House Democrats Accuse Pruitt of Rewarding Polluters With His New EPA Order

 

EPA Chief Scott Pruitt’s latest fight with Democrats in the U.S. Senate and House concerns his recent edict that bans scientists who get EPA grants from serving on the agency’s scientific advisory panels.

Six senior House Democrats who sit on the Science and Energy and Commerce Committee wrote him a letter in recent days, complaining that the new directive was “biased and harmful.”

“We agree that independent scientific advice is important, however your directive suggests a motive less about independent science and more about stacking these boards with representatives from regulated industries,” stated the letter. It was signed by Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Frank Pallone Jr.of New Jersey, Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, Paul Tonko of New York, Donald Beyer Jr. of Virginia and Diana DeGette of Colorado.

They went on to accuse the former Oklahoma Attorney General of adopting a “misguided and potentially unlawful attempt to favor industry and silence, if not remove, qualified scientific experts with no financial state in EPA actions.”

“Many of these appointments would appear to be examples of generous favors for polluting industries,” charged the six.