yesterday, Jeh Johnson, our former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, dropped by to say hello, and I shared with him the results of an annual Federal survey. As the Senator may know, every major Federal agency has its…

we are here today primarily to discuss the nomination of Andrew Wheeler to serve as Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Before I turn to Andrew Wheeler, I want to spend a few minutes talking about our current EPA…

they say that a man or woman's word is his bond. When the Environment and Public Works Committee voted on the nomination of Andrew Wheeler, someone I have known for 25 years or more, I was very clear about my desire to help smooth the way…

Smart policies at the Federal, State, and local levels have spurred a clean energy revolution in this country, and we have achieved real results.

I would love to see it expanded to focus on any type of capture of CO2.

Isn't that a great name, Feng Jiao? It means common sense. No, it doesn't really, but it could, because this is very much a common sense approach, I think.

It is really a pleasure to participate in a hearing that focuses on solutions to climate change, as opposed to a hearing that focuses and fuels the debate over the science of climate change.

Almost every piece of legislation I have introduced, and sometimes with colleagues that are here today on this Committee, it is rare that I introduce legislation that is perfect.

Pruitt's recent decision to water down corporate average fuel economy standards, the CAFE standards, is an example of how cooperative federalism, under Pruitt, really works.

The auto industry needs certainty. They do not want to have to build one model for California and a different model car, the same vehicle for 49 other States.

I would just ask you to put yourselves in our shoes, and we will try to do the same with respect to other States.

These actions need to occur to help downwind States like Delaware address nonattainment concerns for ozone.

I think there is a real opportunity here to make clear the endangerment finding and the Clean Air Act are compatible with one another.

I would ask unanimous consent to submit for the record a letter that Senator Udall and I sent to EPA regarding concerns about a proposal that would allow some of the dirtiest, heavy duty diesel trucks called glider trucks to circumvent…

Pruitt's desire to centralize decisionmaking in his own hands is not limited only to the Clean Air Act.

The Clean Power Plan is also critical to reducing the carbon emissions driving climate change.

Over a number of years, we have made real progress going back to when I think Jerry Ford was President and more recently since 2007, we have made real progress in reducing emissions.

Scott Pruitt has sullied the doctrine of cooperative federalism just as his disregard for EPA's mission has sullied the agency and his actions stand to sully our environment.

Cooperative federalism means cooperation between the Federal Government and the States to solve problems.

Pruitt's mission at EPA is cooperative corporatism, to serve the interests of the industry that has always backed him.

One of the things Senator Inhofe and I worked on together was to reduce diesel emissions.

I applaud the reduction in emissions that you talked about in your testimony.

There is a need here for a Federal role.

That is not good. That is not good.

The Clean Air Act requires EPA to partner with States to address air pollution, especially air pollution that crosses State borders.