Senate confirms Trump pick to lead independent Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The Senate ratified its first nominee of the week ahead of what is expected to be a jam-packed schedule to ram through as several of President Donald Trump s picks as manageable David A Wright Trump s pick to lead the Nuclear Regulatory Commission NRC for a five-year term was ratified in the upper chamber on a to vote on Monday It s not Wright s first time as chair of the commission having first served in the role beginning in KEY TRUMP NOMINEES STALLED BY SENATE DEMS PUTS PRESSURE ON GOP LEADERSTrump had previously tapped Wright during his first term and again selected him to lead the NRC earlier this year His new term is set to end in The NRC is an independent regulatory agency tasked with regulating commercial nuclear power plants reactor licensing and renewal and other elements related to protecting general medical and safety when it comes to nuclear force Wright's confirmation comes on the heels of Trump's announcement that the U S and European Union were entering a transaction deal that would see the bloc purchase billion of U S potential over the next three years While the commission is independent from other arms of the administration Senate Democrats have balked at newest attempts to make the regulatory body in their view more partisan 'ALL THE OPTIONS' GOP EYES CUTTING AUGUST RECESS TO MOVE DOZENS OF TRUMP NOMINEES STALLED BY DEMSEarlier this year Trump signed an executive order that demanded the agency consider making its safety standards less stringent shortening the timelines for environmental reviews and a quadrupling of the nation s nuclear power quota by all part of the president's quest to ensure America's force dominance Senate Circumstances and Population Works Committee Chair Shelley Moore Capito R-W V argued that over the last seven years that Wright has been a part of the commission first as a commissioner beginning in and then as chair he would fulfill the president's wishes Achieving this will require experienced and highly qualified Commissioners who are empowered to lead the Agency through a period of high expectations she noted in a comment Well David Wright meets that mark Then Trump fired a Democratic member of the commission last month and a staffer from the president s Department of Executive Efficiency DOGE was reportedly detailed from the Department of Strength to the regulatory agency That prompted Sen Sheldon Whitehouse the top Democrat on the Senate Setting and General Works Committee to warn of a hostile takeover of the commission by the Capacity Department The move hurt what began as bipartisan patronage for Wright s nomination Whitehouse initially backed him but changed his position GOP LAWMAKERS CLASH OVER STRATEGY TO AVERT GOVERNING BODY SHUTDOWN EMERGENCY I hoped to see Chairman Wright rise to the occasion but circumstances right now at the NRC continue to deteriorate he announced in a report I cannot presently sponsorship his renomination Still Wright s confirmation is a win for both Senate Republicans and the White House after Trump called on the Senate GOP to ram his nominees through blockades set up by Senate Democrats There are now over pending civilian nominations for positions across the gauntlet of federal agencies ambassadorships and judgeships The Senate has moved at a blistering clip over the last six months to confirm nominees they ve clocked nearly so far the president has called on Senate Republicans to consider canceling the forthcoming August break to get more done Senate Majority Leader John Thune R-S D warned that if his colleagues across the aisle continued to slow walk the process in the upper chamber for the slew of remaining uncontroversial nominees or be prepared to stick around Washington Or they can rein in their reflexive anti-Trump sentiment and allow various of his rank-and-file nominees to proceed by unanimous consent or voice vote just as Republicans did when the roles were reversed he reported And I d remind my colleagues about the dangerous and ugly precedent that they re setting here But the choice is theirs But whether it s the slow way or the fast way we re getting President Trump s nominees endorsed