He’s been called an arsonist in charge of fighting forest fires. Others contend he wants the Environmental Protection Agency to stand for Every Polluter’s Ally.
Yet Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has his supporters as he prepares for his Wednesday morning confirmation hearing to run the EPA. Support from Oklahoma U.S. Senators Jim Inhofe and James Lankford is no surprise. Just as it’s no surprise that Democrats in the minority on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee are against Pruitt’s nomination by President-elect Donald Trump.
Ever since his nomination, Pruitt has made the rounds on Capitol Hill and met with Senators, trying to convince them he is the man to take over the reins of the EPA after 8 years of controversial rules and regulations from the Obama administration. Some of those rules and regulations were challenged by Pruitt who filed lawsuit after lawsuit against the EPA because of the impact they had on Oklahoma.
Pruitt has not made any public comments in Oklahoma since his nomination. There are reports he has held practice sessions to prepare for the confirmation questions. But there is little doubt that with his experience as an attorney and Attorney General, he will be prepared.
Democrats and environmentalists have raised questions about campaign money that Pruitt has received in the past from industry groups. They believe he’s too friendly with the fossil fuel industry and worked to assist the industry rather than enforce rules regulating it.
Sen. Inhofe thinks Inhofe is fully qualified to take over as Administrator of the EPA. Sen. Lankford, who will introduce Pruitt at the Wednesday morning hearing predicts he will be confirmed. He also recently told OK Energy today the confirmation hearing will likely be one of the wildest as Donald Trump prepares to become president.