April 26, 2018
By Coral Davenport –
Scott Pruitt, the embattled head of the Environmental Protection Agency, will face two congressional panels on Thursday, in what is expected to be a daylong grilling over recent allegations of ethical infractions and lavish spending.
Mr. Pruitt, one of the most controversial members of President Trump’s administration, was once celebrated by conservatives for his aggressive efforts to roll back environmental regulations while denying the established science of human-caused climate change. But even Republican support for Mr. Pruitt has waned with the revelations of his office’s spending on first-class flights and unusual security measures, and his condominium rental agreement with the wife of an energy lobbyist.
Ultimately, of course, the audience that matters most for Mr. Pruitt’s performance is Mr. Trump, who will decide whether Mr. Pruitt stays or goes.
As Mr. Pruitt’s future with the administration appears to hang by a thread, here’s what to watch as the E.P.A. chief goes before two committees of the House of Representatives.
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.
