Two Democrats voted yes, one Republican voted no. The Senate has confirmed Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA with 52 yes votes and 46 no votes.
by Mary Chastain
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) was the only Republican to vote no. Pruitt received two Democrat yes votes: Heidi Heitkamp from North Dakota and Joe Manchin from West Virginia.
Seen on C-SPAN2: Senate confirms Scott #Pruitt to be @EPA Administrator, 52-46. https://t.co/VZt225SWO6pic.twitter.com/jP5hrQBHiq
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 17, 2017
The Democrats spent the majority of the debate arguing about the catastrophes that will occur if Pruitt becomes EPA director. But instead Pruitt wants to return a lot of environmental power back to the states:
Upon Mr. Pruitt’s confirmation, the Trump administration intends to waste little time issuing directives scaling back high-profile EPA regulations, including a rule cutting carbon emissions from power plants and another bringing more bodies of water under federal jurisdiction, according to several people close to the administration.
Former President Barack Obama mounted an ambitious push to enact rules aimed at the environment, especially climate change, during his last years in office. The next few years are likely to see an all-out war over how much of that legacy will be preserved, including U.S.