Mr. CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Easton. STATEMENT OF JACQUELINE KNOX BROWN, NOMINEE TO B Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I thank Go this opportunity to appear before you today as President B nominee for the position of Assistant Secretary for Congressi Intergovernmental and Public Affairs. I am also pleased to have members of my family here today mother and my daughter, and many other friends and suppo My husband The CHAIRMAN. Now, which one is which? [Laughter.] Ms. BROWN. Well, my mother is here on the end. Susie Gas And I have a sister and a daughter, another sister and brot and many, many friends and supporters. My husband, Hank Brown, is traveling with the President to so he is not here with me; but he has sent his blessings and support as well. I would like to summarize my remarks at this time. It is, indeed, an honor and a privilege to be considered for an important position in the Department of Energy. If confirm am prepared for the tremendous challenges and responsibil that will confront me. As Secretary Watkins moves forward with his initiatives to dress many of the problems the Department is experiencing to I realize the importance of keeping this committee, as well as Congress as a whole, informed of our actions and our activit And I am keenly aware of the benefit of maintaining a good w ing relationship with each of you and your staffs. I can assure you that I intend to carry out my duties with same spirit of cooperation and open communication as Secret Watkins is committed to. I have spent, virtually, my entire career in the halls of Congr From my early experiences as an office manager and a research sistant in the House of Representatives, to serving as a legislat assistant and subcommittee staff director here in the United Sta Senate. I have acquired a great deal of appreciation and respect for cooperative effort that must prevail between the Congress and t executive agencies in order for the Federal Government to cont ue to promote public confidence in our decisionmaking and uphold our credibility throughout the legislative and regulato process. For the past several years, I have been involved with consens building and formulation of working strategies on major_pub policy issues as a policy analyst for two very important Feder commissions. I believe that my experiences will prove to be a val able asset to the Department and to Secretary Watkins' organiz tion. I am confident that, if confirmed, I will inspire those individuals who will be a part of my staff in the Office of Congressional, Intergovernmental and Public Affairs, to value and appreciate the magnitude of our responsibilities, and to commit themselves, as I have, to high standards and personal excellence. I am sure we will achieve the levels of responsiveness, cooperation and communication that is expected of us, from each of you, members of Congress and others who must interact with the Department of Energy. I look forward to working with this committee and with your staffs, and the Congress. And I am very proud to be considered for a position serving this administration. That concludes my remarks, and I would be happy to answer any questions. [The prepared statement of Ms. Brown follows:] STATEMENT OF JACQUELINE KNOX BROWN NOMINEE FOR THE POSITION OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR CONGRESSIONAL, INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND PUBIC AFFAIRS Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee It is an honor and a privilege to have this opportunity to appear before you today as President Bush's nominee for the position of Assistant Secretary for Congressional, Intergovernmental and Public Affairs. If confirmed, I am prepared for the tremendous challenges and responsibilities that will confront me. As Secretary Watkins moves forward with his initiatives to address many of the problems the Department of Energy is experiencing today, I realize the importance of keeping the Members of this Committee, and the Congress as a whole, informed of our actions and activities, and the benefit of maintaining a good working relationship with each of you and your staffs. I can assure you that I intend to carry out my duties with a spirit of cooperation and open communication. I also intend to work aggressively to improve the Department's interaction with state and local governments and the general public. I have spent virtually my entire career in the halls of Congress, from my early experiences as an office manager and research assistant in the House of Representatives to serving as a legislative assistant and subcommittee staff director in the U.S. Senate. I have acquired a great deal of appreciation and respect for the cooperative effort that must prevail between the Congress and the executive agencies in order for the Federal government to promote public confidence in our decisionmaking and to uphold our credibility throughout the legislative and regulatory process. I know what it means to request information from an agency and receive it in a timely fashion. I have been through the consultations with Administration policymakers seeking input and support for legislative proposals and I have experienced the satisfaction of a legislative victory in which both the Congress and the Administration were participants. I know, firsthand, the importance of the role I will assume. For the past several years, I have served as a senior policy analyst for two important Federal commissions the AIDS Commission and the Quadrennial Commission. In this short time, my consensus-building skills were strengthened and I learned to work well with disparate groups to formulate working strategies on difficult issues and to develop solid and rational public policy. I believ that these experiences will prove to be a valuable asset t Secretary Watkins' organization. The mission and functions of the Office of Congressional, Intergovernmental and Public Affairs are broad in scope. The Office is responsible for developing, managing and coordinating relations with the Congress; working with state and local officials, Indian tribes, other Federal agencies; facilitating outreach activities with consumer, labor and citizen organizations, business and industry, civic groups, education organizations and institutions and many other energy-oriented public policy groups. The office, in effect, plays a major role in providing guidance, analysis and planning for the energy policies and programs of the Department of Energy and it serves as the principal point of contact and coordination between the Department and the Congress. We have a major task of demonstrating that the Department is committed to discharging its responsibilities and we must coordinate our activities with elected and appointed officials, as well |