EPA Administrator Pruitt

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, the Wheeler nomination sheds even more light on the current storm surrounding EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. If there was ever somebody who characterizes the swamp, it is Scott Pruitt, and all Americans should believe that, regardless of your views on the environment or whether wind or solar or natural gas or oil or coal is the right form of energy.

What Pruitt is doing is just incredible. In a relatively brief tenure at EPA, he has amassed an embarrassing list of scandals. He has ordered the construction of an expensive soundproof office at the EPA for reasons unknown, when none of his predecessors, Democratic or Republican, saw any need for such a facility. He has typically flown coach when paying for travel out of his own pocket but elected to fly first class when the taxpayers foot the bill. After moving to Washington, Administrator Pruitt rented an apartment for a cutrate price from--guess who--an energy lobbyist and former campaign donor who represents multiple clients with businesses before the EPA during Pruitt's tenure.

The level of hypocrisy in this administration is staggering. President Trump says he is going to drain the swamp. Pruitt characterizes the swamp in just about all of his actions, and Trump sticks by him. If you want to drain the swamp, Mr. President, get rid of Mr. Pruitt.

Unfortunately, President Trump has stood by Pruitt, despite obvious abuses of the taxpayers' money and trust. Why? Well, he likes what he is doing to unwind critical environmental protections on behalf of powerful industries.

The bottom line is simple. President Trump is so beholden to the special interests that supported Administrator Pruitt and his extreme, anti-green, industry-driven agenda that he is willing to turn a blind eye to serious ethical problems. If Big Oil and Big Gas are happy with EPA Administrator Pruitt, so, it seems, is President Trump.

In supporting Administrator Pruitt, President Trump is lowering the bar of government ethics and accountability to the floor. What abuse of the American people's trust will President Trump not tolerate if Administrator Pruitt is allowed to continue in his position despite flagrant graft? How can the President, with a straight face, say he aims to drain the swamp when he allows a man like Pruitt to stay? How much will President Trump let the standards for ethical conduct in his administration deteriorate?

I say to President Trump: The corruption and incompetence of this administration has reached a fever pitch.

President Trump, if you truly mean to drain the swamp--and it doesn't seem that you do--you ought to fire Administrator Pruitt immediately. Accept his resignation. Let him leave, which alone will clean up Washington in a way that Pruitt has not cleaned up our environment.

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