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As the Biden Administration continues to fill out its political appointees – both Senate-confirmed and otherwise – APGA remains committed to monitoring these nominations for those who will lead agency branches that impact APGA members. For instance, this week, the administration announced a slate of appointees named to positions at the Department of Energy (DOE).

While some have just begun the confirmation process, others are still pending a full Senate vote, such as DOE’s nominee for General Counsel, Samuel Walsh. Mr. Walsh is currently a partner at Washington, D.C.-based law firm Harris, Wlitshirt & Grannis LLP and worked at DOE during the Obama Administration. While he has received a committee hearing, his nomination has yet to be scheduled for a full chamber confirmation vote.

Additionally, on July 12, the Senate unanimously approved a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nominee that APGA has been following, Jen Easterly, who is to serve as the director of DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). With the recent increased attention on cybersecurity concerns surrounding natural gas infrastructure, CISA is an important agency for APGA to continue its engagement with moving forward.

For questions on this article, please contact Renée Lani of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-0836 or by email at rlani@apga.org.