Environment and Public Works Committee Sends Nomination of Michael Regan for EPA Administrator to the Senate Floor

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, convened a business meeting to consider the nomination of Michael S. Regan to be the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A bipartisan majority of Committee members voted to move forward on his confirmation by a recorded vote of 14 to 6. His nomination now heads to the Senate floor for a full vote.

“Like I said during our hearing last week, I am confident that Michael Regan is the right person to lead EPA. He is a man of deep faith who believes that we have a moral obligation to be good stewards of this planet,” said Chairman Carper. “Mr. Regan has experience bringing people together to solve our most pressing environmental issues and make sure no community gets left behind in the process. I’m confident he will bring his sterling record of public service to lead the EPA with integrity and compassion.

“As we advance his nomination, it’s also critical that we focus our work on the issues that demand our attention. Climate change is the crisis of our time, and for too long, its dangerous impacts have been disproportionately shouldered by marginalized and low-income communities. In tackling climate change, we have the opportunity to not only do good for our planet but also to do right for our people and create good-paying jobs.”

Chairman Carper continued:

“Addressing environmental justice and climate change must be top priorities for our nation, and I’m pleased that our new subcommittee titles reflect the importance of these issues to our Committee’s work.”

In this same meeting, Committee members approved Chairman Carper’s proposed rule changes, including renaming two of the standing subcommittees. The Subcommittee formerly known as Clean Air and Nuclear Safety has been changed to Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety and the Subcommittee formerly known as Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight has been changed to Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight.

This is the first time that environmental justice has been enumerated in the title of a Senate standing subcommittee.