March 28, 2018
By Rebecca Leber –
A coalition of 10 progressive and environmental groups are launching a campaign Wednesday saying President Donald Trump’s EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt needs to go. The campaign, which is spearheaded by the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Green Latinos, Defend Our Future, Hip Hop Caucus, and others, includes many of the groups that have been out front protesting Pruitt and the Trump administration. Now they will collectively target Pruitt by launching ads, a petition, a website (BootPruitt.com), op-eds, and other actions, as part of the first coordinated effort to oust the administrator since he was confirmed by the Senate more than a year ago.
The groups backing the campaign to “boot Pruitt” argue there is more than enough evidence to prove Pruitt is unfit for his job. Their online petition, to be delivered to the EPA and White House, outlines the complaints: “It’s clear where your priorities lie, Administrator Pruitt—with polluters and your political benefactors, not American families. For your numerous ethical breaches, alarming dirty dealings with polluters and the irreparable damage that you’ve done to our health and environment, you must resign immediately.”
Pruitt has faced a growing list of controversies. He arrived having sued the agency a record 14 times and spent his first year targeting dozens of air, water, and climate regulations. Once in office, he marginalized staff experts, spent tens of thousands of dollars on first-class travel, and appointed industry allies and Oklahoma friends to top EPA posts.
“It was very obvious to many of the environmental groups and progressive groups at the very beginning that Administrator Pruitt was not going to have environmental health and public health concerns in mind when he serves as administrator,” says former managing director of the White House Council of Environmental Quality Christy Goldfuss, who is vice president for energy policy at the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, which is involved in the campaign. “What was not clear last year was just how flagrantly he would violate ethical standards and breach the public trust. We have reached the tipping point and it is clear that Administrator Pruitt is unfit to serve in public office.”
The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is “to protect human health and the environment.” Disgraced EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt tried his best to undermine this vital mission by choosing to slash critical health protections and let corporate polluters off the hook. Now that Pruitt’s been booted, we need an EPA administrator dedicated to undoing his toxic agenda and restoring the agency to its core mission. Progress is possible and necessary – but another corporate crony or climate skeptic will not get us there.
Scott Pruitt is gone, but the fight is just beginning. We need an EPA administrator who puts our health and environment first, period. Any alternative is unacceptable.
