    [Senate Hearing 119-299]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                            S. Hrg. 119-299

                    HEARING ON THE NOMINATIONS OF USHA-MARIA
                      TURNER TO BE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR
                        OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
                     AGENCY FOR THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL
                     AND TRIBAL AFFAIRS AND DAVID A. WRIGHT
                             TO BE A MEMBER OF THE
                         NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   before the

                                  COMMITTEE ON
                          ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                        ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION
                                   __________

                                 JUNE 25, 2025
                                   __________

      Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works

                    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

            Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
                                     ______

                       U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

    62-909                     WASHINGTON : 2026

                   COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                        ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                 SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia, Chairman
                SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island, Ranking Member

    KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota           BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont
    CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming           JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon
    JOHN R. CURTIS, Utah                 EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
    LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina    MARK KELLY, Arizona
    DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska                 ALEX PADILLA, California
    PETE RICKETTS, Nebraska              ADAM B. SCHIFF, California
    ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi         LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER, Delaware
    JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas               ANGELA D. ALSOBROOKS, Maryland
    JON HUSTED, Ohio

                   Adam Tomlinson, Republican Staff Director
                      Dan Dudis, Democratic Staff Director

                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page

                                 JUNE 25, 2025
                               OPENING STATEMENTS

    Capito, Hon. Shelley Moore, U.S. Senator from the State of West
      Virginia.......................................................     1
    Whitehouse, Hon. Sheldon, U.S. Senator from the State of Rhode
      Island.........................................................     3

                                   WITNESSES

    Turner, Usha-Maria, of Oklahoma, nominated to be an Assistant
      Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for the
      Office of International and Tribal Affairs.....................     5
        Prepared statement...........................................     7
        Responses to additional questions from:
            Senator Lummis...........................................    10
            Senator Kelly............................................    10
            Senator Padilla..........................................    11
    Wright, David A., of South Carolina, nominated to be a member of
      the Nuclear Regulatory Commission..............................    13
        Prepared statement...........................................    15
        Responses to additional questions from:
            Senator Capito and Senator Whitehouse....................    17
            Senator Capito...........................................    21
            Senator Ricketts.........................................    22
            Senator Whitehouse.......................................    23

                              ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

    Letter of support for Usha-Maria Turner from American Exploration
      & Production Council (AXPC)....................................    46
    Letter of support for David A. Wright from:
        ClearPath Action and several other organizations.............    48
        Fusion Industry Association (FIA)............................    50
    Letter of Public Financial Disclosure from nominees:
        Usha-Maria Turner............................................    53
        David A. Wright..............................................    54

        HEARING ON THE NOMINATIONS OF USHA-MARIA TURNER TO BE ASSISTANT
    ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY FOR THE OFFICE OF
    INTERNATIONAL AND TRIBAL AFFAIRS AND DAVID A. WRIGHT TO BE A MEMBER OF
                       THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

                                  ----------

                            WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2025

                                           U.S. Senate,
                     Committee on Environment and Public Works,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:55 a.m. in room
    562, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Shelley Moore Capito
    (chairman of the committee) presiding.
        Present: Senators Capito, Whitehouse, Lummis, Curtis,
    Sullivan, Ricketts, Wicker, Boozman, Husted, Markey, Kelly,
    Padilla.

            OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO,
              U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA

        Senator Capito. There is a lot going on in terms of
    committee meetings, so I am going to go ahead and begin,
    because I have to run over to Commerce to vote.
        I am calling the hearing to order, and good morning, and
    thank you all for being here. I want to thank my former
    colleague from the House, Congressman Joe Wilson, for being
    here to welcome his friend, David Wright. Thank you. Good to
    see you.
        Today we will receive testimony from David Wright, who is
    nominated to serve another 5-year term as a member of the
    Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Usha-Maria Turner, the
    nominee to serve as the Environmental Protection Agency's
    Assistant Administrator for the Office of International and
    Tribal Affairs.
        Our consideration of Chairman Wright's renomination comes
    at a crucial time. China is executing a rapid buildout of its
    nuclear industry and is projected to overtake the United States
    as the global leader of nuclear electricity generation.
        The demand for clean, baseload power is skyrocketing as we
    position America to win the AI race, and global events continue
    to highlight the grave importance of energy security.
        The importance of those policy concerns has led to the
    broad bipartisan agreement that we need more nuclear, and that
    we need to accomplish that goal safely and quickly. The Nuclear
    Regulatory Commission is integral to achieving that goal.
        A half century ago, Congress separated the dual and
    conflicting responsibilities to both promote and regulate the
    use of nuclear energy from the Atomic Energy Commission. In
    doing so, Congress established the Department of Energy's
    predecessor agency and created the NRC to regulate the civilian
    use of nuclear technology.
        The principle of separate organizations that promote and
    regulate nuclear power is as important today as it was 50 years
    ago, and Congress has continued to reinforce the value of an
    efficient and competent nuclear regulator. That is why, last
    Congress, I, alongside Senator Whitehouse and a strong
    bipartisan coalition, led the effort to get the Accelerating
    Deployment of Versatile Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy, or
    better known as the ADVANCE Act, signed into law.
        As the designated head of the NRC, the Chairman is
    instrumental in leading the agency's ambitious implementation
    of the law. The Chairman is responsible for selecting key
    senior agency leadership with the approval of the Commission.
        Through the Executive Director of Operations, the Chairman
    oversees the NRC's day to day operations and can direct its
    staff to undertake important initiatives. The Chairman also
    participates in international forums, to represent the NRC's
    premier role as the global leader in nuclear energy regulation.
    Now, the NRC has been thrust further into the center of the
    national energy conversation.
        Recently, President Trump signed a series of executive
    orders intended to expedite the rapid deployment of more
    nuclear power. Those executive orders are aligned with the
    ADVANCE Act, but must be carefully implemented to create
    durable, predictable policies for nuclear licensing. A rapid
    and disruptive change to the nuclear regulatory framework would
    be counterproductive and potentially impact financial
    investment.
        The Chairman and the Commission must prioritize NRC's
    actions, being mindful of the need for regulatory stability, as
    expeditiously and efficiently as possible while keeping nuclear
    safety central to the agency's mission. That is why experienced
    leadership at the Commission is crucial to achieve these
    objectives.
        Chairman Wright has served as a member of the Commission
    since 2018, and President Trump designated him Chairman in
    January. His experiences provide the necessary background and
    understanding to navigate the extremely important and
    challenging task of simultaneously implementing the ADVANCE
    Act, and the executive orders, while ensuring fundamental
    licensing activities are not overlooked. I look forward to
    understanding how Chairman Wright will navigate these important
    priorities.
        Today, we will also hear from Usha-Maria Turner, President
    Trump's nominee to serve as the EPA Assistant Administrator for
    the Office of International and Tribal Affairs. If confirmed,
    Ms. Turner will lead EPA's efforts to maintain our
    international environmental agreements and partnerships in
    coordination with the Department of State.
        Ms. Turner will also oversee EPA's engagements with tribal
    governments in implementing our Nation's environmental laws and
    helping our tribal governments administer their own
    environmental programs. Effectively supporting the President's
    foreign policy efforts and coordinating with tribal governments
    are vital issues that will help the EPA's mission to protect
    human health and the environment.
        I look forward to discussing the various aspects of this
    role with Ms. Turner.
        With that, I will now recognize Ranking Member Whitehouse
    for his opening statement.

             OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE,
              U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

