Hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee - Opening Statement of Sen. Nelson, Hearing on Executive Session

Hearing

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Today we will consider the nomination of Jim Morhard to be the deputy administrator of NASA, among others.

I was encouraged that in follow-up communications with the committee after his hearing last week, Mr. Morhard acknowledged that the climate is changing and that it is extremely likely that human activities are the dominant cause of this warming.

We will also be considering the nomination of Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier to be the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

There are a number of critical issues facing this country that will benefit from the input of the White House science advisor -- the algae disaster in my state, the opioid crisis and sea level rise to name a few. I was especially pleased to hear during Dr. Droegemeier's confirmation hearing that he is eager to work on climate change and committed to ensuring that science is free from politics.

Dr. Droegemeier is a well-regarded scientist who has served twelve years on the National Science Board. The committee has received dozens of endorsements for Dr. Droegemeier, and I think it's safe to say the research community is eager for this committee to quickly confirm the nominee.

With that, let's get on to the business of the day.

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