The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Jeffery Prieto to become the top lawyer for the Environmental Protection Agency, but it came without the support of Oklahoma U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe and James Lankford.
His nomination, recommended last month by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on a 12-8 vote, with member Sen. Inhofe voting against him, was approved in the full senate on a 54-44 vote.
The roll call, as recorded by the Senate showed Texas senators voted against him and so did the two senators from Kansas. New Mexico senators voted in support of Prieto’s nomination.
As the EPA’s top legal counsel, Prieto will officially be an Assistant Administrator for the agency.
Prieto was general counsel for the Los Angeles Community College District and had been appointed by President Obama to be general counsel to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
