Vote on Nominations of Matt Anderson to be NASA Deputy Administrator, Mike Graham to NTSB, Richard Kloster to STB, Seval Oz to be Asst. Secy. of Transportation for R&D, and Arvind Raman to be NIST Director

Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
S-216 Capitol

03/12/2026 at 11:30AM

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee executive session on Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 11:30 a.m. ET (approx.) to consider the following nominations:

Agenda:

  • Matthew Anderson, of Colorado, to be Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • Michael Graham, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board
  • Richard Kloster, of West Virginia, to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board
  • Seval Oz, of California, to be the Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Research and Technology
  • Arvind Raman, of Indiana, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
  • Coast Guard Promotions (PN 716, PN 769, PN 846)

The nomination hearing for Seval Oz took place on July 23rd. Oz was Head of Global Strategic Partnerships for Google [X]’s Self-Driving Car Program from 2011 to 2014, where she supported business and marketing efforts for the initiative that later became Waymo. Oz recently served on the board of directors of MicroVision Inc., an advanced driver-assistance systems software company. She is Mehmet Oz’s sister. A vote on her nomination had been been scheduled for October, November, and December but was repeatedly delayed. She was renominated in January.

Mike Graham is a current member of the NTSB, appointed in Trump’s first term. His nomination hearing took place on September 17th. A vote on his nomination had been been scheduled for October, November, and December but was repeatedly delayed. He was renominated in January.

The nomination hearing for Richard Kloster took place on November 6th. Kloster, a Republican, is president and founder of Integrity Rail Partners, Inc., a consultant on railroads and rail equipment based in Charles Town, W. Va. Kloster is on the executive board of the National Industrial Transportation League shipper trade group, as well as the board of the Railway Supply Institute. His nomination lapsed at the end of the year, and he was renominated in January.

The nomination hearing for Anderson and Raman took place on March 5th.

Anderson is a corporate Space Force lobbyist.

As the dean of Purdue Engineering, Raman has been actively involved in CHIPS Act investments in Indiana and new collaborations with the Silicon Valley industry. NIST is currently roiled by new Trump rules barring hundreds of foreign scientists from working at the federal institute. Raman immigrated from India to attend Purdue for his graduate studies.