The Senate Democrat who had been most outspoken about what he deems as threats to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s independence said Wednesday the agency appears to be on steadier footing.
The comments from Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) marked a notable shift from his warnings last year that the NRC was undergoing a “hostile takeover” under President Donald Trump’s administration. Whitehouse’s comments amounted to a vote of confidence in NRC Chair Ho Nieh.
“Luckily, the worst of the turbulence has subsided, as evidenced by the full commission seated before us today, whose combined experience and expertise will allow the NRC to function at its best,” Whitehouse said during a Wednesday hearing.
Democrats have spent months criticizing Trump administration moves they say weakened the commission’s independence, including the removal of Democratic commissioner and former Chair Christopher Hanson, the transfer of some authority to the Department of Energy and new White House review requirements for draft rules. The agency has also faced significant staff departures since the start of Trump’s second term.
