[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 7, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2809-S2810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                    Nomination Of Shalanda H. Baker

  Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to support the nomination of 
Ms. Shalanda Baker to be the Director of the Office of Minority 
Economic Impact at the Department of Energy.
  Congress established the Office of Minority Economic Impact within 
the Department of Energy in 1978. Congress recognized that the energy 
shortages and rising energy prices we faced at the time would have an 
overwhelming impact on the quality of life for our socially or 
economically disadvantaged citizens.
  The Office of Minority Economic Impact was created to provide a 
mechanism to ensure that the energy needs of minorities were fairly 
considered and addressed. Its goals were, first, to understand the 
impacts of our energy policies and programs on the quality of life in 
minority communities and, second, to ensure that minority business 
enterprises are afforded an equal opportunity to participate fully in 
the energy programs of the Department.
  The position of Director was created not only to head this office, 
but also to advise the Secretary of Energy on the effect of the energy 
policies, regulations, and actions of the Department on minorities and 
on how to increase minority participation in the Department's programs. 
The position does not carry with it the policy making or regulatory or 
adjudicatory powers of many other senior offices in the Department of 
Energy, but it plays an important role in ensuring that the needs of 
minority and disadvantaged communities are justly and fairly addressed 
and that they are treated fairly.
  The Director also helps ensure that the Department complies with our 
civil rights and equal employment laws and that it maintains a diverse 
workforce and inclusive work environment.
  The Department of Energy's commitment to fairness, equality, and 
diversity has always been important. But it is especially important 
today, as we face record high fuel prices, come to grips with the 
global climate crisis, and transform how we fuel our economy. We must 
ensure that our energy policies do not leave anyone behind or impose an 
unfair or disproportionate burden on minority or disadvantaged 
communities.
  I believe Ms. Baker is very well qualified for this position. She has 
spent the past decade studying the impact of the transition from fossil 
fuels to cleaner energy resources on disadvantaged communities. And she 
has spent the past 17 months serving as the Deputy Director for Energy 
Justice and as Secretary Granholm's Advisor on Equity.
  I strongly support her nomination, and I urge a favorable vote on her 
nomination.

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