The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee voted on April 30 to advance Jared Isaacman’s nomination to lead NASA, moving the astronaut and entrepreneur one step closer to confirmation.
The 19–9 vote clears the way for consideration by the full Senate, though a final vote has not yet been scheduled. Given no public Republican opposition to the nomination and some Democratic support, his confirmation is all but assured.
All nine votes against the nominee came from Democratic senators: Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii; Ed Markey, D-Mass.; Gary Peters, D-Mich.; Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.; Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M.; John Fetterman, D-Pa.; and Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del.
During his confirmation hearing, Isaacman fielded questions about NASA’s future exploration plans, particularly the balance between ongoing lunar missions and longer-term objectives such as a crewed mission to Mars. NASA is currently focused on its Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon as a step toward eventual human exploration of Mars.
Isaacman told lawmakers that he sees NASA’s role as both returning humans to the moon and enabling the first crewed mission to Mars.
“It is a fundamental requirement for NASA to inspire the next generation and the best way to do that is to complete its missions – go back to the moon and then on to Mars,” Isaacman said.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, chairman of the committee, voiced support for the nomination after receiving assurances that Isaacman would adhere to congressional mandates requiring a sustained human presence on or around the moon. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., also said she supported the nomination, citing Isaacman’s support for the current Artemis mission.
“A commitment to keeping on to the moon mission is the key requirement that we have to have in this position,” Cantwell said.