Soon-to-be senior senator of the Mountain State, Shelley Moore Capito is voicing her concern and decision on President Joe Biden’s nomination for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, James Marzano.
“I believe that the White House has sort of exaggerated Mr. Marzano’s experience in the nuclear energy industry, although I do recognize his training and time working at a power plant,” said Capito.
Biden announced Marzano’s nomination in the summer of 2024.
Read a portion of the White House synopsis on Marzano below:
Matthew James Marzano currently serves as an Idaho National Laboratory Detailee on the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), where he advises the committee on policy matters relating to clean air, climate, and energy. Most recently, he advised the Chairman on the ADVANCE Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation designed to prepare the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to handle an expected surge in new nuclear reactor models. Prior to this role, Marzano was selected as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Congressional Fellow, representing the American Nuclear Society and serving on the U.S. Senate EPW Committee.
The White House
Marzano presently serves with the Environment and Public Works as a Idaho National Laboratory Detailee.
Among his duties there advising the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works -- Capito is a ranking member of that committee.
“After considering Mr. Marzano’s responses to my questions for the record – I do not have confidence that he has the necessary background and experience to be that agent of change at the Commission – or to set the Commission up for the Agency’s next 50 years as Congress just envisioned in the ADVANCE Act," Capito continued in her statement which can be viewed below.
“I will be voting no on Mr. Marzano’s nomination.”
Read a portion of Capito’s opening statement below:
“As I stated at his confirmation hearing, demonstrating a capacity to follow procedures is fundamentally different than a Commissioner’s role in setting policy, promulgating regulations, and adjudicating significant legal issues.
“We must consider the totality of Mr. Marzano’s background and depth of his experience, particularly at this moment of tremendous importance.
“The overwhelming passage of the ADVANCE Act was a clear message from Congress that the NRC, with the leadership, support, and direction of the Commission, can and should do better to enable the safe use of nuclear technologies.
“Despite this clear direction – Chair Hanson has stated that he views the ADVANCE Act as an ‘endorsement’ of the work that the Agency is already doing, communicating his position to the staff, the NRC’s licensees and applicants, and to Congress that the status quo is acceptable.
“And it appears the NRC staff followed the Chair’s lead.
“The NRC staff’s recommendations to update the Agency’s Mission Statement, as the ADVANCE Act requires the Commission to do, rationalized really doing just the bare minimum to comply with the law.
“Those recommendations missed the mark and I expect the entire Commission will unanimously support a more ambitious Mission Statement than the lackluster staff paper.
“The ADVANCE Act was not an ‘endorsement’ of the status quo.
“After considering Mr. Marzano’s responses to my questions for the record – I do not have confidence that he has the necessary background and experience to be that agent of change at the Commission – or to set the Commission up for the Agency’s next 50 years as Congress just envisioned in the ADVANCE Act.
“So, I will be voting no on Mr. Marzano’s nomination.
From the Office of Senator Shelley Moore Capito