Yesterday I reprised the exchange on energy between Senator John Thune and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Today I have a short segment involving Senate Armed Services Committee member Mark Udall of Colorado and the Secretary.
The House and Senate can influence DOD in many ways, but some things the Department just has to do for itself. The appointment of the first "Director for Operational Energy Plans and Programs" and the serious formulation and promulgation of energy leadership and policy department wide are in that latter category. Without further adieu, here are Senator Udall's comments to Gates just two days ago. Notice how Udall invokes not just NDAA 2009 that authorized the position, but the desire of the troops themselves for true leadership in this most critical of all areas.
SEN. MARK UDALL:
I was pleased to hear you talk about the importance of consolidating energy issues at the DOD and the position that was established in the Defense Authorization Act to do this. And I hear you plan to fulfill the position quickly. I look forward to working with you in any way possible, as in many ways the military is meeting in this cause of energy independence. The men and women in uniform know more than almost any Americans the price of having to defend oil supplies lines and our dependence on regimes that don't particularly like us. So I commend you for this effort and again look forward to working with you.
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