[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 29, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S972]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



             Statement on the Nomination of Sylvia V. Baca

  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I am very pleased today that the Senate 
has confirmed New Mexican Sylvia Baca for Assistant Secretary of the 
Interior for Land and Minerals Management. I have been working hard to 
see this day, and I am glad the Senate has finally confirmed this 
worthy individual.
  Ms. Baca is a native New Mexican who has worked for the Department of 
Interior for over four years, and has been Acting Assistant Secretary 
since November of 1998. Since January of 1995, she served as Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management.
  Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management has direct 
supervisory responsibility for three principal bureaus of the 
Department of the Interior: The Bureau of Land Management, the Minerals 
Management Service, and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and 
Enforcement. In 1997, she served as Acting Director for the Bureau of 
Land Management. in such capacity, she was responsible for direct 
management of 10,000 employees, a budget of $1.2 billion, and the 
maintenance of 270 million acres of public lands and 570 million acres 
of subsurface minerals.
  Ms. Baca previously served the state of New Mexico with distinction 
as a Senior Fiscal Analyst for the state Legislative Finance Committee 
for five years. Ms. Baca served as Director of Finance and Management 
for the City of Albuquerque immediately before leaving for Washington, 
D.C. Some of you may know that I served as what was then the equivalent 
of Mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico's largest city. I can assert that 
administering the operating budget and administering city employees is 
a big job.
  Sylvia Baca has a tremendous tie to the land. Sylvia, whose New 
Mexico ranching family history dates back to Spanish colonial times, is 
one of the many distinguished New Mexicans who have served the Interior 
Department. I am sure she will continue to work with distinction and 
serve well managing our federal public lands. Based upon her experience 
and commitment, I trust she will do a good job for the people of the 
United States. She has demonstrated that she has the administrative 
skills and experience needed to do this job well.

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