March 4, 2020 3:25 a.m. 
On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden voiced his opposition to advancing the nomination of James Danly to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Wyden said “the Trump administration appears determined to overthrow any semblance of independence at the FERC”. He said for months the agency has operated without a full and bipartisan commission, “throwing into question whether its decisions are partisan in nature”. He said the fact that the administration is working to advance the Danly nomination without a Democratic nominee, “only tilts the scale further”.
Wyden’s release said there are currently two vacancies on the commission. Should the Senate confirm Danly who is a Republican, three of the four confirmed commissioners would be Republicans, leaving one Democratic vacancy. Wyden said that runs counter to the commission’s longstanding tradition of balance and bipartisanship.
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources voted 12-8 to move the nomination forward. It now goes on to the full Senate for final confirmation.