Obama To Nominate Climate Hawk John Bryson As Commerce Secretary

Obama To Nominate Climate Hawk John Bryson As Commerce Secretary

President Barack Obama is nominating John Bryson, co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council and former CEO of Southern California Edison, to replace Gary Locke as Commerce Secretary — overseeing tech export, fisheries, and NOAA’s climate science work. Watch Bryson discuss how to tackle the climate crisis at the 2009 International Energy Conference:

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Update Araceli Ruano, Senior Vice President and California Director, Center for American Progress, responds to the news: “Here in California, the esteem with which John Bryson is held extends far beyond his leadership at Edison. His service on boards related to everything from foreign affairs to underprivileged youth has not only made him one of the brightest stars in civil sociey but will serve him well as Secretary of Commerce.”

link: http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/164031-sen-inhofe-vows-to-block-bryson-nomination

Sen. Inhofe pledges to block Commerce nomination
By Andrew Restuccia and Ben Geman - 05/31/11 04:45 PM ET

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) said Tuesday that he will be "working actively" to defeat John Bryson, President Obama's nominee for Commerce secretary, criticizing his environmental views as part of a broader GOP attack that could signal a bumpy ride for Obama's pick.

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Now Republicans are targeting Bryson for co-founding what has become one of the leading environmental groups in the United States and supporting the administration's energy and climate policies.

"By selecting John Bryson to head the Department of Commerce, President Obama is clearly demonstrating that he has no intention of backing down from his job-killing agenda," Inhofe said in a statement Tuesday.

Inhofe, one of the most outspoken climate skeptics in Congress, criticized Bryson for co-founding the Natural Resources Defense Council, a leading environmental group, and for serving as a member of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change.

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