Democratic nuclear regulator says Trump fired him "without cause"
An American flag next to an NRC sign at commission headquarters. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Trump fired a Democratic commissioner at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission late last week, the official said in an online post Monday.
Why it matters: Christopher Hanson's firing shifts the commission to a 2-2 split between the political parties and marks an escalation of the White House's exertion of power over independent agencies.
- It comes after the NRC was targeted for restructuring under a wave of nuclear executive orders issued last month.
What he's saying: Hanson, a Democrat who served as NRC chairman under the Biden administration, posted on LinkedIn that his position was terminated "without cause, contrary to existing law and longstanding precedent regarding removal of independent agency appointees."
- "My focus over the last five years has been to prepare the agency for anticipated change in the energy sector, while preserving the independence, integrity, and bipartisan nature of the world's gold standard nuclear safety institution," Hanson wrote.
The other side: "All organizations are more effective when leaders are rowing in the same direction," said Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary. "President Trump reserves the right to remove employees within his own Executive Branch who exert his executive authority."
- The commission, in a statement to Axios, confirmed Hanson departed on Friday.
- "The NRC has functioned in the past with fewer than five commissioners and will continue to do so," its statement read.
Rep. Frank Pallone, the House Energy and Commerce Committee's top Democrat, called the move illegal.
- "Congress explicitly created the NRC as an independent agency, insulated from the whims of any president, knowing that was the only way to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the American people," Pallone said.
- "Illegally firing Commissioner Hanson imperils Trump's own so-called 'energy dominance' agenda and is a gross abuse of power that could imperil the safety of nuclear power," he said.
Context: Trump fired two Democratic commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission in March, setting off a legal battle that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
- The White House also asked FERC Commissioner Willie Phillips, a Democrat, to leave in April, bringing the commission to a 2-2 split.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with comments from the NRC and Rep. Frank Pallone.
