Democrats urge confirmation of TVA nominees

Sen. Boxer 'disappointed' in GOP delays

Arkansas-St. John's Live Blog
photo Tennessee Valley Authority headquarters and TVA logo

The outgoing chairwoman of the Senate committee that oversees the Tennessee Valley Authority said today she is "disappointed" in the delay by some Republicans in confirming new members to TVA and vowed to push for a quick confirmation.

President Obama has nominated Ronald Walter, general manager for WREG-TV in Memphis, and Virginia Lodge, a former commissioner of Tennessee Department of Human Services, to serve on the 9-member board.

Last week, the Senate Environment and Public Works conducted a 50-minute hearing on confirming the nominees, which was attended only by U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., the committee chair.

GOP members submitted questions to the nominees over the weekend, but Boxer said today that Republican members appear unwilling to quickly move ahead with the nominations given the change in Senate control coming in January.

Boxer said in a statement today, she wants the TVA nominees - and another Obama nominee to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Jeffery M. Baran- confirmed during the lame duck session of the current 113th congress.

"We feel it is very important to fill these slots because you can't operate an organization as great as the TVA with empty slots," Baxter said during a Senate hearing on the TVA nominees last week.

The new nominees to TVA, if confirmed, will make the entire TVA board comprised of Democrats for the first time since the TVA board was revamped a decade ago.

Walter and Lodge will replace Barbara Haskew of Chattanooga and Bill Sansom of Knoxville on the TVA board. The terms of the outgoing TVA board members expired in May but they are serving until the end of the year, or until their replacements are confirmed.

In a letter to Ranking Republican Sen. David Vitter, R-La., Boxer said Congress has had "ample time and recent opportunity to thoroughly question" the Obama nominees to TVA and the NRC.

"We must move forward with the confirmation of the two Tennessee Valley Authority nominees," Boxer said. "I believe these jobs are critical and these people are worthy, and I am going to do everything I can to move them forward in a business meeting at the earliest opportunity.

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