Senate Democrats on Wednesday grilled Tennessee auto magnate and Republican megadonor Lee Beaman in his confirmation hearing to help run the Tennessee Valley Authority, the largest federally owned public utility, about his qualifications and behavior concerns.
Beaman’s TVA board nomination comes months after President Donald Trump fired three members, leaving the panel without a quorum and unable to make key decisions. Regional advocates are also worried the administration may move to privatize the utility — but Beaman pushed back.
“Although I generally believe that the private sector is more efficient than government, in the case of TVA, I think TVA is more uniquely, appropriately operated as a government entity,” Beaman told the Environment and Public Works Committee.
Republicans praised Beaman’s business experience and argued his lifelong development work in the Tennessee River Valley made him qualified to serve on the utility’s board. Democratic Senators, however, expressed reservations about his personal history and political connections.
