Pruitt Should Protect, Not Harm, Public Health and the Environment

WASHINGTON  – More senators voted against a president’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency today than in the agency’s 46-year history. It’s no wonder, because Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is unfit for the job as EPA administrator.

The following is a statement by Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council:

“Scott Pruitt is the worst pick ever confirmed to lead the EPA. He’s being sent there to hobble the agency we depend on to protect our health and environment. All the worse, Senate Republicans forced the confirmation vote before the public can know the truth about Pruitt’s ties to industrial polluters.

“We’ll use every tool in the kit to stop him from harming our air and water, endangering our communities and surrendering our kids to climate catastrophe.”

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 2 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.