U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a nominations hearing for nominees of the National Transportation Safety Board, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Department of Commerce at 10:00 AM EST on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. The hearing will immediately follow an executive session to reconsider the nomination of Dr. Neil Jacobs, of North Carolina, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (NOAA Administrator). Jacobs was previously reported to the full Senate on a bipartisan basis by voice vote. However, possible changes in Senate floor procedure around nominations necessitates a roll call vote.
Nominees:
Michael Graham, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board
Ethan Klein, of New Jersey, to be an Associate Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
Joyce Meyer, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs to oversee the Census Bureau
Klein served as a technology policy adviser for OSTP for most of Trump’s first term. “After 2021, he served as a nuclear nonproliferation and international safeguards fellow with funding from the National Nuclear Security Administration and completed a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in nuclear science and engineering.” Klein is also nominated to be U.S. Chief Technology Officer.
Meyer served as the White House’s deputy director of legislative affairs during Trump’s first term, and was a long-time staffer of the former Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.). She would oversee the U.S. Census Bureau.
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources will meet to consider:
H.R. 2306 (Rep. Moolenaar), “The Adams Memorial-Great American Heroes Act”
H.R. 2815 (Rep. Begich), “Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025”
H.R. 2916 (Rep. Stefanik), To authorize, ratify, and confirm the Agreement of Settlement and Compromise to Resolve the Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim in the State of New York, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3692 (Rep. Moulton), To reauthorize the Young Fishermen’s Development Act.
H.R. 3872 (Rep. Fallon), To amend the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands to make that Act applicable to hardrock minerals.
H.R. 4090 (Rep. Stauber), To codify certain provisions of certain Executive Orders relating to domestic mining and hardrock mineral resources, and for other purposes. (amendment in the nature of a substitute)
H.R. 4256 (Rep. Min), “Digital Coast Reauthorization Act of 2025”
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an executive session to reconsider the nomination of Dr. Neil Jacobs, of North Carolina, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (NOAA Administrator). Jacobs was previously reported to the full Senate on a bipartisan basis by voice vote. However, possible changes in Senate floor procedure around nominations necessitates a roll call vote. The executive session will be immediately followed by a nominations hearing.
Nominee:
Dr. Neil Jacobs, of North Carolina, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (NOAA Administrator)
The vote was cancelled for lack of a quorum.
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Jeffery Hall, previously a partner at oil-industry law firm Burke Law Group, is principal deputy assistant administrator in EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. At Burke, Hall represented Dr. Eithan Haim, an anti-trans surgeon who stole minor patient files and shared them with neo-Nazi activist Chris Rufo. The case against Haim was dropped by the DOJ days after Trump became president. Hall also represented the anti-trans organization Do No Harm. Hall also represented the State of Louisiana in arguments before the Fifth Court of Appeals in Texas v. EPA. The court ruled against Louisiana.
A March 12 memo from Hall lays out specific “initial guidance” on realigning the agency’s 2023 National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives with the Trump Administration’s stated goals. The memo provides that “enforcement and compliance assurance actions shall not shut down any stage of energy production . . . or power generation absent an imminent and substantial threat to human health or an express statutory or regulatory requirement to the contrary.” Further, actions that “would unduly burden or significantly disrupt energy production or power generation,” among other consequences, must be approved by Mr. Hall.
Department of State Assistant Secretaries and Under Secretaries:
Thomas DiNanno, of Florida, to be Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security
Michael DeSombre, of Illinois, to be an Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
Jacob Helberg, of Florida, to be an Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment
Paul Kapur, of California, to be Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs
Chris Pratt, of Utah, to be an Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs, vice Jessica Lewis, resigned
Todd Wilcox, of Florida, to be an Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security
Riley Barnes, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Sarah Rogers, of New York, to be Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy
Caleb Orr, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs
United Nations:
Michael G. Waltz, of Florida, to be the Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, with the Rank of Ambassador, and the Representative of the United States of America in the Security Council of the United Nations, and to be Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations
Dan Negrea, of Connecticut, to be Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations
Lynda Blanchard, of Alabama, to be U.S. Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, with the rank of Ambassador
Ambassadors:
Nicole McGraw, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia
Somers Farkas, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Malta
Kenneth Howery, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark
Stacey Feinberg, of California, to be Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Howard Brodie, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Finland
Arthur Fisher, of North Carolina, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Austria
Nicholas Merrick, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Czech Republic
Roman Pipko, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia
Anjani Sinha, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore
Thomas Rose, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Poland
Richard Buchan III, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco
John Giordano, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia
Michel Issa, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Lebanese Republic
Sean O’Neill, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand
Julie Stufft, of Ohio, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan
Bill Bazzi, of Michigan, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia
Melinda Hildebrand, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica
William White, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium
Other Officials:
Leandro Rizzuto, of Florida, to be Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the Organization of American States, with the rank of Ambassador
Benjamin Black, of New York, to be Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation
Jacob Helberg is senior advisor to Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies.
The Subcommittee on Environment will hold a legislative hearing on Tuesday,
September 16, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. (ET) in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is
entitled, “From Gridlock to Growth: Permitting Reform Under the Clean Air Act.” The hearing
will focus potential reforms to permitting and environmental reviews under the Clean Air Act.
A Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology hearing entitled, “Surveying the Threat of Agroterrorism: Perspectives on Food, Agriculture, and Veterinary Defense.”
On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 2:00 pm ET, the Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration will hold a hearing titled, “Maintaining Election Operations in the Face of Natural Disasters.” The hearing will be held in room 1310 of the Longworth House Office Building.
Witnesses:
Karen Brinson Bell, Former Executive Director, North Carolina State Board of Elections
Cord Byrd, Secretary of State of Florida, Office of the Florida Secretary of State