Ranking Member Carper Calls Scott Pruitt’s Responses to Questions Inadequate

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Tom Carper (D. Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, reacted to the responses of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to questions submitted for the record following the hearing on his nomination. The questions submitted also included those sent by Senator Carper to the nominee nearly a month ago to which he had never received a response.

 “During our hearing, Mr. Pruitt gave us answers that blatantly contradicted his record, and provoked many serious concerns about his nomination to lead the EPA. It is clear that those concerns are not shared only by my colleagues and me, but also by the American public.

 “In an effort to clarify Mr. Pruitt’s vision for the agency, I was joined by several members of the committee in submitting serious and thoughtful questions for the record. Any candidate to serve as EPA Administrator should’ve been able to provide sophisticated answers to all of them. However, Mr. Pruitt’s responses were shockingly devoid of substance, did not rely on empirical evidence and did not reflect the thorough effort that a task so important to our democracy demands. As the confirmation process continues, I strongly urge Mr. Pruitt to revisit these questions and provide us with the comprehensive information we need to ensure the American people will continue to have an EPA that protects our environment and health.”

 The responses Mr. Pruitt gave to questions from Democratic senators are available here and here.

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