[Senate Hearing 118-713]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 118-713
BUSINESS MEETING
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MEETING
of the
COMMITTEE ON
ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
JUNE 14, 2023
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Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works
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Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
61-667 WASHINGTON : 2025
COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware, Chairman
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia, Ranking Member
BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota
BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma
JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon PETE RICKETTS, Nebraska
EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
MARK KELLY, Arizona DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
ALEX PADILLA, California LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina
JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania
Courtney Taylor, Democratic Staff Director
Adam Tomlinson, Republican Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
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Page
JUNE 14, 2023
OPENING STATEMENTS
Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware.. 1
Capito, Hon. Shelley Moore, U.S. Senator from the State of
Virginia....................................................... 2
Opening Statement, Business Meeting on Wednesday, May 31,
2023, Hon. Shelley Moore Capito............................ 3
LEGISLATION
PN547, Nomination Reference and Report, Jeffery Martin Baran, of
Virginia, to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.. 21
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
Letter from various organizations opposing the confirmation of
Commissioner Jeff Baran to another five-year term.............. 10
Letter of Support from the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers (IBEW) to appoint Jeff Baran for another
five-year term................................................. 14
Commissioner Baran Voting Record Fact Sheet...................... 17
BUSINESS MEETING
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2023
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Environment and Public Works,
Washington, DC.
The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:04 a.m. in
room 406, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Thomas R. Carper
(chairman of the committee) presiding.
Present: Senators Carper, Capito, Sanders, Whitehouse,
Merkley, Markey, Stabenow, Kelly, Padilla, Fetterman, Cramer.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS R. CARPER,
U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF DELAWARE
Senator Carper. Good morning, everybody. Welcome to the
Environment and Public Works Committee. We are going to have a
two-part show. In the beginning of it we will have a short
business meeting to consider the nomination of Jeff Baran to
serve a third term as Commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission. Once we have disposed of his nomination, we will
turn to our hearing.
We have been joined by Shailen Bhatt, who is the head of
the Federal Highway Administration. We welcome him and others
who have joined us.
We need enough people to start talking, and when we get a
few more people we will start voting on Jeff Baran. I thank
everybody for coming.
Over the course of his tenure, Jeff Baran has played a
critical role in ensuring that the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) maintains its status as the world's gold
standard for a nuclear regulatory agency. People ask me what
the NRC does, they ensure safety with respect to all these
nuclear power plants across the Country that are providing
about half the carbon-free electricity for our Country.
I commend Commissioner Baran for his efforts to help safely
advance our energy security and address climate change through
the work of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. These include
ensuring the safe licensing and operation of carbon-free
nuclear technologies, such as the next generation of nuclear
reactors and fusion energy as well.
Mr. Baran has also worked to provide opportunities for
engagement and input from all stakeholders, especially those in
disadvantaged and underserved communities. In addition,
maintaining a full panel of commissioners will help the NRC to
continue to carry out its responsibilities effectively and
efficiently.
With all that in mind, I will vote yes on Jeff Baran's
nomination. I urge our colleagues to join me in doing the same.
Let me yield at this point to Senator Capito. Senator
Capito, please.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO,
U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA
Senator Capito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are here again
this morning to consider, as we heard, the renomination of Jeff
Baran to serve as a member of the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
Two weeks ago, the committee supported the bipartisan
Accelerating Deployment of Versatile Advanced Nuclear for Clean
Energy, the ADVANCE Act, by a resounding 16 to 3 votes. So we
are committed to the ADVANCE Act, which will help position the
United States as the undisputed global leader of nuclear
energy, including the next generation of advanced reactors.
Commissioner Baran's nearly 9-year record shows that he is
not the right person for the NRC, especially at this critical
time for nuclear energy and the emergence of new technologies.
His votes and positions simply do not align with enabling the
safe use of nuclear technologies that the NRC is expected to
undertake in the coming years.
Throughout his past nomination processes, he has a history
of telling the committee he supports advanced nuclear and then
not doing so once he is in office. I will not belabor the point
now, but I believe that it has been made before, including at
the last business meeting.
Instead, I ask unanimous consent for my opening statement
from our last business meeting and as well as a letter of
opposition from several pro-nuclear organizations to be entered
into the record.
Senator Carper. Without objection, so ordered.
[The referenced information follows:]
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Senator Capito. Based on his record, I will oppose his
nomination. Thank you.
Senator Carper. Let me thank everybody for joining us
today. We will address the nomination of Commissioner Baran to
serve another term. We have a quorum, so let's get started.
I call up Presidential Nomination 547, Jeff Baran of
Virginia, to continue serving as a member of the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission. I move to approve and report the
nomination favorably to the Senate.
Is there a second?
Senator Cardin. Second.
Senator Carper. It has been moved and seconded. The Clerk
will call the roll.
The Clerk. Mr. Boozman.
Senator Capito. No by proxy.
The Clerk. Mrs. Capito.
Senator Capito. No.
The Clerk. Mr. Cardin.
Senator Cardin. Aye.
The Clerk. Mr. Cramer.
Senator Cramer. No.
The Clerk. Ms. Graham.
Senator Capito. No by proxy.
The Clerk. Mr. Kelly.
Senator Kelly. Aye.
The Clerk. Ms. Lummis. Senator Capito. No by proxy.
The Clerk. Mr. Merkley.
Senator Merkley. Aye.
The Clerk. Mr. Markey.
Senator Markey. Aye.
The Clerk. Mr. Padilla.
Senator Padilla. Aye.
The Clerk. Mr. Mullin.
Senator Capito. No by proxy.
The Clerk. Mr. Ricketts.
Senator Capito. No by proxy.
Senator Ricketts. I am here.
[Laughter.]
The Clerk. Mr. Sanders.
Senator Sanders. Aye.
The Clerk. Ms. Stabenow.
Senator Stabenow. Aye.
The Clerk. Mr. Sullivan.
Senator Capito. No by proxy.
The Clerk. Mr. Whitehouse.
Senator Whitehouse. Aye.
The Clerk. Mr. Wicker.
Senator Capito. No by proxy.
The Clerk. Mr. Chairman.
Senator Carper. Aye.
The Clerk. The ayes are 10, the nays are 9.
Senator Carper. The nomination is favorably reported. My
thanks to everyone who changed their schedule to be here so we
could get this done.
Now we are going to have the hearing with Shailen Bhatt,
the Federal Highway Administration. Thanks, everyone for
joining us. This concludes the committee's votes as part of the
business meeting today. I thank all the members for their
participation.
I will now recognize any member who would like to speak on
the matter we have voted. Does anyone want to speak on what we
just voted on, the nomination of Mr. Baran?
Hearing no requests, in closing, I am delighted that our
committee has voted to report to the Senate the nomination of
Jeff Baran to continue to serve on the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
I would like to ask unanimous consent to submit additional
materials related to this morning's vote for the record,
including letters of support for Mr. Baran's nomination.
I also ask unanimous consent that the staff have the
authority to make technical and conforming changes to the
matters approved today. I would repeat those unanimous consent
requests. Is there objection?
Hearing no objection, so ordered.
[The referenced information follows:]
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Senator Carper. With that, our business meeting is
adjourned. We will be getting ready to start the second half of
the day-night header. Hopefully it will not extend into the
nighttime. I do not think it will.
[Whereupon, at 10:10 a.m., the committee proceeded to other
business.]
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