[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 81 (Tuesday, June 2, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5917-S5918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

                                 ______
                                 

 NOMINATION OF REGINA McCARTHY TO BE AN ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR OF THE 
                    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 
Senate will proceed to executive session to consider the following 
nomination, which the clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read the nomination of Regina McCarthy, of 
Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to express my strong 
support for the confirmation of Gina McCarthy to head the Office of Air 
and Radiation at the Environmental Protection Agency. I have had the 
opportunity to work with and get to know Ms. McCarthy during her tenure 
as the commissioner of Connecticut's Department of Environmental 
Protection. Ms. McCarthy has worked tirelessly to make Connecticut's 
air, land and water cleaner, which in turn has made Connecticut the 
wonderful place it is today to live, work and raise a family.
  Among her achievements, I would like to highlight Ms. McCarthy's 
pioneering work to address climate change in New England. She is widely 
recognized as a chief engineer of the very successful Regional 
Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Since her appointment in 2004, Ms. McCarthy 
has worked to dramatically improve Connecticut's environment. She has 
restored and defended the integrity of many of Connecticut's most 
cherished natural treasures. She devoted herself to protecting Long 
Island Sound, a source of nourishment and recreation to the millions 
who live and work along its coastline. As commissioner, Ms. McCarthy 
devised strategies for dealing with our State's solid waste, and she 
worked to improve Connecticut's air quality. She also made great 
strides to reinvigorate our parks and open spaces.
  Gina arrived in Connecticut with a wealth of experience after holding 
a number of health and environmental positions in Massachusetts at the 
local, State and Federal levels. She worked for the Stoughton Board of 
Health and Conservation, Massachusetts' Hazardous Waste Facility Site 
Safety Council, the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Program and the 
New England Governor's Environment Committee. Ms. McCarthy also served 
as the under secretary of policy at the Massachusetts Executive Office 
of Environmental Affairs and as the deputy secretary of operations to 
the Office for Commonwealth Development where she oversaw the 
development and implementation of Massachusetts' first Climate 
Protection Action Plan.
  We have been lucky to have Gina in Connecticut and I am excited that 
the entire country will now benefit from her talents at the EPA. In her 
new position, Ms. McCarthy will be responsible for developing national 
programs, technical policies and regulations to control air pollution 
and prevent exposure to radiation. She will continue her work to 
address climate change and improve energy efficiency--a double charge 
that is both timely and imperative to the continued health of our 
planet. She will also develop strategies to reduce industrial and 
vehicle-generated air pollution as she works to improve indoor and 
outdoor air quality. I am excited to have someone of Ms. McCarthy's 
character and credentials leading these essential efforts and I am 
filled with confidence in her ability to address them productively.
  I strongly support the nomination of Gina McCarthy to head the EPA's 
Office of Air and Radiation and urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the nomination of 
Regina McCarthy to be Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation at 
the Environmental Protection Agency. I would also like to thank 
Chairman Boxer and the members of the Environment and Public Works 
Committee for their support of this excellent and deserving nominee. 
While I think it is regrettable that her confirmation was delayed for 
so long, I am glad that she will soon be able to get to work on finding 
solutions to the many important environmental issues facing our nation.
  I congratulate President Obama on nominating such a remarkably 
qualified, energetic, and passionate individual to serve as Assistant 
Administrator. Commissioner McCarthy has 25 years of experience working 
at all levels of local and State government and has a depth and breadth 
of knowledge on environmental issues that few can rival. She has also 
served under both Democratic and Republican Governors, in Massachusetts 
as well as my home State of Connecticut. In both States and in all 
capacities, Gina has been universally recognized as a uniquely talented 
environmental advocate.

[[Page S5918]]

  As commissioner of Connecticut's Department of Environmental 
Protection since 2004, Gina has amassed an impressive record of 
accomplishments. She spearheaded the ``No Child Left Inside'' 
initiative in Connecticut and nationwide, which combines environmental 
education with numerous outdoor programs to promote physical activity 
while teaching kids to become good stewards of the environment. She has 
also been a key proponent of sustainable economic development in 
Connecticut, has worked tirelessly to reinvigorate our State park 
system, and has been a terrific advocate for open space and 
conservation initiatives.
  Perhaps most prominently, Commissioner McCarthy was one of the 
driving forces behind the creation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas 
Initiative, RGGI, the Nation's first mandatory cap and trade program, 
which was adopted by 10 States in the Northeast to address the grave 
threat of climate change. The commissioner's work on the issue of 
climate change has been recognized and lauded nationally, and her 
experience will be invaluable when she is confirmed as Assistant 
Administrator for Air and Radiation. President Obama has made it clear 
that addressing climate change is a top priority for his 
administration, and as Assistant Administrator, Gina will play a vital 
role in developing and implementing policies to control greenhouse gas 
emissions.
  In my view, this incredible list of accomplishments does not do 
justice to the qualities Gina will bring to her new position once she 
is confirmed. Across my State she has a well-deserved reputation for 
her boundless energy, incredible passion and determination, and 
willingness to speak frankly in order to address challenges head on.
  Indeed, she has made such an enormous impact that on March 14, the 
Hartford Courant ran an editorial entitled ``DEP Chief Gina McCarthy a 
Hard Act to Follow,'' which praised both her passion for the issues and 
her pragmatic approach. The Courant specifically noted her ability to 
revitalize a department which had lost the public's trust and engage 
people across the State in preserving Connecticut's landscape and Long 
Island Sound.
  Once again, I congratulate Gina McCarthy and strongly urge all my 
colleagues to support her nomination. Connecticut's loss is a win for 
our Nation. And, while we are sad to see her leave Connecticut, I am 
confident that Gina will continue to be the outstanding advocate for 
the environment and public health she has always been and I look 
forward to working with her in her new capacity at the EPA.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The question is, Will the Senate 
advise and consent to the nomination of Regina McCarthy, of 
Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency?
  The nomination was confirmed.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 
motion to reconsider is laid upon the table, and the President will be 
immediately notified of the Senate's action.

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