WASHINGTON — Brandon Williams, a former one-term congressman from New York’s 22nd district, is President Donald Trump’s (R) pick to head the Department of Energy’s semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration.
Chris Wright, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Energy, told the Exchange Monitor here Wednesday after his confirmation hearing that he picked Williams personally for the position and was very excited to work with him.
“He’s a smart, passionate guy, he wants to defend our country, and make things better,” Wright said about Williams.
Williams was in office from 2023 to the beginning of 2025. In the November election, he could not retain his seat and was defeated by Rep. John Mannion (D-N.Y.).
In the House, Williams sponsored two energy related bills, neither of which got a vote before the 118th Congress ended: “Milestones for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Act,” which would have established projects related to nuclear fuel; “Condemning the Biden administration for its ban on the issuance of liquefied natural gas export permits,” which would have done exactly what its title said.
Williams introduced bills such as the Department of Energy Artificial Intelligence Act of 2024, which would have invested in research and development of artificial intelligence at the agency. It died in September.
Other notable votes included his vote to expel then-Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from the House of Representatives, making him one of four Republicans to vote against Santos. He also voted in favor of an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. However, Williams also told the New York Times that he thought Biden was elected legitimately.
During the 118th Congress, Williams resided on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Committee on Science, Space and Technology, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Williams is a Navy veteran who gained national attention in 2022, when he first ran against fellow Navy veteran Francis Conole for the tossup House seat after Republican incumbent John Katko retired. Politico called it a race pitting “a moderate Democrat against a conservative Republican who has embraced Trump,” the latter being Williams.
During his winning campaign, Williams was also critical of Katko for voting in favor of impeaching Trump.