Overview

• Commissioners Matthew Marzano and Bradley Crowell testified they might be removed if they reject or delay designs they deem unsafe.
• Chairman David Wright said the NRC will not approve incomplete or unsafe applications and would miss the 18-month target rather than cut corners.
• Wright confirmed DOGE officials urged a “rubber-stamp” approach in May, which he said he rebuffed as inconsistent with safety.
• Senators cited steep attrition — about a dozen senior managers and 143 staff since January — with a government-wide hiring freeze tightening capacity.
• The commission is down to three members after Chris Hanson’s firing and Annie Caputo’s departure, as it reviews five advanced reactor applications and expects 25 to 30 more.