        Senator Whitehouse. Thank you, Chair Capito, and thank you
    both for being here today.
        The United States is on the cusp of a domestic nuclear
    renaissance. We are seeing remarkable innovation in and
    appetite for nuclear power, and it is just in time.
        Nuclear is an important tool to cut emissions in the power
    and industrial sectors. It is also key to meeting our Nation's
    power needs safely. Demand for electricity is expected to
    increase more than 50 percent through 2050, and without
    alternative sources like nuclear, we will be unable to sustain
    our economic growth.
        Many of us in Congress have been working for years, on a
    bipartisan basis, to prepare the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
    for this moment. I have been the Democratic lead on the past
    three major bipartisan nuclear reform bills passed into law:
    the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act, with Senator
    Crapo, the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act,
    with Senator Barrasso, and the Accelerating Deployment of
    Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act with our
    Chair. These laws well position the NRC for an era of renewed
    safe nuclear deployment.
        This should be the backdrop for this re-nomination hearing.
    Unfortunately, it is not where we find ourselves.
        Despite so much commonsense, bipartisan work, the Trump
    Administration has upended progress in a flamingly partisan
    manner, in this case, by DOGE-ing the NRC in flagrant disregard
    for nuclear safety, the bipartisan direction of Congress, and
    for the law.
        First came hyper-partisan attacks on independent regulatory
    agencies writ large. Then came executive orders demanding
    redundant, unreasonable, or legally dubious changes to American
    nuclear licensing.
        Then came the DOGE staffers, without any substantive
    experience, barreling into the NRC and pushing out highly
    qualified, experienced, technical senior staff. Then came the
    illegal and baseless firing of NRC Commissioner and former
    Chair Chris Hanson, the first removal of any NRC commissioner
    in its 50-year history.
        The NRC ought to be a stable pillar of America's nuclear
    renaissance. Anyone in the nuclear industry will tell you that
    safety and public trust are foundational to the continued safe
    operation of our existing nuclear fleet, let alone our overdue
    progress into new reactors and technologies.
        To ensure that we can build and operate nuclear reactors
    safely while also powering our communities with clean, reliable
    electricity, Congress separated the regulatory entity, the NRC,
    from the technology promoter, the DOE. The separation ensures
    we can lead the world on nuclear innovation and maintain
    effective oversight.
        The tumult at the NRC is not what members on either side of
    the aisle wanted. It has created chaos that will introduce
    unnecessary procedural roadblocks and slow down nuclear
    licensing. It will push out expert staff at a time when we need
    to retain all current talent and attract new expertise to
    oversee the deployment of next-generation nuclear technologies.
        It will add legal and regulatory uncertainty that will
    impede project development. That is saying nothing of the
    myriad other ways that other cuts to IRA tax credits, DOE's
    Loan Programs Office, and other key programs will undermine
    nuclear deployment in America.
        All that said, Chairman Wright, I support the President's
    re-nomination of you. You are a qualified nominee. I hope that
    you can address the current upheaval quickly and that you can
    actually lead the agency as chair.
        Should you be confirmed, I ask that you commit to us, a
    bipartisan committee that will hold you to account on a
    bipartisan basis, that you will do as the law provides: uphold
    NRC independence, adhere to its mission, and effectively,
    efficiently, and faithfully execute the laws passed by
    Congress.
        As to Ms. Turner's nomination to lead the Office of
    International and Tribal Affairs at EPA. Trump's EPA
    unfortunately has become a cesspool of fossil fuel-driven
    corruption, even weaponizing the justice system to serve the
    interests of the polluters.
        We have reached the point where any nominee President Trump
    sends to EPA should be treated with skepticism. This nominee
    has spent her entire career working for gas utilities and
    fossil fuel companies, including, most recently, Chesapeake
    Energy, one of a handful invited to attend fossil fuel
    megadonor Harold Hamm's Mar-a-Lago fundraiser, where President
    Trump promised Big Oil executives carte blanche over
    environmental regulations in exchange for money for his
    campaign.
        The corruption and conflicts of interest are happening in
    plain view. Nothing against you, Ms. Turner, but because of
    what is happening at EPA, I cannot support this nomination.
        Somebody is chairing for the Chair.
        Senator Ricketts. [Presiding.] I was just waiting for you
    to finish up, Senator. Thank you very much.
        Senator Whitehouse. You got it.
        Senator Ricketts. Thank you, Senator Whitehouse.
        I will now introduce our nominees. Our first nominee is
    Hon. David Wright, currently serving as President Trump's
    designee to be chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
    Having served as the NRC Commissioner since May 2018, Chairman
    Wright has guided the commission in implementing the ADVANCE
    Act, and ensuring nuclear safety remains the commission's
    priority.
        His leadership is informed by years of public service and
    advising on nuclear and broader energy issues. Welcome,
    Chairman Wright.
        Our second nominee under consideration is Usha-Maria
    Turner, tapped by the President to serve as the Assistant
    Administrator for EPA's Office of International and Tribal
    Affairs. Ms. Turner currently serves as a senior advisor to the
    EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin.
        An engineer by training, she joined the EPA in March,
    following a 25-year career working on key environmental and
    energy issues across Oklahoma and Texas. Welcome, Ms. Turner,
    and congratulations to both of you on your nominations.
        Before we move into opening statements for the nominees, I
    will administer the oath to receive their sworn testimony. I
    will ask you both to please stand and raise your right hand and
    answer the following question.
        Do you swear the testimony you are about to give to this
    committee is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
    truth, so help you God?
        Mr. Wright. Yes.
        Ms. Turner. Yes.
        Senator Ricketts. Great. Thank you very much. Let the
    record show that the witnesses have answered the question in
    the affirmative.
        Now we will hear from our nominees. Ms. Turner, we will
    start with you. When you are ready, please proceed.

    STATEMENT OF USHA-MARIA TURNER, OF OKLAHOMA, NOMINATED TO BE AN
    ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
           FOR THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AND TRIBAL AFFAIRS

        Ms. Turner. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Good morning, Chairman Capito, Ranking Member Whitehouse
    and members of this committee. I am honored to appear before
    you today as President Trump's nominee to be the Assistant
    Administrator for International and Tribal Affairs at the U.S.
    Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
        I want to express my deep gratitude to President Trump and
    to Administrator Zeldin for the confidence and trust that they
    have put in me through this nomination. It is truly humbling.
    If confirmed, I promise to faithfully execute my duties at EPA,
    consistent with the Administration's policies and EPA's
    statutory authority.
        I am joined today by some very important and proud people
    in my life sitting behind me: my husband Neil, my son Alex, my
    big brother Akhil and his daughter, Nara. My college senior has
    just started her summer internship but is watching online as
    are my parents from the country of Trinidad.
        I have spent a proud 25 rewarding years working for
    companies within the electric utility, natural gas and coal
    production sectors, foundationally in environmental public
    policy and compliance programs across multiple Federal and
    State agencies. This experience ingrained in me, a deep
    understanding of regulatory frameworks and that economic
    development and environmental protection are not mutually
    exclusive.
        My early career years included conducting environmental
    compliance audits where I gained an appreciation for the law
    and the importance of compliance and governance programs. I
    spent the rest of my career in increasingly expanding public
    policy roles that brought me into working with the legislative
    branch and the statutes and rulemaking processes behind the
    frameworks that I was once auditing.
        As my roles increased, my regulatory experience touched the
    large-scale retirement of baseload power generation, the
    resulting economic impacts on local communities, the influence
    of revolutionizing technology on energy markets and the now
    inextricable connection between energy and economic security,
    environmental regulation and quality of life.
        Throughout my career, I have worked in collaboration with
    EPA, States, industry, non-profits and others on a number of
    issues from assessing cross-border air quality impacts from our
    southern neighbor, to regulating global pollutants like mercury
    and numerous rulemaking efforts across several program offices.
        EPA's Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA)
    leads EPA's international and tribal engagements, working
    across a multitude of areas and stakeholders within EPA's core
    mission of protecting human health and the environment. On the
    international side is the ever-growing reality that pollution
    does not respect international boundaries and environmental
    issues are a part of global trade dynamics.
        OITA is EPA's lead office with other Federal agencies and
    international organizations, engaging in environmental
    negotiations consistent with EPA's core mission and furthering
    U.S. policy and trade interests abroad.
        OITA is also EPA's lead office on tribal issues. Honoring a
    government-to-government relationship, OITA guides the agency-
    wide effort to strengthen public health and environmental
    protection among the 574 federally recognized tribes and
    Alaskan Native Villages in Indian Country, with a focus on
    enabling tribal nations to administer their own environmental
    programs and, carrying out its Federal trust responsibility.
        As an engineer by training, I am wired as a problem solver
    and drive for results. By my experience, I have worked through
    balancing economic prosperity and environmental protection,
    respecting the legal frameworks governing industry and its
    regulators. Should I be confirmed, I look forward to bringing
    this experience to implementing the Administration's America's
    First Policy within EPA's core mission, domestically and
    abroad.
        Madam Chairman, Ranking Member Whitehouse, I thank you for
    the invitation to be here today, and I look forward to the
    dialog.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Turner follows:]

        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Ricketts. Great. Thank you, Ms. Turner.
        Mr. Wright, we will go ahead and turn to you for a 5-minute
    opening statement.

     STATEMENT OF DAVID A. WRIGHT, NOMINATED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE
                     NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

