spacetoday.net: Senate unanimously confirms Griffin

Posted: Thu, Apr 14, 2005, 7:37 AM ET (1137 GMT)
Michael Griffin (JHUAPL)

The US Senate unanimously confirmed the nomination of Michael Griffin as the next NASA administrator Wednesday night, clearing the way for him to start work by the end of this week. The Senate confirmed the nomination without opposition shortly before it adjourned for the night. The confirmation was expedited at the request of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), who made the request during Griffin's confirmation hearing Tuesday. That process was delayed by another senator, George Allen (R-VA), who asked Griffin for more information on his views regarding NASA's aeronautics programs; after tentatively planning to act on the nomination during a committee hearing Thursday, the committee agreed to advance its schedule, forwarding the nomination to the Senate floor during the day Wednesday. NASA said in a statement late Wednesday that Griffin would be sworn in by the end of the week.