Business meeting to consider the nominations of Sean McMaster, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, John Busterud, of California, to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste, Environmental Protection Agency, and Adam Telle, of Mississippi, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army, Department of Defense.
Committee on Environment and Public Works
2025-06-11
Source: Congress.gov
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almost in full attendance here but while we're waiting I'm going to go ahead and give my opening statement and Senator Whitehouse will do the same. That's what they all came here for. That's what they all came here for. Standing room only. So and this should go very quickly once we get our full compliment. So good morning to everybody and I note the presence of a quorum and now call this business meeting to order. For the information of the members of the committee, Ranking Member Whitehouse and I will deliver our opening statements as I said And then when we get sufficient attendance, we'll turn to the vote. After the votes, members who wish to be recognized to speak on the nominations are encouraged to do so.
So I want to thank my colleagues for attending today and to vote on the nominations of Sean McMasker to be the administrator of the FHWA, John Busterud to be the assistant administrator of the EPA, and Adam Tell to be the Assistant Secretary for the Army for Civil Works. Sean McMaster has more than 10 years of government service working in the U.S. House of Representatives and in federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Transportation. For the last five years, Mr. McMaster has worked for the private sector in two private sector transportation companies. Mr. McMaster's relevant professional background both in the public and private sectors I believe, especially well suited to be the administrator of the Federal Highways Administration. John Buster Rood practiced environmental law for 31 years and previously served as the regional administrator for the EPA's Pacific Southwest region. Mr. Buster Rood also served our country with distinction for 23 years in the U.S. Army. Mr. Buster Rood's exceptional experience has prepared him to lead OLEM and to tackle some of the nation's most pressing environmental challenges. Adam Tell has two decades of public service in the United States Senate, including as my clerk on the Homeland Security Subcommittee and Appropriations, and also as a special assistant to the President in the first Trump administration. Mr. Tell has seen firsthand how the Army Corps' response to natural disasters can help communities withstand significant weather events and then recover from them. Mr. Tell's extensive experience and understanding of the issues facing the Army Corps of Engineers making him an excellent choice to lead the Civil Works program. At their recent nomination hearings, we heard the nominees' visions for their respective roles that they have been nominated for, and we learned about their professional experience that has shaped their qualifications for these roles. I'm confident that these nominees will focus their efforts to bringing their respective agencies back to achieving their core missions and faithfully following the laws that Congress has enacted as they carry on their duties.
Thank you, Chair Capito. I will vote in favor of Adam Tellett to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works over his 20-year career. He's demonstrated admirable commitment to public service. His testimony and his experience securing resources for disaster response and recovery suggest that he appreciates the dire consequences that natural disasters wreak. on red and blue states alike. I hope Mr. Teller will carry this lesson forward and ensure that the Corps executes its mission objectively and without political bias. I will also support Sean McMaster to lead the Federal Highways Administration. First off, I appreciate DOT moving expeditiously to obligate funds to hundreds of previously awarded discretionary grants. As I've said, I don't think the grants ever should have been paused or frozen. But on the other hand, the previous administration should also not have left thousands of awarded but unobligated grants. One unresolved item is the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program created in our bipartisan infrastructure bill, which remains frozen. DOT has assured my staff that draft guidance for NEVI will be released in two weeks. Based on this assurance, I will vote in favor of Mr. McMaster's nomination, but that support and committee will evaporate on the floor if the draft guidance doesn't appear or is unworkable for states. I am trusting at this point. Progress like this is key to Democratic support for a highway bill next year, so I'm doubly happy to see steps going in the right direction. Lastly, on John Busterud, I will vote no. When we heard from these nominees on May 14th, I warned that EPA was a mess. It remains a mess. Administrator Zeldin continues his brazen, polluter-driven assault on clean air, clean water, and a safe climate. He has made it his mission to blockade illegally, congressionally authorized and appropriated funding. His performance has utterly belied his promise of being responsive to Congress. The Environmental Protection Agency has become the polluter protection agency and a swamp of corruption.
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