White House: GOP displaying ‘historic level of obstructionism’ with EPA vote boycott

{mosads}”We call on Republicans in the Senate to stop gumming up the works when it comes to the confirmation process of nominees who are enormously qualified for the jobs that the president has asked them to fill,” Carney said.

Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) was forced to scrap a vote on EPA nominee Gina McCarthy after the Republican boycott prevented the committee from reaching a quorum. Because Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) is in ill health, the majority Democrats were unable to push forward.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) sad Republicans still had questions they wanted McCarthy to answer.

“It should come as no surprise that the Obama administration continues to stonewall reasonable information requests from Republicans on the EPW Committee, information that is crucial to their advice-and-consent role in this nomination,” he said in a statement.