The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday voted to advance President Trump’s nominees for FERC, Allison Clements and Mark Christie, for consideration by the full upper house.
The committee met briefly and approved the nominees by a swift voice vote. Republican Sens. John Barrasso (Wyo.), Steve Daines (Mont.), John Hoeven (N.D.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (Miss.) voted against Clements, a Democrat and energy policy adviser for the Energy Foundation. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) voted against Christie, a Republican and chair of the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
Trump nominated them in late July, and they appeared before the committee to answer questions Sept. 16. (See FERC Nominees Bob and Weave Through Senate Hearing.) Clements would fill the seat left open by the departure of Cheryl LaFleur in August 2019, while Christie would take the place of Bernard McNamee, who departed Sept. 4. If confirmed, Clements’ term would end in June 2024 and Christie’s in June 2025, and Republicans would hold a 3-2 majority on the commission up to the departure of Commissioner Neil Chatterjee, whose term ends June 30.
But whether the Senate will even vote on the nominations before the end of the year is unknown. If not, Trump would need to resubmit them before his term ends Jan. 20. This would add even more uncertainty for FERC, as party control of the Senate next year depends on two runoff elections in Georgia on Jan. 5. If they win, Democrats may want to wait until President-elect Joe Biden takes office and install another Democrat instead of Christie.
The runoff elections will also decide who chairs the ENR Committee, but regardless of which party wins, it will not be current Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska); Senate rules prohibit any senator from chairing or being the ranking member of any one committee for more than six years.
Barrasso, currently chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, announced Wednesday that he would take over as the top Republican of the ENR Committee. If Democrats win in January, current ranking member Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is in line to be the next chair. Manchin’s colleague from West Virginia, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, is next in line as the top Republican on the EPW Committee.
