In a recent event in Atlantic Highlands, Blue Dog Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill ignited outrage by doubling down on her push for new nuclear power plant construction in New Jersey, dismissing grassroots concerns about safety, cost, and environmental consequences.
Sherrill, a former Navy pilot turned conservative lawmaker, told a crowd of roughly 130 residents that while solar and wind energy “present opportunities,” nuclear power is the linchpin of her vision to slash energy prices and reduce reliance on out-of-state coal, which she derided as “the dirtiest power we have”.
Critics argue her stance aligns with a pattern of fiscal recklessness and misplaced priorities, epitomized by her unwavering support for bloated military budgets and now a risky energy agenda.
Sherrill, a member of the dwindling Blue Dog Coalition, claims the mantle of fiscal responsibility and pragmatic centrism.
The Blue Dogs, founded in 1995 is often a path for Democrats preparing to join the Republican Party, historically positioned themselves as guardians of budget discipline and bipartisan compromise.
Yet Sherrill’s record tells a different story.
She has repeatedly voted for extravagant military spending bills, including the $883 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in 2024, which funneled millions to defense contractors while targeting transgender healthcare access for military families.
This duality—posturing as a fiscal hawk while endorsing corporate-friendly militarism—has drawn sharp skepticism from progressives and watchdog groups alike.
“Sherrill’s nuclear advocacy glosses over stark realities,” said anti-establishment progressive Democrat Lisa McCormick, a prominent environmentalist.
“There is no such thing as safe nuclear power,” said McCormick. “Nuclear power is dirty, dangerous, expensive, and building costly new reactors makes the world less safe and adds to the deadly and unsolved radioactive waste problem.”
While nuclear plants produce low-carbon energy, their construction is plagued by staggering upfront costs.
The World Nuclear Association notes that capital costs account for 60% of nuclear’s levelized energy expenses, with projects often exceeding budgets and timelines .
New Jersey, already burdened by aging infrastructure, risks sinking billions into plants that could take over a decade to build—time the climate crisis cannot afford.
Moreover, the specter of accidents, as seen in Fukushima and Chernobyl, looms large, with cleanup costs and health impacts externalized onto taxpayers.
Microsoft is in the process of opening a shuttered Three Mile Island reactor at the Pennsylvania location of America’s 1979 close call with disaster.
Her nuclear proposal drew sharp criticism from McCormick, who got more votes than any statewide primary challenger to an incumbent since 1980, when she took on disgraced former US Senator Bob Menendez, who was Sherrill’s running mate in 2018.
“Nuclear waste disposal remains an unresolved nightmare,” said McCormick. “The U.S. lacks a permanent storage solution for spent fuel rods, leaving communities like those near the Oyster Creek plant in Lacey Township to grapple with toxic stockpiles.”
Sherrill’s vague assurances of “modern safeguards” ring hollow to McCormick, who said New Jersey residents recall the 2018 closure of Oyster Creek after decades of leaks and safety violations .
From the murder of Karen Silkwood to current evidence of scandals in businesses involved with closing aging nuclear plants, McCormick argues that the industry is rife with corruption.
Holtec International has been involved in several scandals, including a tax break investigation in New Jersey that resulted in a $5 million penalty.
The New Jersey-based company, which is linked to power broker George Norcross, has also faced scrutiny over its involvement in bribing a government worker to secure a contract, as well as allegations of bribing whistleblowers.
Solar and wind projects can be deployed in months, not years, and their costs have plummeted by 90% and 70%, respectively, since 2009.
McCormick questioned whether Sherrill’s favoring nuclear power due to lobbying by entrenched energy interests, noting her alignment with utility giants like PSEG, which operates the Salem and Hope Creek reactors.
Sherrill’s nuclear push mirrors her defense of the Pentagon’s $895 billion budget—a package she supported despite its inclusion of GOP-authored attacks on transgender youth healthcare.
“Her justification is a flawed pragmatism that prioritizes corporate and military interests over marginalized communities . This ‘tough choice’ rhetoric,” McCormick argues, “epitomizes the Blue Dog playbook: compromise on social justice to secure pet projects, all while touting fiscal restraint.”
“Sherrill is taking sides with President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order on April 8th, overriding state laws that govern nuclear facilities and another on April 9th, sunsetting broad swaths of nuclear regulation,” said McCormick.
As Sherrill angles for the governorship with near unanimous support from north Jersey political bosses, her nuclear gambit threatens to lock the state into a high-risk energy future.
Ratepayers could face spiraling costs from plant overruns, while safety risks persist.
“Mikie Sherrill’s allegiance to military contractors and nuclear lobbyists undermines her claims of centrist integrity,” said McCormick. “Why should residents gamble on nuclear when cleaner, safer alternatives abound? The answer, it seems, lies not in the public interest—but in the tangled nexus of politics and profit.”