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BOWRON, GOTTEMOELLER, AND MICHAELS

NOMINATIONS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1998

U.S. SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES,

Washington, DC.

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:35 a.m. in room SD366, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Frank H. Murkowski, chairman, presiding.

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. FRANK H. MURKOWSKI,

U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA

The CHAIRMAN. We will call the committee hearing to order of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. We have nominees this morning from the Department of Energy: Mr. David Michaels, to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environment, Safety, and Health, and Ms. Rose Gottemoeller to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nonproliferation and National Security; and from the Department of Interior, Mr. Eljay B. Bowron, to be Inspector General for the Department of the Interior.

I am told that Senator Domenici and Senator Bingaman would like to make some introductions, so I would defer to those gentlemen at this time.

[A prepared statement from Senator Bumpers follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. DALE BUMPERS, U.S. SENATOR FROM ARKANSAS Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for calling this hearing and for your willingness to try to move these nominations in the Committee and on the floor next week.

I strongly support all three nominees. Each one of them is an outstanding individual with a distinguished background. We are fortunate that they have agreed to

serve.

These three nominees have been nominated to important posts. We need to confirm them before we adjourn this year. We should not leave these posts vacant for another three or four months.

I recognize that it is very late in the session. But this Committee has shown it can confirm nominations very quickly when we put our minds to it. I hope we will do that for these nominees and for T.J. Glauthier, whose nomination is also still pending.

Senator DOMENICI. Senator Bingaman.

STATEMENT OF HON. JEFF BINGAMAN, U.S. SENATOR
FROM NEW MEXICO

Senator BINGAMAN. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I welcome all of the nominees this morning and support them all.

Let me just make a couple of minutes worth of introduction, though, of Rose Gottemoeller, who is someone I've gotten ac

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quainted with over the last year or so since she's been in the Department of Energy.

In my view, she is an exceptionally well qualified nominee for the job for which she has been nominated. She has had a very important role of overseeing the Department of Energy's nonproliferation mission, as well as its counter-proliferation mission, for over a year now. I think her performance has been outstanding in that regard. Let me just mention a couple of her qualifications. She went to Georgetown University and was a graduate also of the science, technology, and public policy program at George Washington University. She conducted research for several years for Rand Corporation. During the Bush administration she served as a Council on Foreign Relations Fellow at the Department of State.

She was an adviser to the U.S. delegation to the START talks in Geneva. She was also an adjunct professor on Soviet military policy at the Georgetown University from 1989 to 1993. She headed the Clinton administration team for the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency early in 1993 and then she was Director for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Affairs at the National Security Council. In 1997, Secretary of Energy Federico Peña selected her as the Director of DOE's Office of Nonproliferation and National Security. Mr. Chairman, she has also been a member of the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on International Security and Arms Control. That is a very prestigious committee and has such people as Army General Bill Burns, George Steinbruner from Brookings, Dick Garwin of IBM, and Pief Panofsky from the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. Those are all people that we see here on a fairly regular basis as witnesses.

I am persuaded that the work that she has done has eminently qualified her for this position. I hope we can recommend her confirmation to the full Senate, and have the full Senate confirm her before we adjourn this fall.

I will stop with that, Mr. Chairman, and then I will ask a few questions when we get to that point.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Senator Bingaman.
Senator Domenici.

STATEMENT OF HON. PETE V. DOMENICI, U.S. SENATOR
FROM NEW MEXICO

Senator DOMENICI. Mr. Chairman, I have a statement in support of Ms. Rose Gottemoeller.

The CHAIRMAN. It will be entered into the record as read.

Senator DOMENICI. And I would just say three things. One, first, I compliment the administration for elevating the responsibilities of nonproliferation and national security to an assistant secretary level. This is a very positive decision. It is long overdue, but obviously world events clearly indicate that we need this and we need it now. The recent detonations in Pakistan and India, along with the terrorist activities around the world, all add emphasis to the importance of this critical area of the portfolio of the Department of Energy.

I have now for well over a year been working with Ms. Gottemoeller on many issues. She has been in charge of one of the very, very important programs with the Soviet Union, called the

Materials Protection Control and Accounting Act, sometimes referred to as the MPC&A program-very important with reference to nonproliferation. She has done an excellent job and has familiarized herself with the Soviet Union-excuse me, with Russia, and many of the former leaders of the Soviet Union that are part of the nonproliferation efforts in Russia.

So three things I say. One is that it is time that this be made an assistant secretary position; and second, that she is very qualified from what I know. Third, I have had an opportunity to discuss at length with her this expanded role, because I knew her in a more limited role. I am very confident that she has the skills and she understands the problems and that she will work with the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House in putting together the right kind of policies in this regard, and I urge that she be confirmed as soon as possible. She is needed in the Department and needed as soon as we can get it done.

Thank you.

[The prepared statement of Senator Domenici follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. PETE V. DOMENICI, U.S. SENATOR
FROM NEW MEXICO

I'm pleased to join with my colleague from New Mexico in introducing Dr. Rose Gottemoeller to this Committee.

The Administration is elevating the responsibilities for non-proliferation and national security to an Assistant Secretary level-this is a very positive decision because it formally recognizes that these responsibilities are rapidly growing in importance. The recent nuclear detonations in Pakistan and India, along with increasing terrorist activities around the world, all add emphasis to the importance of this critical area of the Department's portfolio.

Dr. Gottemoeller is an excellent choice for this position and she has my full support. She brings impressive credentials to this new challenge, from her extensive experience with Russia, Ukraine, and other countries of the former Soviet Union.