        Mr. Wright. Thank you very much, and good morning. I would
    like to welcome my Congressman from South Carolina, Joe Wilson,
    as well. We have been friends for 50 years.
        Good morning, Chairman Capito, Ranking Member Whitehouse,
    and honorable members of the committee. Thank you for the
    opportunity to appear before you today.
        I also want to take a moment to your staffs, especially
    Adam Tomlinson, Andy Zaak and Kara Allen. I want to thank
    President Trump for the opportunity to serve as Chairman, and I
    am honored that he has renominated me for another 5-year term.
    I would be deeply honored to continue my service to the Country
    leading the Nuclear Regulatory Commission during this pivotal
    moment for nuclear power.
        As Chairman and as Commissioner, I am committed to our
    mission and dedicated to our people. The United States is the
    gold standard nuclear safety regulator, and we must continue to
    leverage our expertise in today's dynamic and fast-changing
    world to facilitate the safe use and deployment of nuclear
    technologies and radioactive materials.
        I also want to thank my colleagues on the commission for
    their collegial approach to the work that we do. While we may
    not always agree, our interactions are always professional and
    constructive. Working together as a commission, we have been
    able to tackle challenging issues as we advance, enable, and
    deploy nuclear technologies for the future.
        I would also like to thank the NRC staff. The NRC is a
    great place to work, to connect, and to grow professionally,
    and in my opinion, they are truly some of the best and
    brightest in the Federal Government.
        Almost a year ago now, the Accelerating Deployment of
    Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act, or the
    ADVANCE Act, was signed into law. The future of nuclear energy
    and radioactive materials in this Country is at a crossroads,
    and through the implementation of the ADVANCE Act, the NRC is
    in a strong position to deliver the energy and security needs
    of our Country.
        The ADVANCE Act does not lower our safety standards but
    refocuses the NRC on mission-critical and safety-significant
    items for the benefit of society. We will embrace a culture
    that efficiently resolves issues and then moves on to the next.
        The President directed the NRC in Executive Order 14300 to
    prioritize efficient licensing and reestablish the United
    States as the global leader in nuclear energy. The NRC will
    continue to enable the safe and secure use and deployment of
    nuclear energy technologies and radioactive materials.
        If reconfirmed, I look forward to continuing to implement
    the ADVANCE Act and the President's priorities, while always
    keeping my eyes on the principles laid out for us since the
    inception of this agency.
        Safety is and always will be our north star. It is
    imperative that the NRC facilitate pathways for safe licensing
    of nuclear technology, not impede its progress. In this light,
    I would like to highlight some recent agency decisions and
    accomplishments under my leadership.
        The commission's decision to use a source material
    framework to license emerging technologies for the remediation
    of mine waste balances the urgency of solving this problem with
    the need for predictability for applicants and licensees.
    Likewise, the commission's revision of the duration of design
    certifications, to extend them from the current 15-year period
    to 40 years, will provide significant regulatory certainty for
    the nuclear industry.
        This rulemaking is based on the decades of experience the
    NRC has gained through seven successfully certified designs,
    and when complete, will allow the NRC to leverage this
    experience to update regulations that cause an unnecessary
    burden for no safety benefit.
        Additionally, the commission approved a risk-informed,
    technology-inclusive plan to streamline the licensing for
    microreactors. This plan will allow for the loading of fuel at
    a manufacturing site while maintaining technologies in place to
    prevent criticality while in transit to a deployment site.
        Finally, the NRC approved NuScale's small modular reactor
    design. The NRC's review was completed ahead of schedule and
    under budget, demonstrating the agency's commitment to safely
    and efficiently enabling new, advanced reactor technology.
        These examples show that the NRC can safely license
    advanced reactors and nuclear technology in a manner that does
    not impede its progress. If reconfirmed, I will continue to
    move the agency forward.
        I would like to close by stating that Congress and this
    administration has made their intentions to the NRC clear; that
    safety will always be our strike zone over home plate, our
    north star, as we seek to embrace a culture of efficiency
    within the commission and the important work we perform.
        If reconfirmed, I look forward to continuing to lead the
    NRC and achieving energy dominance in this great Nation.
        Thank you for the opportunity to be here, and I look
    forward to your questions.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Wright follows:]

