Quotable: Near the beginning of the hearing, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D., N.M.) cited a comment from Garrish at his first confirmation hearing 42 years ago.
“I had to check on that [date] the first time I read that line,” Heinrich said. “You gave the committee your unqualified assurance that you would faithfully execute the public trust in a manner that would, quote, ‘properly reflect the legislative intentions of the Congress, without regard to the political views or personal preferences of the [DOE] secretary or the administration,’ and that you would discharge your duties, quote, ‘on the basis of your best professional judgment as to what the law is, not what you are the secretary or others might like it to be.”
Garrish said to Heinrich, “I cannot believe that is was 42 years ago, but I can assure the committee that I abide by those same principles today.”
If confirmed: “First and foremost, as soon as feasible, we need to build a nuclear reactor, either a large or small or SMR or microreactor,” Garrish told the committee. “It is important for us to proceed with development of advanced reactors and their licensing and siting.”
“Nuclear offers an extraordinary capacity to meet the coming increased electrical demand in a reliable, affordable, and safe way,” he added.
Other priorities Garrish shared include the following:
- Developing a robust domestic enrichment industry for nuclear as a matter of national security.
- Evaluating the international market and the opportunity for intergovernmental agreements for U.S. nuclear developers and supply chains to maintain a strong position for our products and services overseas.
- Resolving the nuclear waste dilemma cooperatively with Congress.
Background: Garrish’s extensive resume listed on his LinkedIn profile includes positions at the DOE, Maryland’s state energy departments, Annapolis Energy Consulting, Wolverine Nuclear Services, the Nuclear Energy Institute, and engineering company CH2M—where he specialized in export controls work. CH2M is now Jacobs, a professional services company focused on technical, scientific, and project delivery for government and the private sector.
Garrish is president of the board of directors for the United Coalition for Advanced Nuclear Power . He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from University of Michigan and a law degree from Wayne State University.
Garrish’s most recent term in public office was as assistant secretary for the Office of International Affairs at the Energy Department, which he held from 2018 to 2021, during Trump’s first term.
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