Government

Senator Puts Hold on Nominee To Lead Corps

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) has imposed a hold on the nomination of Lt. Gen. thomas Bostick, President Obama's choice to be the next Army corps of engineers chief.

Vitter is withholding approval until the Corps provides satisfactory answers to the senator's questions about several Louisiana issues, including project funding.

Senate holds block floor action on nominees. Furthermore, Bostick must gain approval from the Armed Services Committee, which has yet to convene a hearing on his nomination.

Maj. Gen. Merdith W.B. “Bo” Temple, the Corps deputy commanding general, became the acting chief of engineers on June 17, following the retirement of Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp, the Corps chief since 2007.

As ENR's former Washington Bureau Chief, Tom Ichniowski wrote about the federal government since the George H.W. Bush administration, and covered at least five major highway bills. A recognized expert on government policy on infrastructure and regulation, Tom is also a Baltimore native and Orioles fan who grew up rooting for Brooks and Frank Robinson. He is a graduate of Columbia College and Columbia’s graduate school of journalism, where he once used “unrelentless” in a headline.

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