        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Ricketts. Great. Thank you, Chairman Wright.
        I look forward to hearing from both of you how you are
    going to continue to serve Americans and Nebraskans.
        We will now begin a 5-minute round of questioning. I am
    going to start, since Chairman Capito is not here.
        Ms. Turner, when we met, we discussed Nebraska's tribes,
    and in particular, as you know, the Santee Sioux Tribe is
    facing ongoing water quality challenges. A no-drink order has
    been issued by the EPA in 2019, due to high manganese levels.
    The tribe still trucks in potable water to this day.
        The tribe is actively working to upgrade its water
    infrastructure. EPA Region 7 has been collaborating with the
    tribe to conduct critical water testing, but long-term
    solutions are still needed.
        Ms. Turner, if you are confirmed, how do you plan to work
    with the tribes, including the Santee Sioux and regional EPA
    staff, to ensure tribal partners will always have access to
    clean water?
        Ms. Turner. Senator Ricketts, thank you for that question.
    I do appreciate you making the time personally to meet with you
    whenever it was, a week ago or so. I hope things are going well
    in the moving into the new office.
        Senator Ricketts. We are still in process.
        [Laughter.]
        Ms. Turner. Good. Well, I wish you well.
        Yours is an important question and I appreciate you raising
    the issue of the Santee Sioux access to drinking water, not
    just compliant with EPA's drinking water quality standards, but
    certainly in the accessibility to it and the adequacy of it in
    meeting tribal needs. Any community's needs is a key priority
    within EPA's core mission of protecting human health and the
    environment.
        Should I be confirmed in this role as Assistant
    Administrator, I will make it a priority. I have already looked
    into this a little bit. I would like to sit with the Office of
    Water, understand where we are, where EPA is, where the perhaps
    the roadblocks or the delays are, work with the tribe,
    absolutely, meet the tribe where they need to be met at, make
    sure that our consultation process is being followed
    appropriately.
        Importantly, again, as an engineer by training, I hate a
    problem being put in front of me that we can not see a path
    through. You have my commitment to work with your office, the
    tribe, the other EPA offices, to see where those roadblocks are
    and to try to make this happen.
        Senator Ricketts. Great. Great. Well, I encourage you to go
    visit, that would be great, that would be wonderful to have you
    in Nebraska.
        Ms. Turner. I would love to.
        Senator Ricketts. Okay.
        Nebraska is also very proud of our nuclear power. It is
    clean, safe, and reliable. Our Cooper Nuclear Station is an
    835-megawatt facility that can generate power for about 385,000
    residences, even in the hottest part of the summers, days like
    today. We look to continue to see how we can expand it going
    forward.
        Nuclear energy is a vital part of America's all-of-the-
    above energy future. Last year, I voted for the Bipartisan
    ADVANCE Act to support this. President Trump recently issued
    four executive orders designed to bolster domestic energy
    development and supply chains and accelerate regulatory
    timelines for nuclear technology licensing.
        Chairman Wright, you have been very involved in the
    implementation of the ADVANCE Act, as mentioned in your opening
    remarks, working to streamline the licensing process so that
    licenses are not, as you have said, the long pole in the tent
    between what Congress has directed and what the President has
    directed, the NRC has a clear goal.
        Chairman Wright, how important is the streamlining process
    to deliver on the whole-of-government directives, and what can
    Congress to do be able to continue to help?
        Mr. Wright. Senator, thank you so much for the question.
        First off, the whole-of-government approach is necessary. I
    mean, it is all about energy security and energy independence,
    and making sure that we have the power that we need to do the
    things we need to do in this Country. Quite honestly, around
    the world as well.
        The ADVANCE Act, by the way, and thank you for, on behalf
    of the NRC and myself, the Senate did a wonderful job in
    putting that legislation together. There is a lot of things
    that are in there that actually help the NRC become more
    efficient and are helping us focus on the goals, timeliness
    goals, setting aggressive goals to get some of these advanced
    reactors or micro-reactors, these technologies moving.
        We are ahead of the curve on this. The advanced reactor
    side of our house that is being remodeled is actually a shining
    star. We have 25 vendors that are before us right now in some
    form of early engagement. We have another five that have
    already gone through the process of, you have NuScale that has
    got their design certification already. They can go to market.
    You have got TerraPower that is 2 months ahead of schedule. You
    have got Kairos that has gotten two approvals from us and they
    are turning dirt at Oak Ridge.
        You have got Dow Chemical and X-Energy that have an
    application before us for four of the XE-100's. They are moving
    forward, but they just came in a couple of months ago. Now we
    have got the BWRX-300 which is, as you know, from the agreement
    that we have, a memorandum of cooperation with Canada. The UK
    is a part of that now, Poland is an observer, and we are
    working with TVA and Duke, all trying to put together packages
    of data that can be used by either country in support of their
    application, so that, still allowing us the sovereign right to
    review and approve the license ourselves.
        We have got a lot that is going on. Quite honestly, the
    ADVANCE Act and a lot of the parts of the executive orders from
    the White House, they align on this, as was mentioned by
    Senator Capito earlier.
        Senator Ricketts. I am out of time, but is there anything
    Congress needs to do to be able to help you, or with the
    ADVANCE Act, do you think you have enough on your plate to be
    able to continue to push this forward?
        Mr. Wright. Well, I know that we are, everything is still
    working on the environmental side of things, you know, trying
    to get things compressed, trying to move everything to the
    left, safety, the reviews, anything we can do to gain
    efficiencies.
        There are some things that we can not do that might have
    to, you know, like the mandatory hearing elimination, that is
    not anything we can do. We have done as much as we can do at
    the NRC, but that could be something that a future, that future
    legislation could address.
        As I told you in our meeting, I think I met with you back
    in February, as I did with many of the members of this
    committee, we are going to stay in touch with you, give you, if
    there are things that we think we need, we are going to come to
    you about it.
        Senator Ricketts. Thank you very much.
        Senator Whitehouse?
        Senator Whitehouse. Thanks, Chairman.
        Let me start by recognizing Congressman Wilson for being
    here. My apologies for not recognizing you earlier. I had not
    looked beyond the table. The Congressman and I worked together
    on the Helsinki Commission and on supporting Ukraine, and I am
    delighted to welcome you and apologize for not noting your
    presence earlier.
        Ms. Turner, before you joined EPA, your most recent role
    was with Chesapeake Energy, now Expand Energy, which was one of
    a handful of companies at a 20-person fundraiser for then-
    candidate Trump hosted by oil billionaire Harold Hamm at Mar-A-
    Lago. It was widely reported that Mr. Trump there asked the
    attendees to donate a billion dollars to his Presidential
    campaign, because if elected, in return, he would roll back
    environmental rules for the oil industry.
        Can you confirm today that Chesapeake's CEO, Nick
    Dell'Osso, was present at that gathering?
        Ms. Turner. Senator Whitehouse, good morning. It is good to
    meet you, even if it is in this circumstances, as it is, good
    to meet you.
        Thank you for the question. Yes, I spent two proud years at
    Chesapeake Energy, now Expand. It is my understanding that Mr.
    Dell'Osso was at that event.
        Senator Whitehouse. Were you, or anyone reporting to you,
    present at that gathering?
        Ms. Turner. No, sir, I was not.
        Senator Whitehouse. Or anyone reporting to you?
        Ms. Turner. No one reporting to me.
        Senator Whitehouse. Did you at any point help prepare
    materials shared with the Trump campaign or any affiliated PACs
    related to that gathering, before or after?
        Ms. Turner. Senator, I was not part of preparing any
    material for Mr. Dell'Osso's trip to see the President, the
    nominee for president.
        Senator Whitehouse. Did you have any engagement with the
    campaign or any affiliated PACs, including the preparation of
    material for them?
        Ms. Turner. No, sir, I did not.
        Senator Whitehouse. Did you at any point communicate with
    executives of other companies that were present at that
    gathering concerning the topics of that discussion?
        Ms. Turner. Senator, I am, I am aware that my CEO at the
    time attended that gathering. I was not part of any of the
    preparation of any material or any, I did not have any
    interactions with any of the campaign staff. This was very much
    an outreach to the CEO level.
        No, I was not engaged.
        Senator Whitehouse. Are you aware of any agreement,
    exchange, or other arrangement that Mr. Dell'Osso entered into
    related to that gathering at Mar-A-Lago?
        Ms. Turner. Senator, again, as I was not there and I was
    not part of the preparation for any of that, I am not aware
    that any agreement or commitment or anything similar was either
    discussed or agreed to.
        Senator Whitehouse. Do you know if the proposition was
    discussed at executive or board meetings at Chesapeake?
        Ms. Turner. Senator, I remember seeing what was in the news
    afterwards. I do not recall--I was not there, and so to
    speculate on what was said or not said, I simply was not there.
        Senator Whitehouse. Were you in a position to get the board
    packages, or review the board packages that Chesapeake prepared
    for its board members at board meetings?
        Ms. Turner. Senator, in my capacity as Chief Sustainability
    Officer for Chesapeake, my involvement with our board was
    advising them on sustainability matters, on reporting under
    sustainability frameworks, but not on board packages related to
    anything related to Mr. Dell'Osso's visit to see the
    Presidential nominee.
        Senator Whitehouse. You would not have seen, you know, a
    company when it has a board meeting puts together a package for
    the board for the meeting, and that is customarily reviewed by
    senior staff, not just their piece of it, but the package as a
    whole, you did not review any such board meeting prep packages?
        Ms. Turner. Certainly I have seen board meeting packages
    that get developed when we have board meetings periodically, as
    we are required to do. I have no recollection of seeing any
    material related to that visit.
        Senator Whitehouse. Mar-A-Lago proposition?
        Ms. Turner. Not at all.
        Senator Whitehouse. After that gathering, an oil industry
    lobbyist told Politico, ``We are going to have to write exactly
    what we want, actually spoon-feeding the administration. There
    is 27-page drafts moving around Washington.'' Are you aware of
    Chesapeake participating in drafting that language referred to
    by this oil industry lobbyist?
        Ms. Turner. Senator, I have not seen nor am I aware that
    Chesapeake was involved in any of the material associated with
    that visit.
        Senator Whitehouse. All right. My time has expired. Thank
    you very much for your answers.
        Senator Capito. [Presiding.] Thank you, and thank you,
    Senator Ricketts, for filling in and helping us out here.
        First question is for Mr. Wright. It is good to see you
    again. You obviously know this, but responsible for appointing
    the staff, subject to commission approval, and I understand
    that several have left with top expertise and technical
    expertise. As you select senior NRC leadership, how do you
    evaluate the respective candidate's ability to lead, make
    decisions, and inspire a culture change at the NRC?
        Mr. Wright. Thank you for the question, Senator. This is
    not a new phenomenon at the agency. We have had, we have got a
    large portion of our employees who are at retirement age, and
    we have known that probably since before COVID hit. They
    started, the agency started developing a plan, a strategic work
    force plan to address those.
        The Senate helped out greatly with the ADVANCE Act by
    giving us additional hiring authorities to direct hire, which
    we are using. People are going to retire, it is going to
    happen, it has happened to me everywhere I have been, running
    business, being a State agency head, being a mayor of a town,
    all those, those things happen all the time. I have to respect
    when somebody says they want to retire, they are doing it for
    personal reasons or for family reasons, and I have to honor
    that.
