Senator Markey Statement on Boycott of EPA Nominee Scott Pruitt's EPW Committee Confirmation Vote

Statement

Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) joined his Democratic colleagues on the Environment on Public Works Committee (EPW) in not attending today's business meeting where they were to vote on the nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

" "Go FOIA yourself' is not a sufficient response to the Democrats of the Environment and Public Works committee who are asking for critical information on Scott Pruitt's environmental record as Attorney General of Oklahoma.

"For more than a month, Mr. Pruitt has not fully responded to inquiries, questions for the record, or requests for information on his record and views on clean air, clean water, and climate change. Senate Democrats and the American public have a right to basic information from all of Donald Trump's nominees, including Scott Pruitt, before taking votes on them in committee or on the Senate floor.

"Mr. Pruitt has also refused to recuse himself from the pending eight cases that he has brought as Attorney General of Oklahoma against the EPA. Unless he recuses himself from these cases, he will be serving as plaintiff, defendant, judge and jury on some of the most important matters at the EPA.

"We cannot fully judge Mr. Pruitt's positions nor assess potential conflicts of interests that would impact his service at the EPA without responses to our questions for the record."

Source