Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., at a news conference to introduce the No Fortune For Fraud Act outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
"It's obviously proven time and time again, that electricity, power lifts the standard of living for all that have it," D'Agostino said. "And so having a somebody at the helm of the NNSA, which isn't a commercial nuclear power organization, it s a national security power organization, but there are relationships between the two, but having somebody like him in that position at this point in time is a really important, it's very important."
"There's no question that other powers – China, Russia, whatever, you can throw in, maybe, however you think about North Koreans – but the reality is there's geopolitical instability," he said. "Over years, having a strong nuclear deterrent led by people that know what they're doing and will get the job done is a key of that nuclear deterrance. It's not just the warheads themselves, it's the technical competence of the people in the organization."
"Brandon Williams, absolutely, Congressman Williams certainly has that," D'Agostino told Fox News Digital. "And he's, you know, he's confirmed he'll be leading an organization that is filled with technically competent people that know how to get the job done. So this is an important time. The world is watching. There's no question about it."
Ahead of Tuesday's hearing, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., penned a letter to Williams arguing that he lacks any of the extensive technical experience of his predecessors.
Williams completed training at the Naval Nuclear Power School and served as a junior officer on a nuclear submarine, but Warren said he does not possess any advanced degree in physics or engineering. The Democratic senator said the NNSA is in the middle of a $200 billion nuclear modernization project, which the Government Accountability Office has found has already exceeded initial cost estimates by more than $2 billion and is behind by almost 10 years.
Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., is seen outside the U.S. Capitol during the last votes of the week on Thursday, May 25, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
"He has that experience in the military and he has that experience on Capitol Hill, which is frankly incredibly important to understand… So there are similarities from the standpoint of cultural and commitment to national security and serving your country," D'Agostino told Fox News Digital. "That will serve the country well. I'm confident of that because a big part of the job in the NNSA, in addition to leading a technical organization, is also about relationships on the Hill, explaining to members what's going on in the program and why it's so important."
The role of NNSA administrator involves overseeing the nation's nuclear laboratories. D'Agostino named the Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Los Livermore National Laboratories as the three of the largest laboratories in the country and "with the highest qualifications and standards, frankly, throughout the world" that "were a part of the organization that developed the nuclear deterrent" and are "a key part of maintaining the nuclear-deterrent stockpile." Another of significance is the Naval Nuclear Laboratory underneath Admiral William J. Houston, which is part of the Naval Reactors Program.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"Those Naval Nuclear Laboratories are also part of NNSA," D'Agostino said. "Because Congressman Williams is a product of the naval nuclear propulsion program, his understanding of and experience with these laboratories will be important to maintain their technical competence and supporting, frankly, the country's security well into the future."
Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/supporters-defend-trumps-pick-control-americas-nuclear-arsenal-before-senate-grilling