Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz,
described by The Washington Post as "a nuclear physicist with mad-scientist hair," is emerging as a congenial conduit between the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Obama administration when it comes to the Iran deal.
The White House has credited the highly accomplished Moniz — he earned a bachelor of science degree summa cum laude in physics from Boston College; a doctorate in theoretical physics from Stanford University; and honorary degrees from the University of Athens, the University of Erlangen-Nurenberg, Michigan State University and Universidad Pontificia de Comillas — as its "secret weapon" for successfully negotiating a deal with Tehran that will "prevent the rogue country from securing a nuclear weapon," according to the Post.
Despite his highly scientific mind, Moniz has a "natural ability to translate complex scientific concepts into digestible terms," as well as an easygoing demeanor, a winning combination that has earned him the respect of lawmakers who may otherwise be skeptical of the deal.
"I thought his tone was very good," New York Rep. Peter King, a Republican, who has been critical of Secretary of State John Kerry’s "very offensive" tone.
North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, a vocal critic of the deal with Iran, gave Moniz props for his ability to explain things to those without a background in science.
"I’ve worked with him a lot, because I work on a lot of energy issues," Hoeven told the Post. "I mean the guy is a nuclear physicist — he can be very technical if he wants to be. But he’s also careful to put things in layman’s terms."
Moniz, born in Massachusetts to Portuguese immigrant parents, has also become a bit of a social media star, the Huffington Post reports, most notably for wearing his silver hair in a bobbed coif.
"Do you think Obama feels more pressure during this speech because an actual funding father is in the audience?" @ismashfizzle posted on Twitter during the State of the Union address, where Moniz was seated in the gallery.
Another Twitter post this week from @Lima_Naveau said "Trump's not the only guy who's got hair. Energy secretary Ernest Moniz."
Just before Moniz’s Senate confirmation as Energy Secretary two years ago, a Twitter account with the hashtag #ErnestMonizHair was created and a poster wrote "Senate Energy Committee may confirm me next week! (via @DarrenGoode) Hairs to them!"
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