The Senate voted 53-45 on April 12 to confirm Andrew Wheeler to become EPA Deputy Administrator.
Wheeler has an extensive and varied past with environmental law and policy. He started his career with EPA and later worked for Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), including as Inhofe’s staff director on the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee. However, it is Wheeler’s most recent work that has caused controversy throughout his nomination process. Since 2009 he worked for Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting where he represented large companies such as the Nuclear Institute and Xcel Energy. Wheeler was also a registered lobbyist for Murray Energy, the largest privately owned coal company in the United States.
An EPA press release quoted Administrator Scott Pruitt’s response to Wheeler’s confirmation: “Andrew Wheeler has spent his entire career advancing sound environmental policies and I look forward to him bringing his expertise and leadership to the agency...I look forward to working with Andrew to implement President Trump’s environmental agenda.”
Wheeler was first nominated in October of last year, and the EPW committee approved Wheeler on an 11-10 party-line vote in February.