On the recordFebruary 16, 2017
Mr. President, I come to the floor to convey my wholehearted opposition to the nomination of Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA. The EPA, at its core, is an Agency established to protect the environment and the public health of our Nation. This Agency looks to establish policies and guidelines that would benefit all Americans--and in essence is not an Agency of partisanship. In fact, the EPA was created through legislation led by a Republican President, Richard M. Nixon, and enacted by a bipartisan Congress in 1970. The EPA has a duty to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the environment we hope to pass on to future generations. In accomplishing this mission, it enforces some of our most valued laws like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, which have been in effect for more than 30 years. Unfortunately, this President asked the U.S. Senate to confirm a nominee who has dedicated his career to undermining the very Agency he is asked to lead. Mr. Pruitt's record and consistent failure to commit to being a fair Administrator of the EPA further demonstrates that the Trump administration's agenda is to weaken protections that guarantee every American access to clean air and clean water. From his actions as attorney general of Oklahoma up to his testimony at his hearing before the Environment and Public Works Committee, it is clear Mr. Pruitt is simply unqualified.…





