Pruitt goes off-message about the EPA’s mission

The mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is to protect human health and the environment—air, water, and land. (It says so right on the agency’s website.) EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, however, seems to be way more obsessed about something that has nothing to do with his agency’s purpose: energy independence. Pruitt peppers his speeches with this topic and has even tweeted about his plan to bring "energy independence" to the country. He was at it again when he dropped by the Congressional Coal Caucus meeting this week. (Pruitt heralded the end of the so-called war on coal at that meeting, which is also telling.) The fact is, Pruitt has spent more time meeting with coal miners and oil drillers than with public health and environmental advocates, and more effort trying to repeal and replace regulations that protect everyday Americans. His real constituency? Corporate polluters.