Reps Comment on EPA Chief Resignation

Scott Pruitt. Wikipedia image.

President Donald Trump announced Thursday, July 5, 2018, that Environmental Protection Agency chief, Scott Pruitt, had resigned.

Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa issued the following statement after the resignation of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt:

“Finally, amidst 13 separate federal investigations into his security spending, first class travel habits other alleged violations, Mr. Pruitt resigned. His scandal laden tenure and questionable conduct aside, do not forget the Trump administration’s work to do away with federal regulations that protect our environment. The acting EPA administrator, Andrew Wheeler, is an experienced D.C. operator who shares Trump and Pruitt’s affinity for eliminating environmental regulations and protections. He may be more skilled at working around and through the laws and process than Mr. Pruitt. When considering the nomination of the next EPA administrator, I urge my colleagues to remember the EPA’s mission; ‘to protect human health and the environment… and ensure Americans have clean air, land and water.’ We must not allow this administration to continue to put the special interests of their friends and businesses before environmental protection and preservation.”

Sen. Brian Schatz issued the following statement :

“Scott Pruitt was unusually greedy and shamelessly corrupt, but his worst transgression was that he systematically worked on behalf of polluters to poison our air and our water and make climate change worse. I hope that the next administrator will actually care about protecting the air we breathe and the water we drink.”

Sen. Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement :

“During his time in office, Scott Pruitt exemplified the toxic mixture of corruption and hostility to government we’ve come to expect from the Trump administration. I joined 38 other Democratic Senators in calling for his resignation in April, and I certainly welcome his long-overdue resignation today.

“Andrew Wheeler is a former fossil fuel industry lobbyist and shares Mr. Pruitt’s hostility to the EPA’s core mission of protecting the air we breathe and the water we drink. He is another wrong choice to lead this critically important agency on either an interim or permanent basis. I will continue to fight this administration’s ongoing assault on the environment.”