Nancy Sutley, the nominee to head the Council on Environmental Quality, also appeared before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee this morning, along with EPA-nominee Lisa Jackson. Sutley, 46, is currently the deputy mayor for energy and environment for the city of Los Angeles.

Here an excerpt from Sutley’s prepared opening statement on her plans for the CEQ:

My focus, if confirmed as the chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, will be to ensure that there is a strong science and policy basis for our environmental policy, to move the nation to greater reliance on clean energy and increase energy security, to combat global warming while growing the green economy, to protect public health and the environment, especially in vulnerable communities, and to protect and restore our great ecosystems.

My parents came to the United States in search of a better life. I learned the values of hard work and integrity from them. They also taught me how important it is to give back to the community, and I have devoted much of my career to public service. I have tried to honor those values by working toward protecting our communities and our environment. If I am confirmed, I look forward to working with this committee and the Congress to carry out the goals of the National Environmental Policy Act and the mission of the Council on Environmental Quality.

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