Jim Bridenstine's NASA nomination remains in serious jeopardy

U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine's nomination to lead NASA remains in serious jeopardy and his colleagues are suggesting President Donald Trump should soon nominate someone else.

Bridenstine, a Tulsa Republican who was twice nominated to head the nation's space agency, has continued to draw the opposition of all Senate Democrats, independents and one Republican. A fellow Tulsa Republican, Sen. Jim Inhofe, has tried unsuccessfully to persuade that Republican senator to back Bridenstine.

“I have talked to Marco — Senator Marco Rubio — and he doesn't like Jim Bridenstine,” Inhofe said of the junior senator from Florida.

Florida's senators have effectively blocked Bridenstine's nomination. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, has rallied his party in unanimous opposition. Rubio's dislike places the number of nay votes at 50.

Because Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is not in the Senate while undergoing cancer treatment, that leaves only 49 votes for Bridenstine. He needs at least 50 to force a tiebreaking vote by Vice President Mike Pence, who would presumably vote for Bridenstine.

The congressman would be the first elected official to lead NASA and Rubio has said he believes it should be led by someone who is not a politician. Bridenstine is not only a politician but one who opposed Rubio's presidential run in 2016, cutting television ads for Sen. Ted Cruz in which he criticized Rubio. Inhofe said those ads are why Rubio opposes Bridenstine's nomination.

“I talked to him about it and I said, ‘Look, Marco, you were running for president, he was supporting somebody else, your opponent, and he said some things about you that were perfectly legitimate to talk about. You can't just be the one holdout,'” Inhofe said.

“I said, ‘What do I have to do or what do we have to do to get you to stand back and let him into this job?' (Rubio) said, ‘Not a chance. I'm not going to do it.' Those are his words.”

For as long as Rubio remains opposed and McCain remains in recovery, Bridenstine's nomination cannot move ahead. Even if McCain recovers and returns to the Senate, it's not clear whether he supports Bridenstine's nomination. The Tulsa congressman has previously backed one of McCain's political opponents.

“I'm not sure how he would vote but we've got to have one more vote,” Inhofe said. “If something happens where he would either return or resign and they can appoint somebody else, that would make a difference.”

‘Fish or cut bait'

Meanwhile, Bridenstine's colleagues on the House Science Committee are frustrated that Robert Lightfoot — the longest acting administrator in NASA history — remains in what should be a temporary job after 13 months.

“This is the product of a couple of senators who are bullheaded and a couple of senators who are basically watching out for their own little domain rather than what's good for the overall country,” said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., without naming names during a committee hearing Wednesday.

Rep. Frank Lucas, a Cheyenne Republican and a leading contender to chair the Science Committee next year, said it is “critically important” for NASA to have a Senate-approved administrator. In remarks to E&E News after the committee hearing, Lucas said the Senate should confirm Bridenstine or move on to another candidate.

"I would hope whatever the circumstances are in the United States Senate, at some point we'll decide the future of NASA's importance — either confirm this guy or get a new guy,” Lucas said.

Another committee member and Bridenstine backer, Democratic Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia, said time is running out on Bridenstine's nomination.

"The challenge that you have anywhere where you have acting directors, you're not going to get the leadership, the risk-taking, the culture-changing stuff that you're going to get with a person who is actually in charge. So, at a certain point, the Senate has to fish or cut bait, tell Jim he's not getting it or move on,” Beyer told E&E.

How long the president will wait before cutting bait is unclear. Inhofe said Trump still supports Bridenstine.

“He didn't tell me this but I believe the president is standing back now and saying, ‘Well, let's wait' and giving him a chance to get confirmed before he appoints somebody else,” Inhofe said.

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