SENATE ENERGY PANEL AGAIN CLEARS DOE NOMINEES

New Under Sec. For Mgmt. Among Those Approved

Mike Nartker
NS&D Monitor
1/17/2014

Elizabeth Robinson’s nomination to fill the Department of Energy’s new position of Under Secretary for Management and Performance took another step forward this week, though it still remains to be seen when she will be approved by the full Senate and ultimately assume the job. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved by a voice vote Robinson and five other pending DOE nominees—Franklin Orr to serve as Under Secretary for Science; Steven Croley to serve as General Counsel; Christopher Smith to serve as Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy; Marc Kastner to serve as Director of the Office of Science and Ellen Williams to serve as Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).

The committee also approved by a vote of 16-6 the nomination of Jonathan Elkind to serve as Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, with Republican Senators Mike Lee (Utah), Dean Heller (Nev.), Jeff Flake (Ariz.), John Barrasso (Wyo.), Jim Risch (Idaho) and Tim Scott (S.C.) having voted no. The set of DOE nominees were renominated by the Obama Administration earlier this month after the Senate formally returned the nominations to the President because they were caught up in a dispute between Democrats and Republicans over new filibuster rules in the Senate and were not confirmed before the end of 2013.                    

The new Under Secretary for Management and Performance position—established as part of a DOE reorganization conducted last year—will oversee the Department’s offices of Environmental Management and Legacy Management, as well as several support offices. Robinson was nominated to in July for the position, and was initially approved by the Senate energy committee last fall. She has served as NASA’s CFO since 2009, and from 2005-2009 she served as Assistant Director for Budget at the White House Office of Management and Budget. She has also held various other positions at OMB and the Congressional Budget Office, and served as a Congressional staffer, among other positions.

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Key House, Senate races in DOE nuclear weapons complex

With less than three weeks to go before the Nov. 3 general election, here is a look at some of the key House of Representatives and Senate races around Department of Energy nuclear weapons sites.

The sites and races are listed alphabetically. 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California: Rep. Lateefah Simon (D) is seeking re-election against fellow Democrat Jamie Joyce under California’s top-two primary system. California as a state sometimes practices intra-party general elections.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California: Rep. Aisha Wahab (D) won a special election in August to serve out the remainder of the term of Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned after several sexual assault allegations.  A former member of the California State Senate, Wahab is an information technology manager. In the general election, Wahab will face another Democrat, Melissa Hernandez, who won the party’s primary and is a member of the board of directors for Bay Area Rapid Transit. 

Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico: Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D) is seeking her fourth term against Martin Zamora (R), a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives. Leger Fernández is on the House Rules Committee and Natural Resources Committee. In the Senate: Incumbent Ben Ray Luján (D) is seeking re-election against Republican Larry Marker, who won the GOP primary.  

Nevada National Security Site: Incumbent Democrat Rep. Steven Horsford will seek re-election against Republican Copy Whipple, who won the GOP primary. Whipple describes himself as a rancher and businessman. 

Oak Ridge Site and Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee: Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R) , currently chair of the House Appropriations Energy & Water subcommittee, is another longtime GOP congressman defending his seat. He will face Anna Golladay (D) in the general election. Golladay, who won her party’s primary, has a background as a consultant, business operator and associate pastor in the United Methodist Church. In the Senate: Bill Hagerty (R) is running for re-election against Democrat Marquita Bradshaw.

Pantex Plant in Texas: Incumbent Ronny Jackson (R), who has served in the House since 2021 and serves on the House Armed Services Committee and chairs its Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee, is facing Democrat and former Amarillo city councilman Mark Nair to defend his seat. In the Senate: After four-term Republican incumbent John Cornyn was defeated in the primary election in March, Republican state attorney general Ken Paxton and Democratic state representative James Talarico will compete for Cornyn’s seat.

Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico: Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D) is seeking re-election against Republican Ndidiamaka (Didi) Okpareke, a pharmacist who won the GOP primary. 

Savannah River Site in South Carolina: Longtime Republican incumbent Joe Wilson is seeking re-election against Democrat Zyon Khalifa, an attorney who won his party’s primary. In the Senate: Republican Sen. Darline Graham, appointed to the seat following the death of her brother Lindsey Graham this summer, and who also won the GOP Senate primary, will seek a full term against Democrat Annie Andrews.  

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico: Rep. Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat,  is seeking re-election against Republican Greg Cunningham.  

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