Lacking a quorum, DNFSB could lose another member in 2025

Almost three months into the second Donald Trump administration a safety watchdog panel for Department of Energy nuclear installation still lacks a quorum.

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB), which is set up as a five-member panel, is down to two people and its lone Republican’s current term expires in October. 

The Trump administration has yet to nominate anyone to the board, changed with providing independent safety advice on key DOE nuclear facilities operated by the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Office of Environmental Management. 

The term of Acting Chair Thomas Summers, a Republican on the bipartisan panel, is scheduled to end Oct. 18. DNFSB rules might allow him to stay on in certain circumstances until a new member is confirmed by the Senate. The other current member is Patricia Lee. Lee, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, joined DNFSB last year. 

Former board member Joyce Connery, who chaired the panel during the Biden administration, left the federal government shortly after Trump took office. Her term had expired. 

A spokesperson for DNFSB told the Exchange Monitor in an email last week that no nominations have been formally submitted for Senate confirmation at this time, but the team “[continues] to work closely with the Administration and relevant stakeholders to support the nomination and confirmation process, and we remain committed to ensuring the Board is well-positioned to carry out its critical safety mission.”

DNFSB was set up by Congress to provide outside nuclear safety advice and recommendations to the secretary of energy. While it lacks actual regulatory teeth, the board can make public recommendations to the head of DOE, who must then publicly reply. DNFSB has a staff of around 100 people.