President Trump’s pick to lead the Commerce Department assured senators on Wednesday that he won’t try to dismantle the nation’s climate, oceans and weather science agency during a largely genial confirmation hearing.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) asked Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick if he would want to break up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which falls under the department.
“I have no interest in separating it. That is not on my agenda,” Lutnick said.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) similarly asked Lutnick if he agreed with proposals in the controversial conservative policy roadmap Project 2025 that say NOAA should be “dismantled” and some of its operations should be privatized.
Lutnick said “no,” he does not agree with those proposals.
No Democrat asked Lutnick any further questions about climate science at the agency and whether scientific integrity there would be protected.
During the hearing, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) criticized the work of the National Institute of Standards and Technology under the Biden administration for including climate change information in its guidance for artificial intelligence.
Lutnick answered affirmatively when asked by Cruz if he would ensure that the agency guidance “is based on scientific technical standards and not simply a Trojan horse for social policy or importing the EU’s tech agenda.”
