President-elect Donald Trump announced Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as his nominee to run EPA under his new administration. Pruitt is widely regarded as friendly toward fossil fuel interests and is a leading opponent of recent climate-related EPA regulations as well as President Obama’s broader climate agenda. As Oklahoma Attorney General, Pruitt was one of the driving forces behind recent federal lawsuits challenging EPA’s Clean Power Plan and other rules seeking tougher oversight of oil and natural gas interests. In the context of drinking water, he is also party to the ongoing litigation against the Clean Water Rule currently making its way through federal courts. More broadly, he is seen as a strong opponent of EPA, advocating for more state control over environmental policy and regulation.
The reaction to Pruitt’s nomination on Capitol Hill was predictably split along party lines. Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, who will chair the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee next year, praised Pruitt as someone “who will bring balance to vital environmental stewardship.” But Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, one of the Senate’s leading advocates for climate action, said Pruitt’s record “shows disdain for the EPA’s mission and ignorance of its importance.” The varying reactions suggest fireworks will be in store when the EPW Committee holds hearings on Pruitt’s nomination early next year, but Democratic opponents will face an uphill path to block his confirmation. Only 51 votes are required to confirm President-elect Trump’s cabinet nominees, and Republicans are expected to hold 52 Senate seats when the 115th Congress convenes in January.