Carper Statement on Confirmation of NRC Commissioners

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, released the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Jeffrey Baran, current Commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), for a second term and Annie Caputo and David Wright for their first terms as members of the NRC.

“Part of our responsibility here in the Senate is to ensure that we have effective leaders that build up and support – not tear down – a strong and dedicated workforce across all our federal agencies. Strong leadership is especially important at the NRC – the independent agency that oversees our country’s nuclear energy industry. I believe ensuring that the NRC continues to have experienced and dedicated leadership is one of the most important things that the U.S. Senate can do to maintain a high level of safety and excellence at our nation’s nuclear facilities.  In today’s confirmation of Jeff Baran, Annie Caputo and David Wright, we now have a full complement of NRC Commissioners that each bring a unique set of skills to the Commission.  In particular, my staff and I have a long history of working with Ms. Caputo and Commissioner Baran, and I believe both have a good understanding of the relationship that should exist between the separate, but equal branches of our government and are dedicated to the critical, independent role that NRC plays in ensuring our nation’s nuclear power facilities continue to be the safest in the world. A sincere congratulations to Commissioner Baran, Ms. Caputo and Mr. Wright and their families. I look forward to working with them to ensure the NRC continues to be the world’s gold standard for nuclear regulatory agencies.”

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