Click here to watch round one Senator Capito’s Q&A with Scott Pruitt.
Click here to watch round two of Senator Capito’s Q&A with Scott Pruitt.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following their recent meeting, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) questioned Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, the nominee for EPA administrator, during today’s nomination hearing in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
While acknowledging the coal miners who traveled to Washington from West Virginia to witness today’s hearing, Senator Capito focused her questions on the significant impacts overreaching environmental regulations have had on West Virginia’s economy and the need to return the agency to its core mission of protecting air and water without compromising jobs. She also secured confirmation from Attorney General Pruitt that, under his leadership, the EPA will ensure the full implementation of bipartisan chemical safety reform legislation the Senate passed last year, which includes a measure to help protect drinking water sources from incidents like the 2014 Freedom Industries chemical spill in West Virginia.
Senator Capito issued the following statement regarding today’s hearing:
“The EPA’s regulatory overreach has created significant devastation in West Virginia, but for the past eight years the agency has given no indication that it cares about the economic impact of its policies even though the law requires consideration of economic factors. I was glad to receive a commitment from Attorney General Pruitt that under his leadership the EPA will meet this requirement and that if confirmed as EPA administrator, Attorney General Pruitt will visit West Virginia and hear the real-world concerns of people impacted by the agency’s rulemaking.
“I was also encouraged by Attorney General Pruitt’s promise to ensure the full implementation of the bipartisan Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which includes a provision I supported to help safeguard drinking water sources from incidents like the 2014 Freedom Industries spill.
“I’m confident that Attorney General Pruitt will restore the rule of law at the EPA, and I thank him for his willingness to serve.”
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