The NASA CFO Confirmation Hearing Will Go Ahead. Why?
Looking forward to addressing the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee tomorrow. At the least, I believe you will all enjoy my opening remarks. I'm hoping there will be some insightful questioning.https://t.co/bynbQXz7Rp
— Greg Autry ?????????? ?? ?? (@GregWAutry) November 9, 2020
Keith’s note: You would think that after Joe Biden’s win that hearings on Trump Administration appointees would be moot. I guess not. Senators could be off focusing on pandemic-related legislation that has stalled – you know, something far more pressing. Instead, they prefer to waste their time rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. This hearing for three Trump nominees includes former Trump Landing Party member Greg Autry who has been nominated to become NASA CFO is still going ahead today at 2:30 pm EST. You can watch the pointlessness here.
The trump administration appears bull-headedly determined to press ahead with all of the assumptions that they will still be in power on January 21. This apparently includes all Republican U.S. senators and any Republican nominees to government agencies.
You would think some level headed nominee would say, nah, don’t worry, use your valuable time for something else.
Maybe he things a few months as NASA’s CFO would look good on his resume. Also, it’s worth remembering that he could serve in that position until a replacement is nominated and confirmed. With the looks of the next Senate, that might take some time.
He can be removed form his position with a simple email from the Biden White House and all political appointees are expected to submit a letter of resignation at the end of an Administration’s term.
And that means Mr. Biden will have three choices. Accepting the resignation and leaving the post vacant until someone else is confirmed by the Senate, putting someone else in charge in an acting capacity, or asking the previous job holder to keep working until someone else can be nominated and confirmed. The first option is a very bad idea; someone needs to be doing the work. The second option, appointing acting officials, is something I think Mr. Trump poisoned by relying on it so heavily. The third, letting the current office holders remain at work until a replacement gets through the confirmation process, may be the most expedient. But we’ll have to see how things go. At the moment, I’m willing to believe almost anything could happen.
Steven Shinn is already serving in the Acting CFO capacity and can easily continue to do so. With only two months left in this administration it would make little sense to confirm a new political appointee who would just have to turn around and resign. Having to bring someone up to speed will take weeks and bring little value to the position.