Politico Says Inhofe’s Never Been More Influential on Environmental Policy in Washington

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Senator Jim Inhofe was in the spotlight Friday when it came to Politico’s Morning Energy Report.  The Internet newsletter focused on Inhofe’s influence on capitol hill when it comes to energy and on how his former aides are picking up some of the prime spots in the Environmental Protection Agency.

Read what the Morning Energy Report had to say.

“INHOFE’S SPHERE OF INFLUENCE: He’s no longer Environment and Public Works Committee chairman, but Sen. Jim Inhofe has arguably never been more influential for energy and environmental policy in Washington than right now under President Donald Trump. ME sat down with the Oklahoma Republican in his Senate office Thursday to discuss everything from EPA budget cuts to his infamous 2015 snowball stunt. Here are some of the highlights. Read the rest of the Q&A here.

On Scott Pruitt’s climate comments: “I’m glad he had the courage to stand up and tell the truth. The science isn’t there. There are a lot of people wishing it were. There are a lot of these Democrat members who really, they’ll die on their sword because they want people to believe something’s true that isn’t true. So, I admire him for having the courage to tell the truth.”

He argues fossil fuel companies don’t actually want climate action: “They [say they] do because they want to be on the inside. When [agencies] start promulgating rules, they want [to say], ‘Remember us? We’re the ones who said we’re on your side.’ Sure, they do that. A lot of people in what I call the big corporate world, they don’t consider it selling their souls. They know that they are working for a board of directors, that board of directors pays their salary and they have to come up with things that they know better. I’ve seen this in corporate world for a long time. I used to be in the corporate world.”

On his former staff headed to EPA: “See, I know those guys. I know how they perform. You could try to put something together to be really negative about that, but on the other hand if you stop and think about the people in my personal office and primarily in the committee the stuff that we did – I’m talking about the transportation bill, the chemical bill, the water bill – we did more than all the other committees put together. These are talented people. I think that’s just the kind of people [Pruitt] needs to have there.”

EPA NO. TWO PICK NEAR: Andrew Wheeler, a coal lobbyist and former aide to Inhofe, is expected to be tapped as deputy administrator of the EPA, Pro’s Andrew Restuccia, Alex Guillén and your ME host report, citing sources familiar with the hiring process. Sources cautioned that the decision has not yet been finalized, but they said Wheeler is expected to get the job. Two other aides with ties to Inhofe – EPW staffers Susan Bodine and Brittany Bolen – are also expected to join the EPA in the coming weeks.”