Today the White House officially withdrew the nomination of Scott Doney to be the Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (H/T ScienceInsider). Of the three major confirmations pending related to science and technology policy, Doney’s is the only one with nobody in the position, and his nomination has been in process for just shy of one year.
There does not appear to be a Doney-specific reason for the hold placed on his nomination by Senator Vitter. He’s still incensed by what he sees as a de facto drilling moratorium in the Gulf due to backlogs in permit issuance. I would expect the position to go unfilled, as Vitter seems likely to place a hold on whomever would be nominated to the position next. As for the Senator’s listing of scientific integrity concerns as a reason for placing a hold on a Chief Scientist’s confirmation, make of that what you will.
