Nuclear option: The vote came after Senate Republicans moved last week to change Senate rules to permit a group of executive branch nominees to be confirmed “en bloc” in a single vote. The rules change, considered a “nuclear option,” cleared the way for 48 of the administration’s nominees to be confirmed in a party-line vote of 51 to 47, including Garrish and Williams as well as two other NNSA nominees: Scott Pappano as principal deputy administrator and Matthew Napoli as deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation.
Garrish: Garrish’s career of more than four decades includes experience in energy policy, nuclear waste management, and international affairs in both the federal government and the private sector.
In fact, this is Garrish’s second time in the NE-1 role, his first being in 1987–1989 during the Reagan administration. Garrish most recently served the DOE from 2018 to 2021 as the assistant secretary for international affairs from 2018 to 2021 and is currently a member of the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Advisory Committee.
His public service career has also included roles as DOE general counsel, assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental affairs, and the principal deputy director for the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management.
Garrish was nominated to the post by President Trump in February and testified before the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources on April 30.
“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.”
ANS welcomed the news of Garrish’s confirmation on September 18.
Williams: Williams was announced as Trump’s pick for NNSA administrator in January. The former one-term congressperson from New York’s 22nd district was in office from 2023 to the beginning of 2025. Prior to political office, he served in the U.S. Navy.
When Williams testified before the Senate’s Committee on Armed Services on April 10, he said he would advocate for the men and women at the agency.
“We know how critical [those workers] are to restoring our nuclear deterrence, our nuclear weapons enterprise, and so all of the discussions about personnel, we're rising to meet a historic demand right now,” he said. “I think innovation is key to that. I think efficiency is key to that, but we need the specialized workforce that has been developed at NNSA.”
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