WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission told Democrats on a House Energy and Commerce panel that NRC can remain independent despite the chance of commissioners being terminated by the White House.
Wednesday’s hearing of the House Energy and Commerce’s Energy subcommittee came four months after the NRC regained a full five-member contingent. Concerns about NRC independence still linger, as several House Democratic lawmakers questioned NRC’s role during the Donald Trump administration.
Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce’s Energy subcommittee Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said during the fiscal 2027 budget request hearing that the Trump administration’s changes to NRC, including the firing of former commissioner Chris Hanson, has undermined public safety and trust.
Both Castor and Pallone pressed commissioners Bradley Crowell and Matthew Marzano on if they were concerned about being fired by the Trump administration for refusing to approve an “administration-favored” reactor technology over safety concerns. Crowell and Marzano said that the possibility of being removed from their position still remains a reality.
In a September 2025 Senate Environment and Public Works committee hearing, Crowell and Marzano previously said they realized there is always a chance of being fired. The hearing then was held almost three months after Hanson was fired and nearly a month after Annie Caputo resigned from NRC.
Rep. Rob Menendez (D-N.J.) asked Crowell and Marzano if it was normal for a bipartisan independent agency to fear retribution from the president. Both commissioners said that it was not. Menendez soon went down the line of the commissioners and asked if they believed Trump’s “attacks on NRC” have hurt NRC independence and public trust in nuclear safety.
Crowell told Menendez it could be a possibility, while Marzano said undermining NRC independence could hurt national energy goals. NRC Chair Ho Nieh, Commissioners Doug Weaver and David Wright said they did not feel like the NRC was under attack.
“A commissioner was fired before his term ended, would not consider that an attack on the independence of the NRC,” Menendez said to Nieh.
“Sir, that was a decision by the president of the United States,” Nieh told Menendez.
When questioned by Pallone, all five commissioners agreed NRC independence is key to the future of nuclear energy.