Tennessee Valley Authority headquarters and TVA logoThe 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.