The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved President Donald Trump’s nominee for NOAA administrator Wednesday with bipartisan backing.
The panel advanced Neil Jacobs by voice vote, but Democratic Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Andy Kim of New Jersey, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, all of whom represent states facing acute risk from sea-level rise and intensifying coastal storms, asked to be recorded as opposing the pick.
Ranking member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), however, expressed support for Jacobs despite continued reservations about the nominee, who also served as NOAA administrator in the first Trump administration.
“The NOAA position could never be more important, and while we may have some differences with Dr. Jacobs … I believe that he is in agreement on what NOAA’s priorities should be,” Cantwell said.
