Senate moves to confirm EPA 2nd in command with Pruitt facing increased scrutiny

April 18th, 2018 by Dakota Software Staff

The U.S. Senate is expected to hold a confirmation vote soon for Andrew Wheeler, the nominee to serve as deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Should Wheeler be confirmed for the No. 2 role at the federal environmental regulator, he'll work under an agency leader who has faced increasing scrutiny and pressure to resign in March and April. Scott Pruitt has come under fire for a number of reasons, ranging from issues with the rent paid on a rental property linked to an energy industry lobbyist, as well as a variety of other issues including potentially excessive spending on travel and related expenses.

A new No. 2 for the EPA

"The EPA may soon have a new deputy administrator in place."

Wheeler, who previously was a congressional staffer and has worked as a coal industry lobbyist, will likely be confirmed due to the political makeup of the Senate. Additionally, some Democrat senators from states that have significant coal mining operations, such as West Virginia and North Dakota, have indicated they will also support Wheeler. The Associated Press reported. However, other Democrats have indicated a desire to delay the vote pending a more thorough review of Wheeler's credentials.

"The problem with the Wheeler nomination is if [Pruitt] goes tomorrow, Wheeler is in fact the administrator. And that's a very, very serious problem," Said Utah Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico, according to the AP. "And so what we're going to ask ... is that he go through a vetting process similar to taking over the Environmental Protection Agency. And we hope we can get some Republican support on that."

Udall's comments echo a very real possibility that Pruitt could resign or be forced to leave his current post as EPA leader, although there's no clear indication he will do so. As E&E News pointed out, the opposition from Democrats may not be enough, and Wheeler hasn't expressed the same overall skepticism of the agency's purpose that Pruitt has in the past. Additionally, Wheeler served as staff director of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, a fact cited by Maine Senator Susan Collins as a reason for supporting Wheeler while voting against Pruitt's nomination.

With all of the turmoil facing Pruitt, Wheeler's nomination is more important than many other deputy appointments. Should Pruitt leave office soon, Wheeler would ascend to the top position with a quickness not usually seen in federal agencies.