June 10, 2013 – According to NSSGA, it does not appear that the nominations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx will be moving anytime soon – but for different reasons. McCarthy’s nomination has caused quite a bit of heartburn for many in the Senate’s GOP from the onset.
Her responses to requests from GOP members of the Environment and Public Works Committee are still lacking, according to a statement released May 30 by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.). Sessions stated his belief that McCarthy is a good person and he is encouraged by her assurances that EPA would become more responsive under her management. However, he expressed concerns that she has not provided responsive answers to many of the requests for information submitted by EPW ranking member, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), or to many of Sessions’ own questions.
Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx’s nomination to become the next Department of Transportation secretary enjoyed smooth sailing through his confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee but it appears now that his nomination is caught in an ongoing disagreement between Senate Commerce Committee ranking member John Thune (R-S.D.) and the Department of Transportation itself. Earlier this year, a barrage of letters were sent by Thune and House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) requesting an accounting of the Federal Aviation Administration’s sequester plans to furlough air traffic control tower employees and slash funding to rural airports’ control towers. While the snag is holding up the Commerce Committee’s vote on Foxx, it appears unlikely that it is putting his nomination imperil – just a delay.