Senate EPW Committee Approves Katherine Scarlet Nomination, Discusses Permitting Reform

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Business Meeting

• 📌 The meeting was called to order by Chair Shelley Moore Capito, with a quorum established.
• 💡 The agenda included opening statements, a vote on 10 GSA resolutions, and a vote on one pending nominee.

Nomination of Katherine Scarlet to CEQ

• 🚀 Katherine Scarlet was nominated to be a member of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) as its chief of staff.
• ✅ She is praised for her work implementing the bipartisan fiscal responsibility act, modernizing NEPA procedures, and using technology to update the NEPA process.
• 🤝 Both the Chair and Ranking Member Whitehouse expressed support for her nomination, highlighting her qualifications and the importance of her work.

Permitting Reform and Administration Concerns

• ⚠️ Ranking Member Whitehouse voiced strong opposition to the nomination of Jeffrey Hall, citing concerns about non-enforcement policies.
• 🗣️ He supported Katherine Scarlet's work on NEPA updates and modernizing the federal permitting process, but raised concerns about the administration's respect for the permitting and appropriations process.
• 📉 Whitehouse detailed two instances in Rhode Island where grants were undone or projects halted without clear explanation: a grant for the Port of Davisville and a stop-work order for the Revolution Wind offshore project.
• ❓ These actions, perceived as unilateral and without notice, were seen as undermining efforts towards permitting reform and making legislative progress more difficult.

Committee Votes and Resolutions

• 🗳️ The committee approved 10 GSA resolutions authorizing repair and alteration projects across the country by voice vote.
• ✅ The nomination of Katherine Scarlet was favorably reported with 12 yeas and 7 nays.