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Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Baucus, and members of the Senate Finance Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. It is a great privilege to be considered for the position of Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Public Affairs. I am honored that Secretary O'Neill has selected me and President Bush has nominated me to serve in this position, and that you are taking the time to consider my nomination today.
The Treasury Department is at the center of President Bush's efforts to work with Congress to keep America's economy strong and to spread prosperity around the world. The public affairs office at Treasury plays an essential role in educating the public about tax policy, debt management, Social Security financing, and a host of international issues that impact our prosperity. I look forward to helping to make the case publicly for the President's agenda and to keeping the media and all interested parties - including you and your committee - informed on Treasury's work.
I believe an informed public is crucial to the democratic process. I learned in my years working in the House that an informed public debate leads to better policymaking. I can think of no greater honor than to be asked to do this job and to work with Secretary O'Neill, who teaches me something new every day and whose enthusiasm for getting things done has already energized the entire staff at the Treasury. I am eager to get to work with the talented people in the Department, across the Administration and here in the Congress. Thank you.