        Having said that, the way I learned the agency is, I went
    out among the people, I went and walked all the offices, I
    learned who they were, what they did, how they did what they
    did and how they supported me. I could observe them in every
    situation, you know, whether they were a parent, a grandparent,
    who they supported, just by being in their office, observing.
        Then I got to know them personally over the last 7 years.
    Yes, I know a lot of them, we might be able to do some deep
    selects on some people because they are probably ready and
    looking for their time. There was a period where we were really
    shrinking after the first renaissance came down and opportunity
    was not there. Now we are going to start to grow a little bit
    again because of all the work that is coming. We have people
    who are passionate about what they do.
        The ones who are going to stay are going to run this agency
    and they are going to run it well. I am excited about the
    future. This is a bump in the road that we are going to have to
    address, and we are.
        Senator Capito. I do think the authority that we gave you
    in the ADVANCE Act should be very helpful.
        Mr. Wright. Very much.
        Senator Capito. I know that the whole hiring procedures at
    any agency is very difficult, and we wanted to alleviate that
    because of the upcoming technologies that we really want to see
    online with our energy appetite.
        Ms. Turner, what would you say as Assistant Administrator
    of International and Tribal Affairs, what are some of the
    international environmental agreements, conventions or
    partnerships that you would expect to prioritize?
        Ms. Turner. Senator Capito, good morning. I have not had a
    chance to say that to you yet.
        Senator Capito. Good to see you.
        Ms. Turner. Again, I also thank you for taking the time
    personally to meet with me. When we met with you, that was a
    very enjoyable visit.
        I appreciate the question. I think this is an important
    space, with so much happening internationally. There is a
    number of things that, should I be confirmed in this role, that
    the Office of International and Tribal Affairs I think will
    engage in.
        I will say, however, that it is the U.S. Government's
    policy that it is the Department of State that sets
    international policy. That direction, of course, comes from the
    White House, and EPA lends its technical expertise in the
    environmental space to the Department of State.
        Going forward, we defer to the Department of State as to
    which international engagements they choose to further the
    administration's policy in. Having said that, there are a
    number of international engagements that we have already
    attended and participated in, things like Basel Rotterdam
    Stockholm, which deals with hazardous waste, transportation,
    chemicals. Very interesting engagement around PFAS in the
    Arctic environment, which EPA has engaged in with the State
    Department and a number of other countries.
        Think some of what we keep an eye out for is some of the
    developing technology space, and things that do our
    international programs cover adequately, mining of critical
    minerals and the setting of standards around that, which EPA is
    also currently engaged in.
        It will be interesting to watch, as the technology develops
    and the response needed out of those international conventions
    as to any changes that may come and lending that incredible EPA
    expertise to the Department of State as we engage. Thank you.
        Senator Capito. Thank you.
        Senator Padilla?
        Senator Padilla. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        I want to begin by addressing the recent firing of
    Commissioner Chris Hanson. This firing was without cause and
    contrary to existing law and longstanding precedent regarding
    the removal of independent agency appointees.
        Chris Hanson was an exceptional public servant who upheld
    the highest levels of integrity. This political firing is not
    just troubling on its face, but will hamper the Nuclear
    Regulatory Commission's critical work and erode the essential
    trust and responsibility that the NRC holds.
        I share this colleagues, because it is important context as
    we consider Commissioner Wright's nomination.
        As the sole member of both this committee and the Energy
    and Natural Resources Committee, I want to make sure I draw my
    colleagues' attention to the recent reports that the Trump
    administration is proposing to shift some nuclear licensing
    responsibilities away from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
    and to the Department of Energy, and essentially turning the
    NRC into a rubber stamp rather than a trusted safety regulator.
        This effort has direct implications, colleagues, for the
    jurisdictional prerogatives of this committee and our oversight
    responsibility concerning nuclear power and safety. This is not
    a straightforward effort to simply streamline the Federal
    Government. Instead, I fear it could have significant
    implications for the safety of our nuclear power industry, and
    more importantly, for the trust of the American people in
    nuclear energy.
        There are some people who approach this conversation as
    fans and boosters of nuclear energy and want more. There are
    others who approach this conversation in the belief that
    nuclear energy is key to achieving our climate objectives.
    Either way, when it comes to anything related to nuclear energy
    and the public trust, we have to recognize that once you break
    the public trust, it is very hard to rebuild it.
        Madam Chair, I urge you to ensure that this committee
    protects its jurisdiction and independence of the NRC, and must
    block any effort that would cause the American people to have
    any reason to doubt the safety of nuclear power.
        Now to my first question. I am proud to represent the State
    of California, where we are not just home to the San Onofre
    Nuclear Generating Station, which is in the process of being
    completely decommissioned, we are also home to the Diablo
    Canyon, which is still generating nuclear energy.
        We are also home to earthquakes and a number of significant
    faults. Seismic safety as it pertains to the nuclear energy
    conversation is very important to me, since long before I
    served as chair of the State Senate Committee on Energy,
    Utility, and Communications when I was in the legislature.
        With that context, I want to ask a question of Mr. Wright.
    What steps, Mr. Wright, will you take to ensure that
    communities located near reactors can feel safe in the event of
    an earthquake?
        Mr. Wright. Senator Padilla, thank you for the question. By
    the way, thank you for taking the time to meet with me back ion
    February. I pulled you off the floor and you made time for us.
    It was a good conversation. I look forward to continuing to
    work with you and your team and your office.
        We already do very detailed assessments, and the NRC
    requires our licensees to do these assessments on seismic and
    flooding and other major natural disaster type things that
    could happen. It is all part of our calculation and their
    safety bases, right? We have got margin, some people refer to
    it as orders of magnitude above what is needed. We have the
    experience to evaluate this, and we do it, regularly, and we
    can do it site-specific at any time, using current data or any
    new data that might come up there. We are going to stay on top
    of that.
        Senator Padilla. Mr. Wright, I want to thank you. I am
    going to have a lot more to say about this, but at least you
    have gotten the beginning on the record. I will just emphasize
    the need for the technical assessment capabilities at the NRC,
    the independence of the NRC, and communicating with the public
    for public confidence purposes.
        In my limited time, I want to at least ask one question of
    Ms. Turner. I appreciate the comments you have made as it
    pertains to international engagement and policy setting. My
    question is domestic. Tribal consultation is critical to
    ensuring that the voices and sovereignty of tribal governments
    are respected in the Federal decisionmaking process. You are
    from Oklahoma, home to the second largest number of federally
    recognized tribes, California being the first.
        Just a very fundamental question: What is your
    understanding of sovereignty, and what would be your philosophy
    or push to genuine tribal consultation, should you be
    confirmed?
        Ms. Turner. Senator Padilla, thank you for that question. I
    appreciate the question, again, coming from Oklahoma, which is
    the land of 39 tribes. We are very proud to say that, anyone
    from Oklahoma, whether you are a member of a tribal nation or
    not.
        Tribal consultation is a core policy, is a core tenet for
    EPA in the Office of International and Tribal Affairs. The 574
    recognized tribes in the U.S. are accepted, are recognized, are
    understood to be sovereign nations.
        As such, and EPA as far back as 1984, because of that,
    established an Indian policy which really identifies two very
    important things. One is that we recognize the sovereignty of
    those nations. As such, we treat them as a government-to-
    government entity. They are not a subsidiary or a subset of
    anything else. They are indeed sovereign nations.
        As such, we work toward enabling their ability to oversee
    the environmental trust of their own lands. They know their
    lands better than we do. One of EPA's core responsibilities
    from within the Office of International and Tribal Affairs is
    to work with them to see that as they are able and to meet them
    where they are at. Tribes, as we know in Oklahoma, are of
    various sizes and various histories, various resources.
        To meet them where they need to be met at, to enable their
    journey toward treatment as a State, I almost dislike the term
    treatment as a State, but it is a term we use. They are not
    States, they are sovereign nations.
        Work toward their abilities to develop the capacity to
    oversee environmental programs on their own lands. That is
    something that EPA takes very importantly.
        Senator Padilla. Okay, thank you. Madam Chair, I have a
    followup question, which I will submit for the record.
        Senator Capito. Thank you.
        Senator Curtis?
        Senator Curtis. Thank you. To the senior Senator from
    California, I think I heard you say California had a lot of
    faults.
        Senator Padilla. Earthquake faults, to be precise.
        Senator Curtis. Just clarifying. Actually, Senator, I
    really appreciate the work we have had together on Fix Our
    Forests. I appreciate the good work that you are doing.
        Ms. Turner and Mayor Wright, may I use that term? I
    continue to believe that mayor is one of the best public
    positions that we can hold. As mayors, you have to be nimble,
    you have to deliver results, you have pragmatic accountability
    and it is my experience that those are all important things in
    this current role that you are approaching as well. I
    appreciate your service there.
        We have had a conversation to talk about Utah, and as you
    know, Utah aspires to be a centerpiece in nuclear as we move
    forward. It is just a great solution to clean baseload. As you
    are aware, we have had some attempts, not always successful. I
    am curious how the NRC can work with our entities in the State
    on fast-forwards and specifically lessons learned, so that we
    can make this a reality in Utah.
        Mr. Wright. First off, once a mayor, always a mayor. Right,
    mayor? You know, I know that there has been some issues there
    with UAMPS and then everything. We are a safety regulatory,
    right? We, utilities and other nuclear companies out there,
    companies that have nuclear, they make decision on their energy
    assets, whether it is nuclear, gas, or anything else, they make
    that in the board room. We are not a part of that financial
    discussion.
        What we are committed to as a safety regulator is to get,
    to collaborate with the States like Utah, to have discussions
    early on things that they are looking at, maybe technologies
    they are looking at, or other permits that they are looking at,
    early site permits or things like that.
        We commit to getting it done efficiently. We have been
    getting our house in order to do that. That is the lesson
    learned that we took from the early work with NuScale. We
    learned how to put core teams together, tiger teams together to
    break things apart, so to speak, and to project manage each one
    of them.
        The advanced reactor side of our house is a shining star
    right now. We are ahead of the game in every area there, and we
    are going to make sure that we can get everything done that
    needs to get done. We are not going to be the problem.
        Senator Curtis. Thank you. I was really proud last
    Congress, in the House, to have my bill, the Advanced Nuclear
    Reactor Prize Act, become law as part of the ADVANCE Act. That
    legislation was built on this simple premise that if we want to
    foster innovation and clean energy, we have to reward and
    support first movers. That starts with certainty and clarity,
    and I think you referred to some of that.
        I think for any emerging technology, especially advanced
    nuclear, the clear rules of the road are not just helpful but
