Chaffetz: Nuclear agency chief's resignation 'good' for the country

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) celebrated the announced resignation of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) chairman on Monday with a tweet that called the move "unfortunate but necessary."

NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko announced his resignation on Monday after three years as head of the agency and according to Chaffetz, the decision is "good" for the country.

thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/… Unfortunate, but necessary. I sought his resignation months ago. For the good of the NRC and the USA this had to happen

— Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) May 21, 2012

Chaffetz pressured Jaczko to resign at a hearing last January due to concerns over allegations of abusive behavior towards his staff.

“I think you should resign,” he said at the time. “If you’re going to do the right thing for this country and this commission, you should step down.”

Jaczko refused to resign at the time, saying he had confidence in his leadership and the performance of the agency. According to the NRC, Jaczko's resignation has nothing to do with the allegations or ongoing investigation into possible tensions within the commission.

Jaczko will retain oversight of the agency until President Obama appoints his replacement.

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