(Trenton) – An Assembly resolution Assembly Democrats John McKeon, Timothy Eustace and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto sponsored to express opposition to the nomination of Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and urges the Unites States Congress to oppose this nomination was approved by the full Assembly, 43-14-6, on Wednesday.
“With a stated mission to protect the environment and human health, the EPA, since inception, has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people,” said McKeon (D-Essex, Morris). “Mr. Pruitt has spent much of his energy as attorney general fighting this very agency he is being nominated to lead, and is a self-pro-claimed ‘leading advocate against the EPA’s activist agenda.’ His nomination is a disgrace and affront to the critical work of the EPA.”
“The EPA commander in chief’s primary focus has always been, and should continue to be to protect residents of this country from threats to air, water, and health quality, not serving as an advocate for the interests of the very industry it is charged with regulating,” said Eustace (D-Bergen, Passaic). “As Oklahoma Attorney General, Mr. Pruitt has engaged in lawsuits opposing EPA’s policies aimed at protecting air quality and water quality. His professional charge has been to disrupt the work of the EPA and counter every effort to protect natural resources for everyone, including future generations.”
“The nomination of Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency is not in the best interest of this country and it citizens,” said Prieto (D-Bergen, Hudson). “Mr. Pruitt was part of a coalition of state attorney generals suing the EPA over the Clean Power Plan which included a number of regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We should not place the health, safety and welfare of our natural resources in the hands of an individual who has spent his professional career as a subversive to environmental protection policies and the overall issue of climate science.”
According to numerous press reports, President Trump has said, “For too long, the Environmental Protection Agency has spent taxpayer dollars on an out-of-control anti-energy agenda that has destroyed millions of jobs.”
The resolution states that strong environmental standards that protect public health and the environmental resources of this country are not contrary to a strong economy and the creation of jobs.
The sponsors further express in the measure that instead of nominating a person who seeks to promote the lobbying agenda of special interests and believes that strong environmental protections are obstacles that should be dismantled; the President should nominate a person who is well-read in climate science and will ensure that residents of this country clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, clean soils on which to live and play, and jobs that do not endanger their public health and safety.
The resolution will now go to the Senate for further consideration.