Heller likely to vote against Commerce nominee
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., said Thursday he probably will vote against John Bryson, a former California utility executive and environmental advocate who has been nominated to head the Department of Commerce.
After meeting with Bryson for a half-hour Thursday, Heller said he had "deep reservations" about the nominee, who has strong business ties and who President Barack Obama said would be "an important part of my economic team."
Bryson was chairman and chief executive of Edison International, parent company of Southern California Edison, and has served as director of several major corporations including Boeing Corp. and Walt Disney Corp.
In 1969, Bryson, now 67, founded the Natural Resources Defense Council, an international advocacy group that focuses on a range of environmental matters including global warming.
Heller said he was troubled by Bryson's tie to the organization, which is known for challenging environmental policies and practices through litigation. It was clear, he said, the two differed on "cap and trade" proposals to curb greenhouse gases, with Bryson in favor and Heller opposed.
Heller said he also posed questions about taxes and the economy. He declined to go into detail on the conversation but said he was "not satisfied" with Bryson's responses.
"That is not to say he may not have better answers when he comes in front of the committee, but at this point, I am definitely not satisfied with his positions," Heller said.
Bryson is scheduled to appear for a confirmation hearing next week before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, on which Heller sits.
Several Republicans are lining up to oppose Bryson, some for reasons unrelated to his nomination.
Some have vowed to hold up the nominee until President Obama submits trade agreements with Panama, Colombia and South Korea to the Senate for ratification.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has said he plans to block Bryson to get Obama's support for a factory that Boeing plans to build in South Carolina. The National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint accusing the company of trying to bust its unions by moving jobs to the right-to-work state.
