The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“NOMINATION OF JENNIFER GRANHOLM” mentioning Dianne Feinstein was published in the Senate section on page S851 on Feb. 24.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
NOMINATION OF JENNIFER GRANHOLM
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today in support of Governor Jennifer Granholm's nomination to be Secretary of the Department of Energy.
I can think of no one better than Governor Granholm to lead the Department of Energy during this critical and transformative period for our country.
Governor Granholm has the experience to lead and oversee the 13,500 employees at the Energy Department. She served as the Governor of Michigan from 2003 to 2011 and as Michigan's attorney general from 1998 to 2002.
During her tenure as Governor, she led Michigan through the tumultuous years of the 2008 financial crisis and the resulting bailout of the auto industry. She shepherded over a billion dollars in Federal funding to her State to manufacture electric vehicles and batteries. She diversified Michigan's energy portfolio and signed into law the State's first renewable energy standard.
I won't hold against the Governor the fact that she is a graduate of UC Berkeley--I am sure a Stanford Cardinal and a Golden Bear can still find some common ground and I am sure it will help that she will bring the innovative spirit of California along with her to her new role as Secretary.
Following her tenure as Governor, Jennifer became a faculty member at the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy. She has spent her career, both inside and outside of public office, as a steadfast advocate for clean energy. I have no doubt she will bring the same passion if confirmed as Secretary.
With this appointment, Governor Granholm has gained the opportunity to understand our unique national lab system, which is a critical aspect of the Department of Energy. She was a project scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and I look forward to her getting to know our 16 other National Labs. From basic science to nuclear safety, these are gems of the Energy Department.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention the trailblazing nature of the Governor's career. She was Michigan's first female attorney general; Michigan's first female Governor; and, if confirmed, will be only the second woman to lead the Energy Department since its formation in 1977. She has been and will continue to be a role model for young women across this country.
The Governor does not have an easy task ahead of her, but I have full confidence that she is up to the challenge. As chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, I look forward to working with her closely over the coming years to fund clean energy programs, confront climate change, and fulfill the energy and water infrastructure needs of California and our country.
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