Senate panel advances nominee in his second run to lead NASA

The Senate Commerce Committee advanced Monday a slate of transportation nominees, including Jared Isaacman, the on-off-on-again nominee to head NASA.

Isaacman, who was nominated to lead NASA earlier this year only to be withdrawn and renominated again in November, advanced on an 18-10 vote.

Isaacman said in a confirmation hearing last week that he doesn’t know why President Donald Trump withdrew his nomination in May and also denied that his ties to billionaire Elon Musk and Musk’s company SpaceX create a conflict of interest.

Trump withdrew Isaacman’s initial nomination during the president’s feud with Musk and after reports that Isaacman has previously donated to Democratic campaigns. In a May post on Truth Social, Trump cited a “thorough review” of Isaacman’s “prior associations.”

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