Hearing on the Nomination of Michael Connor to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works at the Department of Defense
Full Committee on Environment and Public Works
July 14th, 2021 at 09:45 AM ET
On Wednesday, July 14, at 9:45 AM ET, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing on the nomination of Michael Connor to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works at the Department of Defense. Connor’s experience includes being a former Deputy Secretary of the Interior, Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, Chief Operating Officer of the Interior, and staff member to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Currently, Connor is partner at WilmerHale Law Firm.
The position will include overseeing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a branch with the responsibility to responding to and reduce the likelihood of flood damage, as well as restore degraded ecosystems. As stated by Senator Carper, “the Corps’ Civil Works Program includes the construction, operation, and maintenance of our Nation’s ports and inland waterways, which are the gateway to both domestic and international commerce. It also includes shoreline and coastal protections for the areas of our Country dramatically affected by large bodies of water.”
Connor understands that these tasks and responsibilities are “incredibly essential functions for communities across the Nation,” especially since he grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico, across a federal-supported irrigation canal, “witnessing the vital role the Federal Government plays in supporting and protecting the economic foundation of many communities.”
For a recording of the full committee hearing, please visit the Environment and Public Works hearings calendar.