    really mandatory.
        My question is, how can the NRC assure that applicants,
    whether they are startups or utilities, know what to expect as
    they navigate the licensing process? You mentioned efficiency
    on your end. You can well imagine, a municipality or others
    that might take this process, it is kind of what I would call a
    big gray cloud, and how they penetrate and move forward, how
    can the NRC help with that?
        Mr. Wright. Well, first off, we have to be transparent
    about everything, and we have to provide clarity along the way.
    We need to be sure that we are truly communicating what needs
    to be done and we are not playing hide the rock with the people
    who come before us.
        Although we are not ``not supposed to be consultants'' or
    to be promoters, we do promote nuclear safety. That is one
    thing we do. If we know the answer to what an applicant might
    need to get a decision reached by us, we have to share that
    information with them. We should not hide it, right?
        We have to be transparent.
        Senator Curtis. I think if you look at the ADVANCE Act and
    executive orders, you will see a lot of this is aimed at
    ensuring that the applicants have the efficiency, that there is
    transparency, they have the best possible chance of making that
    through.
        Leaning on your past service on the commission, how do you
    think that has prepared you to move forward and deal with some
    of these, and what are kind of the lessons learned for you?
        Mr. Wright. Senator, every part of my life, my life
    experience has taught me, and I apply it today, I am a colon
    cancer survivor, as is my daughter, and having to fight that
    battle with both of us, for both of us, and as a dad, in
    support of a daughter, you learn a lot about mettle and about
    what you are made of.
        As a mayor, you have already spoken to this, you have to be
    nimble. That is the closest to the people you are going to get.
    I did not even leave the town to buy gas; I bought everything
    inside the town. You have to support your people.
        Senator Curtis. Can not jaywalk in your own town, either,
    when you are mayor.
        Mr. Wright. Exactly. Everything I learned about leadership
    came from either cancer, baseball, or serving as mayor of a
    small town. In the end, it is about people. It just about
    people and leading people to do----
        Senator Curtis. Thank you. I am out of time, Ms. Turner. I
    am out of time; I am sorry I do not have questions for you as
    well. Thank you for being here today, and I look forward to
    getting to know you better as well.
        Thank you. I yield.
        Senator Capito. Yes, thank you.
        Senator Husted?
        Senator Husted. Thank you, Chairwoman Capito.
        Mr. Wright, thank you for being with us today. I appreciate
    you taking the time to visit with me. We had a wonderful
    conversation. You know of my great interest in nuclear energy.
    As a Senator from Ohio, we have a great demand for electricity,
    an increasing demand, at almost an alarming rate, for very good
    reasons.
        We are a manufacturing State, so as we do made in America,
    we need to make more things, which requires more energy. We are
    a data center State, which means that as America tries to lead
    in AI, our increasing energy demands with data centers are
    almost unfathomable, the increase in demand. Then of course,
    electric vehicles and other things are creating more and more
    demand.
        I know that in the last couple of days, we have seen some
    interrupted services around the Country, a lot of that is
    because of the grid, not because of generation. It is
    important. This is really a bipartisan issue, because nuclear
    energy is one of those, is a form of energy that addresses both
    needs, the environmental need of zero carbon but also the
    baseload energy that provides for 24/7, 365 power which is
    necessary for all of these components.
        However, America is overly reliant on foreign manufacturers
    of enriched uranium for our nuclear facilities. We have the
    only American-owned uranium enrichment company in Portsmouth,
    Ohio, the Piketon Plant, or at the Portsmouth Plant in Piketon,
    Ohio.
        That, making sure that we continue to support what is
    happening with American enriched uranium is very important. I
    know you play a role in that because you want to do two things.
    You want to provide safety and you want to provide it
    efficiently. Always a challenge for a regulator.
        Recently, I introduced legislation called the Nuclear
    REFUEL Act, with Ranking Member Whitehouse, which would set
    clear standards for licensing requirements for nuclear
    recycling facilities, a new technology that the industry really
    believes they need clarity on in terms of the rules for how
    they would be regulated.
        I want you, if you would, to give me some thoughts on that
    and do you agree that there is a need for clarity, and could
    that create a safety and efficiency opportunity if we pass this
    legislation?
        Mr. Wright. Thank you for the question, Senator. It was an
    honor to come and meet you in your office and your lovely wife,
    too, that was a treat.
        You know, without fuel, you can not run a plant, right? We
    have to have fuel. We have to have a secure grid, because if
    you turn the plant on and you can not connect it to the grid,
    nobody is going to get power. It does not make the plant very
    useful.
        They all tie together, and it is needed. We currently, our
    regulatory framework will allow us to do recycling. Having said
    that, anything, any bill that allows, that gets clarity or
    allows things to happen more efficiently, is necessary. I am
    wide open to all of that.
        I look forward to following the progress of the act, to see
    how it goes, and how it can be implemented, integrated,
    whatever the word is there, that you want to use. I know you
    are talking about Centrus in Piketon.
        Senator Husted. Yes. Well, I will just followup with that.
    In your experience, you have had experience in this role, you
    are not new to the job. Give us your perspective on what we can
    do in the legislative branch of government to provide some more
    of that clarity that helps you address the issue Senator
    Padilla just discussed, which is that safety and security, but
    also the efficiency, because the demand and the real need to go
    faster is there, and how can we do a better job?
        Mr. Wright. Well, first off, legislation like the ADVANCE
    Act is, I mean, that has been kind of a game changer for us. It
    has allowed us to focus on things and to get more efficient.
    Then really now, as we look to reorganize the agency, how are
    we going to become a more nimble licensing reviewer and
    certifying these designs in a more efficient manner? We still
    have to maintain the safety standards, safety case.
        At the moment I am sitting here right now, you have given
    us the tools to get started. Obviously, you are going to have
    to have more uranium at some point, right? I know that the
    Congress is working on ideas there. We, I know that we have got
    strong technical expertise within the agency, we are going to
    be able to do the revies and the licensing of these facilities.
        We are going to be able to, using your hiring and retention
    tools that you gave us in the ADVANCE Act, we are going to be
    able to get the talent that we need if we lack, if there is a
    gap. SO we will have the work force we need to support these
    reviews.
        We are also training people now, the new hires that we have
    been able to get on board, we are actually cross-training
    people so that they can be moved to other areas, if the need is
    there and when the need is there. I will stay in touch with you
    about this, though.
        Senator Husted. Thank you, and I will just, in closing, I
    want to add that one of the things that, if we are going to do
    more made in America, one of the things that is essential for
    our economic and national security is enriching our own fuel
    for these facilities and I hope we can get more of that done
    domestically.
        Thank you, Chairwoman Capito.
        Senator Capito. Senator Kelly? Thank you.
        Senator Kelly. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you to both of
    our nominees for being here today and your willingness to
    serve.
        I want to start by discussing the topic of abandoned
    uranium mines. As you know, there are thousands across the
    western United States. There are over 500 on the Navajo Nation.
    We have been working for decades to clean up these abandoned
    mines.
        We have encountered a number of challenges. I want to start
    with Chairman Wright. One of these challenges has to do with
    how easily we can employ new and promising technologies.
        As I believe you know, EPA and the Navajo Nation have
    piloted a technology that could reduce the amount of hazardous
    waste at an abandoned mine by as much as 85 percent. This
    technology has not been able to be used more widely because
    they are awaiting a licensing decision by the NRC.
        In particular, the question I understand NRC has been
    wrestling with is whether remediation technologies can be
    licensed as a service or whether there needs to be a specific
    site process, basically for each site.
        My view is that these technologies should be licensed as a
    service. On the Navajo Nation alone there are more than 500
    abandoned uranium mines requiring, and if you require an NRC
    license for each of those mines separately, it could take years
    more to clean them up.
        Chairman Wright, can you explain how you approach this
    issue on the commission and why you supported a service
    provider approach?
        Mr. Wright. Thank you, Senator Kelly. I was hoping you
    would ask me a question on Disa, because I, you may know this,
    I was the first vote cast about 3 years ago for Option 2(b),
    long enough, and I actually made that vote public, so that I
    let it be known to you and to Senator Lummis that you were
    being heard, Okay?
        I really think this technology is a game changer, because
    it is a service provider. I think that in our, the NRC did kind
    of direct staff for it to be a service provider framework. That
    is one license. If it was on a site-base thing, you would have
    to license for every place you go, and that is just, that is
    way too slow, way too onerous. I do not think that is the right
    way to go.
        Senator Kelly. Mr. Chairman, when do you think the first
    license is going to be issued?
        Mr. Wright. Ah, so, they filed their application in March.
    We have a detailed, we accepted it for, their application, for
    detailed review April the 11th. I think it is on track to
    complete the review by September of this year.
        Senator Kelly. Great. Great news, thank you.
        Ms. Turner, if you are confirmed, you will be the senior
    official at EPA responsible for tribal issues. I want to get
    your thoughts on this as well. In the first Trump
    administration, EPA led the development of a 10-year plan to
    address uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation, which is
    the framework still used by EPA and the Navajo Nation to guide
    these cleanup efforts.
        If confirmed, will you commit to ensuring EPA continues to
    carry out the work laid out in the 10-year plan?
        Ms. Turner. Senator Kelly, good morning. I want to first
    thank your staff for taking time to meet with me and bring this
    issue to my attention. I think I ran into you in the elevator
    afterwards, and I think you asked me a very interesting
    question, which is why tribal and international are together. I
    have an answer for you, but I will answer your uranium mines
    question.
        Not being confirmed in this role, I, well, I will put it
    the other way. Once I am confirmed and should I have the honor
    of being confirmed in this role, having boots on the ground in
    this area for this topic is something that I very much look
    forward to. It is one of many issues within EPA's halls that
    have been going on too long, that if you are members of the
    Nation that either are directly or indirectly impacted, it is
    unacceptable that it has gone on this long.
        I do want you to know that this is a priority for this
    administrator. President Nygren was in our offices not that
    long ago supporting the repeal of the Clean Power Plan. He did
    sit down with the administrator and this is one of the issues
    that came up.
        Should I be confirmed in this role, this is one of the
    first things I do look forward to engaging in, understanding
    what is in the 10-year plan, understanding what potentially is
    delaying the 10-year plan, the agreements that EPA has made
    under that plan.
        Whenever you have got multi-agency engagements trying to
    solve a problem like this, you can see where there are
    potentials for delays. In the tribal consultation space alone,
    I think there is something like 18 different tribal
    consultation policies within the U.S. Government.
        I do very much look forward to engaging in this issue,
    understanding where the delays are, and seeing what we can do
    at EPA, should I be confirmed.
        Senator Kelly. Ms. Turner, it sounds like you are committed
    to the 10-year plan, you just want to make sure it gets
    implemented efficiently.
        Ms. Turner. Senator, I would like to understand better what
