The Senate yesterday confirmed a handful of Obama Administration nominees, ending a more-than-500 day wait for Assistant Secretary of State for Verification and Compliance Frank Rose and clearing Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board member Daniel Santos as well. Santos has had a much shorter wait than Rose as he was nominated in June by the Obama Administration to serve on the Board. He currently serves as a Senior Technical Advisor at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and he will replace outgoing DNFSB Chairman Peter Winokur when Winokor formally leaves the Board Jan. 3.
Rose was originally nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of State for Verification and Compliance in July of 2013, but his nomination was blocked by Republicans over concerns about a lack of commitment from the Obama Administration to undertake further nuclear weapon reductions only through a treaty process.