Carper Statement on Withdrawal of Dourson Nomination

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement regarding news that the nomination of Dr. Michael Dourson to lead the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention has been withdrawn.

“My staunch objections to Dr. Dourson’s nomination were never a matter of partisanship. I sincerely believe he is the wrong person to hold this important position, and it’s become clear that, even with a Republican majority in the Senate, he could not be confirmed. Dr. Dourson, an individual who has spent most of his career promoting less protective chemical safety standards, had no business overseeing our nation’s chemical safety laws. The withdrawal of his nomination, and his removal from serving in a non-confirmed position at EPA, is in the best interest of all Americans. 

“Moreover, the withdrawal of Dr. Dourson’s nomination should serve as a lesson to the Senate. In this body, our responsibility is to provide advice and consent – not to rush to approve unqualified or controversial nominees or ill-advised legislation for shortsighted political wins. I hope that we can all learn from this moment, and I hope the administration will work swiftly to find an independent, credible chemical safety regulator – one who will protect public health and lead the implementation of the bipartisan Toxic Substances Control Act reforms we worked so hard to enact last year.”

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