The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to advance the White House’s nominees to fill out the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the panel said in a press release.
If the full Senate gives the green light to Annie Caputo and Bradley Crowell, they will fill two positions on the nuclear safety regulator’s executive commission that have been vacant for over a year. Caputo herself left NRC in June 2021 at the end of her five-year term. The five-member commission had been operating at a minimum quorum of three members since then.
The environment committee’s vote comes about a week after the decision was postponed in anticipation of scheduled remarks to Congress from the first lady of Ukraine.
“Ms. Caputo and Mr. Crowell both possess strong backgrounds in public service,” environment committee chair Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) said during his opening remarks at Wednesday’s vote. “I have no doubts about their ability to serve the American people in these roles and look forward to seeing their swift confirmation.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Senate had yet to schedule a vote on the NRC nominees.
Caputo, a Republican, is currently a consultant with the Idaho National Laboratory, where she works on international cooperation for advanced nuclear reactors. She has also advised the Senate Armed Services Committee on issues related to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s infrastructure since leaving NRC last year.
Crowell, a Democrat, is the director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, a position that he’s held since 2016. Crowell was also assistant secretary of energy for congressional and intergovernmental affairs at the Department of Energy under the Obama administration. Prior to that, he worked for both Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and former Nevada governor and Sen. Richard Bryan (D-Nev.).
NRC is currently led by chair Christopher Hanson, a Democrat. Also on the commission are Jeff Baran, a Democrat, and David Wright, a Republican. By law, NRC cannot have more than three members of the same political party.
Updated: 07/28/22 9:43 a.m. Eastern time, updating the headline to reflect that Annie Caputo is the NRC nominee.
