WASHINGTON -- Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, led by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., didn't show up Thursday (May 9) for a scheduled confirmation vote on Environmental Protection Agency administrator nominee Gina McCarthy, effectively blocking a vote. "For too long EPA has failed to deliver on the promises of transparency espoused by President Barack Obama, former...
WASHINGTON -- Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, led by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., didn't show up Thursday (May 9) for a scheduled confirmation vote on Environmental Protection Agency administrator nominee Gina McCarthy, effectively blocking a vote.
"For too long EPA has failed to deliver on the promises of transparency espoused by President Barack Obama, former Administrator Lisa Jackson, and by Gina McCarthy," Vitter and his six Republican colleagues said in a letter to the panel's chairwoman, Democrat Barbara Boxer, informing her that Republicans wouldn't attend Thursday's meeting. "Accordingly, the Republicans on the EPW Committee have asked EPA to honor five very reasonable and basic requests in conjunction with the nomination of Gina McCarthy, which focus on openness and transparency."
"While Chairman Boxer has allowed EPA adequate time to fully respond before any mark-up on the nomination, EPA has stonewalled on four of the five categories."
Boxer said that McCarthy has answered an unprecedented number of questions from Republicans, more than 1,000, and that the GOP was simply obstructing her nomination because they are trying to "force their pro pollution policies" against the overwhelming majority of the American people who favor strong enforcement of the Clean Air Act and other environmental laws.
"They are fringe. They are out of the mainstream," Boxer said.
Boxer said the Republicans apparently would prefer an oil industry or coal company owner to run the EPA, rather than McCarthy who has worked as a top environmental administrator at the EPA for the last two years and previously worked for four Republican governors.
Boxer and other Democrats on the committee spent about 40 minutes Thursday morning denouncing the "no show" Republicans before adjourning the meeting without a vote on the McCarthy nomination.
Vitter has complained that he and other Republican members received evasive and unresponsive requests for information on fake email addresses used by former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, a New Orleans native. He has also complained that he hasn't gotten responsive answers to his requests on how the EPA made certain rulings and how it used or didn't use cost-benefit analysis in promulgating regulations and rules.
Vitter said this is not an attempt to get the administration to change its view on limiting carbon emissions, which Republicans fear will hurt the economy.
"It is important that we're not asking or expecting the president or his administration to change their bedrock views," Vitter said. But he said one way to ease the divide between Republicans and the administration on environmental regulations is to insist on good science and full disclosure about the impact of regulations -- something he says the EPA hasn't been providing.
Politico reported Thursday that Vitter had sent McCarthy 653 separate questions. A Vitter spokesman said that the real number, not counting one or two word follow-up questions, was about 430.
The spokesman said McCarthy got more questions than other nominees because she has been an assistant administrator at the agency for several years and therefor has direct knowledge of the agency's most contentious decisions on emissions and other matters.
Boxer said it is indeed strange that while she and Vitter battle over the McCarthy nomination, she's working with him on the floor as the managers of a water resources bill that is pending on the Senate floor.