Business meeting to consider the nominations of Usha-Maria Turner, of Oklahoma, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, David Wright, of South Carolina, to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and 32 General Services Administration resolutions.
Committee on Environment and Public Works
2025-07-09
Source: Congress.gov
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Participants
Transcript
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Shelley Moore Capito
I'm going to go ahead and call us to order while we fill out our dais here, and there is a presence of a quorum, right, so we can begin our statements. So, for the information of the members of the committee, Ranking Member Whitehouse and I will deliver opening statements, and then we'll have sufficient attendance. I'll stop so we can vote, and we will vote on the 32 GSA resolutions on block. Following that vote, we'll proceed to the votes to report out the noms. After the roll call votes, members who wish to be recognized to speak on the NOMs may do so. So I want to thank everybody for attending today's business meeting to vote on the nominations of David Wright to be member of Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Usha Maria Turner to be EPA Assistant for the Office of International and Tribal Affairs. I'll support both of these nominees this morning. As our nation's independent nuclear safety regulator, the NRC is critically important to our energy future. Congress directed the NRC to be more efficient, and we expect the NRC, under the leadership and direction of the Chair and the Commission, to accelerate this work.
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Sheldon Whitehouse
Through Chairman Wright's leadership, the NRC has taken some initial positive steps. The Commission updated its mission statement, reduced the time frame to approve new nuclear licenses, and is addressing unique regulatory challenges with new reactor designs. I'll work in a bipartisan manner to hold the commission, including Chairman Wright, accountable to expedite their efforts while maintaining their focus on ensuring nuclear safety.
In response to questions for the record I'd submitted jointly with Ranking Member Whitehouse, Chairman Wright affirmed that he is committed to preserving the NRC's independent authority to license and oversee the civilian use of nuclear material. Appreciate that commitment and will support his nomination. Excuse me, I also vote for Usha Maria Turner,
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Sheldon Whitehouse
Thank you, Madam Chair. Our estimate is Turner. This administration has turned EPA's mission from protecting public health and the environment to protecting the pockets and interests of fossil fuel companies. Ms. Turner comes directly from a fossil fuel company, the one that was central to a backroom deal at Mar-a-Lago between then-candidate Trump and major oil and gas companies, a deal now dictating the direction or misdirection of EPA. The fossil fuel industry and its minions at EPA are behaving particularly disgracefully, and until that changes, I will vote no and urge my colleagues to do the same. By the way, I don't see any prospect of that changing. As to Mr. Wright, at no point during the NRC's 50-year history has there been a greater need for leadership there than today. I stand by my statement during his nomination hearing. Mr. Wright is qualified to serve on the commission. He came before our committee, however, not just as a nominee, but as the present leader of the commission. I hope to see Chairman Wright rise to the occasion, but circumstances right now at the NRC continue to deteriorate. I cannot presently support his renomination. Let me say why, because I'm inclined to vote for him and to facilitate his confirmation. Licensing the next generation of nuclear reactors requires capable expert staff who understand and execute the agency's mission. The chairman seems to understand this, saying to Chair Capito and me, In senior agency leaders, I prioritize characteristics such as strong technical expertise, a commitment to safety, and the ability to inspire and motivate. I look for individuals who demonstrate an understanding of the nuclear regulatory field. Yet these are the very staff being forced out of the agency. This is the toll on that agency already. In the hearing, I implored the chair to address the current upheaval quickly. Upheaval, however, continues now, even since the nominations hearing. I asked the chairman to commit to uphold NRC independence. He nodded that he would.
We saw that. But what's happening right now makes me increasingly concerned that he simply will not execute on his statements. In response to my questions for the record, the chairman acknowledged there is a doggy staffer at the agency. This individual sits in an office that reports directly to the chairman.
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