WASHINGTON, D.C. — With no Democrats on hand, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito and other Republican members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted Thursday to send the name of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to the full Senate to be the next administrator of the federal EPA.
The Democratic members of the committee boycotted the meeting for a second straight day claiming Pruitt had not sufficiently answered their questions. Thursday, the Republican committee members changed the rules that require at least two Democrats to be present before a vote and voted for Pruitt anyway.
Capito said the members of the opposite party should have been there.
“They should register their disapproval if that’s how they feel,” Capitol said during an appearance on MetroNews “Talkline” just before the 11-0 vote.
Pruitt has been criticized for being part of 14 legal challenges of EPA regulations during his time in office. In some of the efforts, he joined West Virginia State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.
Capito, a longtime critic of the Obama administration’s EPA, has backed Pruitt from the time he was nominated by President Donald Trump.
“Scott Pruitt has dealt with the EPA as a legal officer. He knows how to follow the law,” she said.
Capito believes Pruitt will “right-size” the EPA.
“Not in terms of numbers but in terms of how that agency should actually stick to the core mission of clean water and clean air and let us work together with the states.” Capito said.
Pruitt could be up for a vote before the full Senate next week.