Senate confirms Bush 43 veteran to be deputy Energy secretary

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Dan Brouillette, a former Energy Department official in the George W. Bush administration, to return to the agency as deputy secretary.

Brouillette was confirmed on a 79-17 vote. He is one of a few fairly noncontroversial energy or environment nominees to come before the Senate so far during the Trump administration.

Brouillette worked as the Energy Department’s assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental affairs from 2001 to 2003. He also served as a member of the Louisiana State Mineral and Energy Board from 2013 to 2016, and is a onetime chief of staff for the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

{mosads}His private-sector experience includes a stint as vice president at Ford Motor Co., heading its policy and government affairs efforts from 2004 to 2006. He is currently an executive at USAA, a banking and financial services firm.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said Brouillette has a “long history of distinguished service to our nation.”

She added that “he has strong experience and thorough knowledge of the department he has chosen to return to.”

“I’m confident he is up for challenge and ready for this role,” she said.

Brouillette, who will serve under Energy Secretary Rick Perry, is only the second Trump-appointed Energy official the Senate has confirmed this year.

The Department of Energy oversees national laboratories, research and development and maintains the nation’s nuclear arsenal.