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Nomination to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the U.S. Department of Commerce

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Nomination to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the U.S. Department of Commerce S. HRG. 115–643 NOMINATION TO THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION, THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION, AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION NOVEMBER 1, 2017 Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ( Available online: http://www.govinfo.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 37–226 PDF WASHINGTON : 2019 VerDate Nov 24 2008 13:20 Jul 31, 2019 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\GPO\DOCS\37226.TXT JACKIE SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JOHN THUNE, South Dakota, Chairman ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi BILL NELSON, Florida, Ranking ROY BLUNT, Missouri MARIA CANTWELL, Washington TED CRUZ, Texas AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota DEB FISCHER, Nebraska RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut JERRY MORAN, Kansas BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts DEAN HELLER, Nevada CORY BOOKER, New Jersey JAMES INHOFE, Oklahoma TOM UDALL, New Mexico MIKE LEE, Utah GARY PETERS, Michigan RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois CORY GARDNER, Colorado MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire TODD YOUNG, Indiana CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada NICK ROSSI, Staff Director ADRIAN ARNAKIS, Deputy Staff Director JASON VAN BEEK, General Counsel KIM LIPSKY, Democratic Staff Director CHRIS DAY, Democratic Deputy Staff Director RENAE BLACK, Senior Counsel (II) VerDate Nov 24 2008 13:20 Jul 31, 2019 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\37226.TXT JACKIE C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held on November 1, 2017 ........................................................................ 1 Statement of Senator Thune ................................................................................... 1 Prepared statement of Hon. Richard Burr, U.S. Senator from North Caro- lina ................................................................................................................. 35 Letters and articles of support for Hon. James Bridenstine................. 67-121 Statement of Senator Nelson .................................................................................. 3 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 5 National Review op-ed dated February 16, 2016 entitled ‘‘Ted Cruz’s True Record on Military Funding and National Security Is Unassail- able’’ by Jim Bridenstine .............................................................................. 62 Statement of Senator Inhofe ................................................................................... 7 Statement of Senator Wicker .................................................................................. 50 Statement of Senator Schatz .................................................................................. 121 Statement of Senator Udall .................................................................................... 123 Statement of Senator Lee ....................................................................................... 125 Statement of Senator Peters ................................................................................... 128 Statement of Senator Hassan ................................................................................. 133 Statement of Senator Cortez Masto ....................................................................... 135 Statement of Senator Moran .................................................................................. 137 Statement of Senator Markey ................................................................................. 139 Statement of Senator Blumenthal .......................................................................... 140 Statement of Senator Gardner ............................................................................... 142 Statement of Senator Booker .................................................................................. 144 Letter dated June 20, 2012 from Gregory T. Colpitts, Esq., The Colpitts Law Firm ....................................................................................................... 144 Copies of Form 990—Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax regarding Jim Bridenstine from 2008 through 2015 ................................. 146 Article dated February 5, 2012 written by Jim Bridenstine on the subject of marriage .................................................................................................... 155 Statement in the Congressional Record dated May 20, 2012 by Jim Bridenstine regarding the Boy Scouts of America ..................................... 155 Statement of Senator Duckworth ........................................................................... 156 Statement of Senator Klobuchar ............................................................................ 158 Statement of Senator Cruz ..................................................................................... 159 WITNESSES Hon. James Bridenstine, Nominee to be Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration ................................................................................... 7 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 9 Biographical information ................................................................................. 11 Dana Baiocco, Nomine to be Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Com- mission .................................................................................................................. 25 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 27 Biographical information ................................................................................. 28 Neil Jacobs, Jr., Ph.D., Nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Environmental Observation and Prediction ...................................................... 35 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 37 Biographical information ................................................................................. 38 Nazakhtar (‘‘Nazak’’) Nikakhtar, Nominee to be Assistant Secretary, Industry and Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce ................................................... 51 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 53 Biographical information ................................................................................. 54 (III) VerDate Nov 24 2008 13:20 Jul 31, 2019 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\37226.TXT JACKIE IV Page APPENDIX Letter of opposition dated October 26, 2017 from Patty Murray, United States Senator .................................................................................................................. 165 Letter of opposition dated October 31, 2017 from the following: Climate Hawks Vote, Hip Hop Caucus, League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, NextGen America, Public Citizen, Sierra Clue, and Students for a Just and Stable Future ....................................................... 167 Response to written questions submitted to Hon. James Bridenstine by: Hon. Roger F. Wicker ....................................................................................... 167 Hon. Deb Fischer .............................................................................................. 168 Hon. Dean Heller .............................................................................................. 169 Hon. Jim Inhofe ................................................................................................ 169 Hon. Mike Lee ................................................................................................... 171 Hon. Shelley Moore Capito .............................................................................. 172 Hon. Todd Young .............................................................................................. 173 Hon. Bill Nelson ............................................................................................... 173 Hon. Maria Cantwell ........................................................................................ 175 Hon. Richard Blumenthal ................................................................................ 175 Hon. Amy Klobuchar ........................................................................................ 179 Hon. Tom Udall ................................................................................................ 180 Hon. Gary Peters .............................................................................................. 181 Hon. Cory Booker ............................................................................................. 182 Hon. Tammy Duckworth .................................................................................. 183 Hon. Maggie Hassan ........................................................................................ 183 Hon. Catherine Cortez Masto .......................................................................... 185 Response to written questions submitted to Dana Baiocco by: Hon. Bill Nelson ..............................................................................................
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