NEW DOE UNDER SEC. NOMINEE BREEZES THROUGH SENATE HEARING

Elizabeth Robinson, the Obama Administration’s choice to fill the new position of Under Secretary of Energy for Management and Performance, breezed through a confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee yesterday. Robinson faced few questions from committee members, who instead focused the bulk of the hearing on the nomination of Ronald Binz to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Robinson did come in for praise, though, from committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who said she is “very well qualified” for the new Under Secretary position, which will oversee DOE’s offices of Environmental Management and Legacy Management, as well as several support offices. “The Under Secretary for Management and Performance is being given an enormously important and challenging portfolio, and Dr. Robinson will bring a quarter-century of experience with federal budget and science-and-technology issues to the job,” Wyden said.

In her prepared testimony, Robinson said that, if confirmed, she would “make it a priority to pursue agency and Congressional cleanup requirements, and work with affected constituencies to understand their concerns,” adding, “ I would work with my staff so that those issues receive the appropriate attention and resources to ensure agency successes in meeting such challenges.” In response to comments from committee members, Robinson said she would work with lawmakers to keep cleanup efforts on track at sites such as the Idaho National Laboratory, Los Alamos and Portsmouth. Robinson also said in her prepared testimony that she would continue to push DOE efforts to improve project management. “I know that DOE has faced challenges in the performance of its project management functions, which demands continuous and focused efforts. If confirmed, I would build upon the progress that DOE has made and continue to improve the management, performance and results for the agency,” she said.

The White House nominated Robinson in July to fill the new Under Secretary of Energy position. Robinson has served as NASA’s CFO since 2009, and from 2005-2009 she served as Assistant Director for Budget at the White House Office of Management and Budget. She has also held various other positions at OMB and the Congressional Budget Office, and served as a Congressional staffer, among other positions.