    is in the 10-year plan, and understand the responsibilities in
    that plan that both the NRC, the EPA and any other agency
    involved has to sit down with the tribe and understand what
    their needs and wants are, understanding that for them, this
    needs to be done yesterday.
        Senator Kelly. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Senator Capito. Thank you.
        Senator Boozman?
        Senator Boozman. Thank you, Chair Capito. Ms. Turner, it is
    good to see you. You have an impressive background, which
    includes delivering reliable and affordable power to
    communities in Arkansas, including the hometown that I grew up
    in, Fort Smith. To do such work, it is essential to maintain
    strong relationships with the local communities, including
    tribes.
        In your previous roles, what successes have you seen in
    maintaining tribal and community relations that can improve the
    work of the Office of International and Tribal Affairs?
        Ms. Turner. Senator Boozman, good morning. I do miss
    working with you. It is great to see you.
        Senator Boozman. That is good to know.
        [Laughter.]
        Ms. Turner. Somebody misses working with you, right, is
    what you were saying?
        It is an important question, and I do appreciate the
    question. Working for an electric utility, and I have worked
    for several throughout my career, the relationship you have
    with your communities is paramount. It is not just the
    communities you operate and serve but it is the communities
    that are your ratepayers, that people who pay your bills, who
    are impacted by all the decisions that you make.
        When I was, one of the utilities that I worked with, we had
    some very interesting engagements with, and this is in
    Oklahoma, as you heard me say earlier, Oklahoma, the land of 39
    tribes, there are tribes of different sizes and different wants
    and needs. Two of the largest tribes in Oklahoma, we were able
    to work with and develop to distribution level, solar farms.
    Those were tribes with very large economic growth engines,
    billions of dollars in economic development. Working with them
    on something as large and important as that was one experience.
        To your point, the community engagement being first and
    foremost in how we negotiated agreements and what did they want
    to see out of this development. One of my favorites is actually
    something significantly smaller that I did with a, again,
    starting with community outreach, what are the needs of our
    communities, what do they expect out of, at the time the
    company that I worked for. This was the Yuchi Tribe, which is
    not even federally recognized. It is a small, private business
    on a parcel of land that I think was about 40 acres, fifth
    generation Oklahoma family, very proud.
        We were able to work with them on actually something that
    was mutually beneficial. One of our largest waste streams as an
    electric utility is actually vegetation management. We were
    able to work with them on their being able to re-use some of
    what we would otherwise have put in a landfill.
        It is a relationship that was born right before COVID,
    sustained them through COVID, and I believe is still in place
    today.
        I use those examples because I think they are examples of
    what I keep in mind as I think about being confirmed in this
    role. In the 574 federally recognized tribes throughout the
    Country, their histories are different, their sizes are
    different, their resources are different. It is important for
    EPA in general and in this office to recognize that, and to
    execute EPA's core mission, its Federal trust responsibility,
    and meet the tribes where they need to be met at.
        Senator Boozman. Very good.
        Well, that was really going to be my next question in the
    sense that communities in Arkansas and throughout the Country
    often see major delays in infrastructure projects, like
    upgrades to water systems, business construction, broadband
    expansion, because the current process for coordinating between
    EPA, tribal governments, the Corps of Engineers is not always
    the fastest or most effective.
        It sounds like you worked hard in your prior capacity to
    make that work. How do you coordinate amongst those agencies?
    How do you make it such that it is more transparent, and have
    greater efficiency across the agencies, so that these projects
    can get done? The biggest problem that we have is delays in
    this and that in the sense that it is very ineffective, plus it
    also increases the cost dramatically.
        Ms. Turner. Senator, thank you for that question. It is a
    good one, it is an important one. Working so long in regulated
    industry, working for a company that had to site and build
    infrastructure, I understand that frustration of having to work
    through multiple agencies on any single project where
    efficiency and deadlines and meeting customers' wants and needs
    is potentially compromised.
        You are not the first person that we have heard from that
    has described a frustration in multiple agency projects and
    timelines and engagement. It is something on my mind as well.
    One of the things I first observed is the, again, I mentioned
    it to Senator Kelly, throughout U.S. Government we have
    something like 18 different consultation policies for tribal
    nations.
        Should I be confirmed in the role, that is something I have
    on my whiteboard, is to want to engage further in, is to
    understand, is that part of why things are not getting done?
    Different agencies are consulting differently, are there gaps
    and are there overlaps, other inefficiencies?
        The other thing I will say and one of the reasons why I
    said yes when I was asked to serve in this administration is
    there is a real commitment, not just by this administration,
    but by this administrator, to get things moving, to see where
    the delays are, to streamline permitting processes as we can,
    and to make things happen where perhaps they have been stalled.
        Senator Boozman. Right. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Senator Capito. Senator Markey?
        Senator Markey. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        President Trump has ordered the destruction of offshore
    wind all along the east coast of the United States. That was
    going to be 30,000 megawatts of electricity coming in. He has
    ordered the destruction of it, which is a tragedy. He has
    ordered the destruction of the tax breaks for wind and solar in
    the bill that is going to come before Congress. That is a
    tragedy. We have a dramatic rise in AI consumption of
    electricity, and the President is destroying, President Trump
    is destroying our ability to have an all-of-the-above strategy.
        As a result, it is going to put more pressure on the
    Nuclear Regulatory Commission to press forward faster to
    license new nuclear power plants. It is going to give the
    natural gas industry an opening to come in where there was no
    opening in terms of the construction of new plants, because
    Trump is killing the electrical generation capacity that was
    the plan for much of the Country, but especially the east
    coast.
        Ninety-four percent of all new electrical generating
    capacity in the United States installed was wind, solar and
    battery. Let me say that again: 94 percent of all new installed
    electrical generation capacity in the United States was wind,
    solar and battery. Trump has declared war on that.
        Now, that puts pressure on the Nuclear Regulatory
    Commission. That is a danger to me, a real danger, for you to
    move faster than otherwise you would, as historical legacy, be
    moving forward. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is facing
    strange and unprecedented times. This independent agency was
    created by Congress to do one thing, to regulate civilian
    nuclear activity with public safety as the first priority.
        Independent agencies hold a unique role in our Federal
    Government. They are supposed to act free from influence by
    financial or political interests. Commissioners of independent
    agencies who are confirmed by the Senate are statutorily
    protected from removal without cause. This is a precedent that
    the Supreme Court has respected for 90 years.
        Yet over the past 5 months, this administration has fired
    Commissioner and former NRC Chair Hanson, without cause. Fired
    safety-focused staff for no good reason at the behest of DOGE.
    Forced commission rulemakings which are supposed to be
    independent, to go through executive branch policy review to
    ensure alignment with Trump's agenda, which of course is to
    absolutely crush the clean energy revolution for the benefit of
    the nuclear and natural gas industries. Just to crush this all-
    of-the-above strategy, and pressure the NRC to accelerate
    license reviews and cut corners, while ignoring community
    concerns.
        Mr. Chairman, if reconfirmed, how will you protect the NRC
    from attacks that jeopardize its independence and ability to
    protect public health and safety?
        Mr. Wright. Thank you, Senator Markey, for the question. I
    did enjoy our visit back in March, with you and your staff. I
    bought your book, too, by the way. Found it at an old library
    that had closed down.
        To answer your question, we are accountable, we are an
    independent agency, we are in the executive branch, that is
    where we are housed, we are accountable to both Congress and
    the administration. Safety is our strike zone over home plate.
    It is our north star. It will continue to be that. Nothing that
    has happened so far, nobody has asked us to compromise safety
    in any way. Nothing has touched safety.
        Senator Markey. It is coming your way, Mr. Chairman. It is
    coming your way. They are destroying entire industries with no
    regard ultimately for the safety of the American people from
    pollution.
        Keep going, I am sorry.
        Mr. Wright. To me, what I have seen so far, and have been
    involved in with my colleagues, it has been about process more
    than anything else, and trying to align our stuff within the
    agency so that we can be more efficient, which was the goal of
    the ADVANCE Act, it is aligned----
        Senator Markey. Well, let me then turn to this alignment. I
    would like to turn to the usual public engagement. Today I am
    reintroducing my NRC Office of Public Engagement and
    Participation Act, a bill that would establish an office
    dedicated to keeping communities informed and involved in what
    is happening in their back yard.
        Communities deserve a chance to weigh in on the issues that
    directly affect their health and safety. There is nothing like
    a nuclear power plant coming into your neighborhood that raises
    safety and health issues.
        Over the years, I have learned a great deal from the
    communities next to the decommissioning of the Pilgrim Nuclear
    Power Station in Massachusetts. They have fought for
    transparent, accountable and community-led decisionmaking when
    it comes to nuclear safety. Unfortunately, NRC's failure to
    meaningfully engage these communities has eroded trust in the
    commission.
        Mr. Wright, if reconfirmed, how do you plan to maintain
    strong public trust and confidence in the NRC's ability to
    responsibly and independently regulate civilian nuclear
    activity through public engagement in hearings and proceedings?
        Mr. Wright. Thank you for the question. You know, I am not
    sure that I totally agree with everything, the comments.
        I will tell you that it is my belief personally that the
    NRC on public engagement does as good, probably does the best
    job that any agency in the Federal Government, including my
    colleague here to the left. We have public meetings, Federal
    Register notices, we have website announcements, email
    listservs, social media posts.
        The tribal areas, we will go into the community, do potluck
    dinners, go to the--we will translate into the Native languages
    and print, do radio, do--they do not have broadband, we go to
    them to seek their input. I believe that we, and there is a lot
    more that we do as well on top of that.
        Senator Markey. I will say this: Trump has issued executive
    orders that threaten open and transparent public hearings,
    licensee reviews, rulemaking process. You are going to be under
    pressure. You are going to be under a lot of pressure, Mr.
    Chairman.
        Mr. Wright. I appreciate the concern, Senator. I will tell
    you that I look forward to reading your legislation. I just
    heard about it this morning.
        Senator Capito. Thank you. All right.
        Senator Wicker?
        Senator Wicker. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Commissioner Wright, I want to ask about early site
    permits. I expect the Grand Gulf Plant in Mississippi to decide
    soon to move forward on constructing a new nuclear unit. If
    this occurs, they might then be required to perform duplicative
    safety, health, and environmental assessments already done as
    part of the early site permit renewal, potentially costing
    ratepayers in my State tens of millions of dollars.
        This can not be waived based on the quality of the work for
    the early site renewal, and if so, if you continue to serve in
    this office, will you commit to working with me and the White
    House to find a pathway to extend these permits with less
