On March 4, President Obama made official the nomination of Gina McCarthy to be the next EPA Administrator. Most observers see the selection of McCarthy, currently serving as EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, as a relatively safe bet for confirmation since she is a known entity at EPA, with a directly relevant track record to evaluate and a good working relationship with both environmental and industry stakeholders. Her nomination is regarded by some, however, as a strong signal that the White House will be heavily focused on climate change in Obama’s second term, and this perception could pose an obstacle to her confirmation.
In her current position, McCarthy has overseen some of the more contentious regulations under development at EPA, including restrictions on green house gas emissions and higher fuel economy standards. Critics of President Obama’s climate policies speculate the White House may be looking to leverage such regulations to achieve its climate policy goals in the absence of legislative action, and several Senators are expected to use McCarthy’s confirmation hearings to press her on these issues.
A date for McCarthy’s Senate confirmation hearing has not been set. Deputy EPA Administrator Bob Perciasepe will continue serving as Acting Administrator until she is confirmed.