U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement after voting to confirm Mark Menezes to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE). The Senate confirmed Menezes through a bipartisan vote of 79-16.

“Mr. Menezes has demonstrated that he has the knowledge and experience needed to succeed as Deputy Secretary of Energy and I congratulate him on his bipartisan confirmation,” Murkowski said. “I am confident he will be a great second-in-command to Secretary Brouillette, especially as our nation seeks to harness the Department’s capabilities to overcome and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”  

The Senate previously confirmed Menezes as Under Secretary of Energy by voice vote in November 2017. The President nominated Menezes to be Deputy Secretary of Energy on March 12, 2020, and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee (ENR) favorably reported his nomination to the full Senate by voice vote on June 9, 2020. 

Murkowski is chairman of ENR, which has jurisdiction over the Department of Energy. She spoke on the Senate floor just before the start of a vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Menezes’ nomination.