    burden and less cost to the customers?
        Mr. Wright. Absolutely, Senator. That is just common sense.
    I think it is something that needs to happen, and we are going
    to have to find a way for people to get through the process and
    get it out the door. Yes, I will work with you.
        Senator Wicker. Thank you very much.
        Now, let me switch to a more general topic, and that is
    small modular reactors, SMRs. There is a lot of talk about
    SMRs.
        Mr. Wright. Yes.
        Senator Wicker. There are very few of them actually out
    there. For those listening, micro reactors offer potential
    benefits, including enhanced safety features, greater
    flexibility in deployment, and value to both civilian and
    national security applications.
        What is the NRC doing to modernize its regulatory
    framework? What can you tell us about this development? Why do
    not we have any more of them in operation? How soon will these
    become a way of life?
        Mr. Wright. Well, that is a lot that you just asked about.
        Senator Wicker. Well, you have got 3 minutes.
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. Wright. This is an area that, as I mentioned earlier,
    that the NRC is actually leaning in hard on and doing a great
    job at in the advanced reactor side of the house. We can not
    review anything that does not come before us in the form of an
    application.
        As I mentioned, we have five people that have been before
    us. One has gotten out right now, NuScale. They are out. They
    are done. Standard design approval, they can go to market.
        The others are ahead of schedule. They are all a good news
    story. We have got 25 or so that are before us in some form of
    early engagement. If you saw the chart, it is like waterfall of
    people coming in 2026 and 2027 and 2028. We have got to staff
    up the people so that we can do those reviews and licensing
    actions that are going to be needed. We are on top of that.
        The ADVANCE Act, again, thank you for that. You gave us the
    tools that we can go direct hire people if we need to do so.
    You have given the opportunity for early movers to come in and
    maybe get some of their fees waived or something like that if
    they are the first in.
        We are working right now with DOE and with DOD to try to be
    part of that microreactor process.
        Senator Wicker. Okay.
        Mr. Wright. To get----
        Senator Wicker. Tell us about the DOD application, the
    national security application.
        Mr. Wright. Well, I know that they have down-selected to
    eight microreactors. At some point, they will pick, I do not
    know, a couple of them, maybe. I do not care who they pick;
    that is not us. We would like to be a part of the review
    process, so that we can work with DOE in establishing the
    safety case.
        The rest of it is about process after that. We can use that
    data that is gathered, and building--we need to build one. We
    have to get one built. If we get one built, it is going to send
    a good signal to the market. It is going to help us craft a
    pathway for on the commercial side to get these things through
    the process quicker too.
        I am excited about the opportunity to work with our Federal
    partners on this. I think it is an opportunity that has not
    come around since probably, I do not know, Oppenheimer.
        Senator Wicker. Well, sir, in terms of residential or
    commercial application, how many city blocks would a typical
    SMR power in, say, Washington, DC.? Do you have any idea?
        Mr. Wright. There are different sizes that will do
    different things.
        Senator Wicker. There is really, there is less there than
    meets the eye.
        Mr. Wright. Oh, yes. Yes. I mean, right now, it is like
    within the fence line, is where the, I do not know the critical
    part of it would be, right, where people would be concerned for
    the emergency planning----
        Senator Wicker. I am talking about power generation, for
    how far, how big of an area?
        Mr. Wright. It would go a long way. I mean, these things
    are from 100 megawatts or so up to 300 megawatts or so.
    Depending on their use, it would be a lot.
        Senator Wicker. How big of an area of this city could 300
    megawatts power?
        Mr. Wright. Subject to check, I do not know. Maybe 100,000,
    200,000 homes or better.
        Senator Wicker. Thank you. Appreciate it. Look forward to
    working with you. Thank you, ma'am.
        Senator Capito. Thank you.
        Senator Lummis just arrived. I do not know if you are
    extremely timely, or if you are ready.
        Senator Lummis. Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to thank the
    nominees for coming before the committee today and thank, of
    course, the Chair and the Ranking Member for organizing the
    hearing.
        I am interested in learning how our nominees plan to carry
    out President Trump's priorities of American energy dominance,
    improving tribal affairs and strengthening government-to-
    government relations.
        Chairman Wright, thanks for your support of innovative
    technologies addressing the environmental challenge posed to
    abandoned uranium mines. What specific actions will you take to
    ensure that advanced reactor developers already deep into the
    licensing process benefit from modernizing the NRC and not just
    future developers? Can you ensure that early movers like Terra
    Power are not disadvantaged by shifting regulatory frameworks
    intended to benefit future applicants?
        Mr. Wright. Thank you, Senator. Again, I met with you, you
    were probably my second Senator maybe that I met with.
        Senator Lummis. Yes, I enjoyed our conversation. Thank you.
        Mr. Wright. We covered a lot of ground that day.
        Senator Lummis. We did.
        Mr. Wright. One, the NRC, we are committed to all advanced
    reactor developers. We want to work with them regardless of
    their stage and the whole licensing process. We are going to
    make sure that these applicants, especially those that are
    already deep in the process, they will benefit from the
    modernization, not be penalized as a result of it.
        We are going to, the NRC is going to, we appreciate and
    recognize those significant investments that they have made,
    right? We want to make sure that they get through the process
    efficiently and timely, and that we are not throwing up a
    roadblock that is unintended.
        We are going to make sure that they get through and they
    are not penalized.
        Senator Lummis. Thank you. I would also like to followup on
    a question that was asked earlier by Senator Kelly about the
    NRC's guidance on legacy mine cleanup.
        Can you briefly speak to the commission's plans
    distinguishing mine waste from conventional ore? How would you
    ensure that service provider licensees like Disa who you
    previously mentioned are not burdened by unnecessary conditions
    that could hinder remediation or limit the recovery of
    recyclable uranium from these legacy waste piles?
        Mr. Wright. Right. Well, commission direction has got to be
    followed. I mean, the service provider framework is what we
    have recommended be done, and that is going to be the way it is
    going to have to be. Outside of that, the staff is going to
    have to, they were working at it, and I think they got stuck on
    it and I do not think there has been any movement on whether or
    not there will be a definition or how it would look or what it
    would be like. I would like to get back to you on maybe how
    that stands at this moment.
        Senator Lummis. That would be much appreciated. Yes, thank
    you. I will look forward to that conversation.
        Mr. Wright. Yes, ma'am.
        Senator Lummis. As you know, the cleanup that can be done,
    especially on the Navajo Reservation, I mean, it is tremendous.
        Mr. Wright. It is a market-based solution to something that
    can get it done today. Even if it is 80 percent, 80 percent is
    clean. That is cleaning it up.
        Senator Lummis. Yes, absolutely.
        Mr. Wright. I have been a fan about it for 3 years now.
        Senator Lummis. Thank you. I am so pleased to hear that.
    Let's followup.
        Mr. Wright. Yes, ma'am.
        Senator Lummis. After years of effort and hundreds of
    millions in public investment, the United States still does not
    have a single license operating an advanced reactor. What,
    should we expect different results in the future?
        Mr. Wright. Well, yes, we should. I think we are moving in
    that direction in a big way. As I mentioned earlier, a couple
    of times, that the advanced reactor side of our house is the
    shining star within the NRC right now. We just got the NuScale
    standard design approval out so they can go to market now. We
    have got others that, we have four other applications that are
    before us.
        Until the others come in with applications, we can not
    really start doing the official stuff. We have got 25 others
    who are in early engagement with us so that when they get the
    questions answered on anything new and novel, their application
    will be robust and complete and full and we should be able to
    get through the licensing process quicker. I mean, our goal is
    like 18 months or so.
        Senator Lummis. Duly noted. I appreciate your response.
        Do I have time to ask Ms. Turner a question? Thank you,
    Madam Chairman.
        Ms. Turner, welcome. The EPA currently treats the two
    separate federally recognized Wyoming tribes as if they were
    one single tribe, as it pertains to grant funds. This creates
    complications, and fails to recognize the sovereignty of either
    tribe.
        Of course, the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe are
    the two tribes of which I am speaking, who inhabit the Wind
    River Reservation.
        Will you commit to treating each tribe as separate
    entities, as intended by the laws governing the trust
    relationship between the Federal Government and a federally
    recognized tribe?
        Ms. Turner. Senator Lummis, good morning. I appreciate that
    question.
        I, should I be confirmed in this role, I would want to
    understand why these two tribal nations are potentially being
    treated as one. You were not here to hear me say earlier that
    EPA does take its Federal trust responsibility seriously. We
    work with our tribal nations as sovereign entities. Government-
    to-government relationship is paramount to how we engage and
    how we respect the sovereignties of the tribes.
        I would want to understand what is happening there, should
    I be confirmed in this role.
        The releasing of grant money for our tribal programs is
    also very important. Should I be confirmed in the role, I would
    like to understand what is happening, work with the region,
    work with the grant staff that is overseeing this, and see what
    we can do to get that grant money taken care of.
        Senator Lummis. That is a very fair response. I appreciate
    that response. Let's plan on visiting about that further as
    time goes on.
        Ms. Turner. Absolutely.
        Senator Lummis. Thank you. Thanks, Madam Chairman. I yield
    back.
        Senator Capito. Thank you, Senator Lummis.
        It looks as though we have come to the end. One of the
    little housekeeping issues that was not addressed at the
    beginning, I am going to address at the end. These are
    questions for both of you. If you would just, I will start with
    Chairman Wright and go across.
        No. 1, do you agree if confirmed to appear before this
    committee or designated members of this committee and other
    appropriate committees of this Congress to provide information
    subject to appropriate and necessary security protections with
    respect to your responsibilities?
        Mr. Wright. Yes.
        Ms. Turner. Yes.
        Senator Capito. Thank you.
        Do you agree to ensure that testimony, briefings, documents
    and electronic and other forms of communication of information
    are provided to this committee and its staff and other
    appropriate committees in a timely fashion?
        Mr. Wright. Yes.
        Ms. Turner. Yes, Madam Chairman.
        Senator Capito. Finally, do you know of any matters that
    you may or may not have disclosed that may place you in a
    conflict of interest if you are confirmed?
        Mr. Wright. No.
        Ms. Turner. No.
        Senator Capito. Thank you very much for that.
        I also ask unanimous consent to submit various letters of
    support for today's nominees, for both nominees I have letters
    of support. With no objections, the letters are so submitted.
        [The referenced information follows:]

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        Senator Capito. With no further questions, I would like to
    thank the nominees and the audience and all of my colleagues
    for your participation in today's hearing.
        Senators who wish to submit written questions for the
    record have until 5 p.m. Monday June 30th to do so. The
    nominees' responses to those questions are due back to the
    committee no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, July the 7th. I
    expect that you will be working on those July 4th as you are
    viewing the fireworks, and they will be submitted for the
    record.
        With that, this hearing is adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 11:28 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]

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