Senate confirms NRC chairwoman to new term

The Senate on Monday confirmed the chairwoman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to a new five-year term. 

Senators voted 88-9 to confirm Kristine Svinicki to the position less than one month after President Trump announced her renomination. The Senate fast-tracked her confirmation because her current term at the NRC ends at the end of the month. 

Svinicki has served on the NRC since 2008 after a decade-long career as a Senate staffer working on security, science and technology issues. She also worked as a nuclear engineer at the Department of Energy and spent time as an energy engineer for the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. 

{mosads}Trump designated her to be chairwoman of the NRC on Jan. 23 and renominated her for the position on June 6. 

“In her time in office, she has proven to be knowledgeable, dedicated, and an outstanding public servant,” Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) said in a floor speech on Svinicki’s nomination last week.

Most Democrats supported her nomination as well. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) said Svinicki “brings a unique set of skills to the table, something that has served the commission and our country well.” 

The NRC is the main federal regulatory body for the nuclear power industry, implementing rules and overseeing nuclear material safety and licensing for power plants, among other issues.

Trump has nominated two other officials to the commission: David Wright, a former chairman of the South Carolina Public Service Commission, and Annie Caputo, a senior adviser to Barrasso. 

Both are awaiting action before the EPW Committee.