Carmen G. Cantor, President Joseph R. Biden's nominee for a leadership position in the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), has testified before a Senate committee as part of the confirmation process, the Department of Energy (DOE) reported last month.
President Biden nominated Cantor for Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular and International Affairs on March 15, as recorded by the Congressional Record. Cantor is currently serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) since January 2020.
Cantor testified before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources April 28; the DOE released a transcript of the interview at that time. In her opening remarks, Cantor thanked committee members for the opportunity to meet with them and expressed gratitude for "the confidence that President Biden and Secretary of the Interior (Deb) Haaland have placed in me with this nomination" according to the transcript.
"If confirmed," Cantor said in her tesitimony, "I pledge to do my utmost to uphold this trust and to advance our nation’s interests in the U.S. territories and the vital Indo-Pacific region."
Cantor shared highlights from her more than 30 years of federal service, including with the State Department, the U.S. Postal Service, the Foreign Agricultural Service and other agencies. She spoke on how growing up in Puerto Rico informed her experience as the American ambassador to the FSM, a nation comprised of 607 islands in the Indo-Pacific region.
"In addition to being a committed career public servant," Cantor said in her testimony, "because I grew up on an island, I can connect with and understand the challenges and issues islanders face, particularly in the U.S. territories."
Cantor summarized the responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs to the U.S territories and the Freely Associated States (the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the FSM), as well as overseeing the DOI's Ocean, Great Lakes and Coastal Program, which coordinates ocean and coastal programs across the DOI, according to the transcript.
"If confirmed as Assistant Secretary, I will support our relationship with the territories," Cantor said, "hardworking and patriotic Americans who are not always at the forefront of attention in Washington. I will work with these communities closely to ensure they can thrive."
Cantor testified that the Indo-Pacific region and the U.S.'s relationship with the FAS are a "high priority" for her, the transcript records.
"These sovereign countries share our vision for an open and free region that respects sovereignty, the rule of law, and transparency," Cantor said. "If confirmed, I will work to strengthen our relationship with the Freely Associated States by continuing to support their peace, security, prosperity, democracy, and freedoms."
Cantor concluded her remarks by thanking the committee members and stating, if confirmed, she is eager to work with them to further U.S. influence in the Insular areas.
"In closing, I can imagine no greater honor than to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs at the Department of the Interior," Cantor testified, "working with our friends in the territories and in the Freely Associated States during this critical time."
As of May 2, the Senate Committee has not taken any further action on Cantor's nomination.