I've already had a number of opportunities to interact with Dr. Gottemoeller in her current responsibilities within the Department. One of these responsibilities involves the Materials Protection, Control, and Accounting or MPC&A program. This effort is vitally important to safeguard fissile materials in the former Soviet Union. Another area that we've discussed involves prevention of "brain drain" and/or diversion of nuclear material from Russian institutes and their closed cities. These concerns are addressed in the Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention program and the Nuclear Cities Initiative that report to Dr. Gottemoeller.

I look forward to confirmation of Dr. Gottemoeller by the full Senate before we adjourn, so that site can fully engage in the wide responsibilities of this vital position.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, gentlemen.

I might add that I have reviewed the background materials and the forms submitted by the nominees and find them to be in order and they are certainly qualified for the positions for which they have been nominated.

In the interest of moving the hearing along this morning, I would like to keep opening statements brief, so we can get to questions to the witnesses, which you gentlemen have certainly done. Suffice it to say these nominees will hold very important positions in their respective Departments. We look forward to working with each of them once they are confirmed.

Under the procedure of the hearing, lady and gentlemen, it is necessary that you be sworn in at this time. So if you would be kind enough to stand.

The rules of the committee which apply to all nominees require they be sworn in in connection with their testimony. Please raise your right hand.

Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Please indicate by saying "I do."

Ms. GOTTEMOELLER. I do.

Mr. MICHAELS. I do.

Mr. BOWRON. I do.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. That is, if you are inclined.

You may be seated. Before you begin your statements, I am going to ask you three questions which will be addressed to each nominee before this committee. The first is, will you be available to appear before this committee and other Congressional committees to represent departmental positions and respond to issues of concern to the Congress?

Mr. BOWRON. I will.

Ms. GOTTEMOELLER. I will.

Mr. MICHAELS. I will.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you.

Are you aware of any personal holdings, investments, or interests which would constitute a conflict or create the appearance of such a conflict should you be confirmed and assume the office to which you have been nominated by the President?

Mr. Michaels.

Mr. MICHAELS. No.

The CHAIRMAN. You have no conflict holdings or whatever?
Mr. MICHAELS. Well, shall I read this?

The CHAIRMAN. Probably. Somebody wrote it for you. It must be important.

Mr. MICHAELS. My investments, personal holdings, and other interests have been reviewed both by myself and the appropriate ethics counselors within the Federal Government. I have taken appropriate action to avoid any conflict of interest. There are no conflicts of interest or appearance of thereof to my knowledge.

The CHAIRMAN. That is pretty much what everybody says. [Laughter.]

The CHAIRMAN. Ms. Gottemoeller.

Ms. GOTTEMOELLER. My investments, personal holdings, and other interests have been reviewed by myself and the appropriate ethics counselors within the Federal Government. I have taken appropriate action to avoid any conflicts of interests. There are no conflicts of interest or appearances thereof to my knowledge. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you.

Mr. Bowron.

Mr. BOWRON. My investments, personal holdings, and other interests have been reviewed by both myself and the appropriate ethics counselors within the Federal Government. I have taken appropriate action to avoid conflicts, any conflicts of interest. There are no conflicts of interest or appearances thereof to my knowledge. The CHAIRMAN. Are you involved in or do you have any assets held in a blind trust?

Mr. MICHAELS. No, sir.

Ms. GOTTEMOELLER. No, sir.

Mr. BOWRON. No, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you.

It would be appropriate if you would like to introduce any of your family members who might be in attendance this morning.

Mr. Michaels.

Mr. MICHAELS. Yes. I'm very pleased and honored that my mother-in-law, Clair Dratch and my brother-in-law, David Dratch are joining us today.

The CHAIRMAN. Good morning. We are very pleased to have them.

I understand you have a new addition in your household.

Mr. MICHAELS. Yes, but unfortunately she is less than a week old and couldn't join us today.

The CHAIRMAN. I assume that somebody's taking care of her and that's why your wife isn't here.

Mr. MICHAELS. Exactly, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. All right. Congratulations.

Mr. MICHAELS. Thank you.

The CHAIRMAN. Ms. Gottemoeller.

Mr. MICHAELS. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to introduce my husband, Mr. Ray Arnaudo-he's the Director for Oceans Affairs in the Department of State-and my two sons, Daniel Arnaudo, 15 years old, and Paul Arnaudo, who is 11 years old.

The CHAIRMAN. They're pretty good-sized kids. If they're looking for a job, we've got some openings in Alaska in a logging camp. [Laughter.]

The CHAIRMAN. Please, Mr. Bowron.

Mr. BOWRON. Mr. Chairman, I would love to have had the chance to introduce my son to you, but he's a freshman at Catholic University and I have to begin with emphasized the importance of him attending class, and I didn't deviate from that for this occasion.

The CHAIRMAN. I understand. He didn't have taxi fare to be here either, all right.

Well, thank you very much. I would ask that you proceed in any order that you feel comfortable.

Mr. Michaels.

TESTIMONY OF DAVID MICHAELS, NOMINEE TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF ENERGY FOR ENVIRONMENT, SAFETY AND HEALTH

Mr. MICHAELS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today as you consider my nomination to be the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health at the U.S. Department of Energy. I know the committee members have many pressing demands, especially at this time of year, and I'm especially grateful for the effort you have made to schedule my hearing on such a timely basis.

I regret I did not have the opportunity to meet with individual committee members in advance of this hearing, as planned. As the chairman mentioned, less than a week ago my wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Let me assure the committee that I will be

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