee their transitioning programs.

My time at the Department has also taught me the fundamental role that the Department’s career employees serve. Their hard work and expertise help us accomplish so much across the Department’s bureaus and programs.

If confirmed I will work hard to support the bureaus as they implement their programs and address the important infrastructure needs of society. I commit to tirelessly working to better understand how I can best help them be successful in their missions and for the American public.

I look forward to working in a respectful and collaborative fashion with this Committee, with states, Tribes, and program stakeholders to address the shared challenges we face.

Thank you and I look forward to answering your questions.