Confirming The Next NASA Administrator
Keith’s note: This White House event could serve to put some wind into Rep. Bridenstine’s sails as he awaits a vote to confirm him as NASA administrator. If the White House is going to continue to throw its strong support toward NASA one can argue that this would only serve to suggest that Bridenstine will have the strong backing of the Administration in the implementation of its new space policies. In the past 11 months there have been a number of high-visibility NASA-related events with overt White House participation – more than what happened in the previous Administration’s two terms. So, at this point, no one can accuse this White House of not being willing to expend political capital on NASA.
Senate Democrats and Independents (46+2=48) are expected to solidly oppose Bridenstine’s confirmation due to direction from party leadership – even if they wanted to vote for Bridenstine (and there are a number of Democratic Senators who would otherwise vote for Bridenstine). The expected vote tally for Bridenstine’s assumes that Sen. Rubio and Sen. McCain are “no” votes. So that makes 48+2=50. That leaves a probable 50/50 vote for confirmation with Vice President Pence on hand in case a tie breaker vote is required. If the vote happens before the holiday recess then Pence could tip the balance in a tie vote. But if the vote does not happen in December and a Democrat is elected in Alabama and is seated before a confirmation vote in January – and Rubio and McCain are still “no” votes – then there could be a 49/51 vote and Bridenstine would not be confirmed.
Then again everything could change. Stay tuned.
Do you ever recall the Senate rejecting a nominee for NASA Administrator? I don’t.
So this would be the first, if it happens. We live in quite interesting times.
Has there every been a pure, party-line vote over the NASA administrator? If all the Democrats in the Senate vote against Bridenstine, that would be a vote which has very little to do with him, personally, or NASA in general. It would be sending a message that they are against anything Mr. Trump is for.
I’m pretty sure this is a first. Usually polarization along party lines is reserved for one person that the other side does not like. Right now it is D vs R on everything.
More: Those of us who really care about NASA — who recognize the place that space exploration ought possess, properly viewed in the sweep of human history — we are a very limited group of people often seen through mirthful glasses.
So be it.
The NASA Administrator has authority over < $20Billion and around 18,000 people. As these things are counted in Washington, this level of authority makes Mr. Bridenstine something of a very small fish.
It’s a teeny Agency. And Mr. Bridenstine is hardly a heavy weight. Still, the politicos are lining up, carefully watching their fax machines lest they stand on the wrong side of the “line”.
What in the world have are we doing to ourselves?
Usually the unhappiness of one side or another gets passed along before the nomination is announced. It happened with Obama’s choice for NASA Admin, with Bolden being the compromise choice.
That process has been abandoned now.
Rational people must be careful not to over- rationalize, avoiding the error of thinking others are as rational. As much as i like what Bridenstine has said, even more what he has said behind the scenes, we are who we are. We see his record, statements and actions.
A big lesson in life, besides higher education, the tale of the scorpion and the frog. Forever turned around in my head since i was 7. The scorpion is who he is, rhyme or reason having little to do with what he does.