GOP chairman backs Pruitt amid controversies

The chairman of the Senate panel that oversees the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is standing by the agency’s embattled administrator pending the White House’s investigations into his recent controversies.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, on Monday applauded Pruitt for his tenure so far at the EPA.

“Administrator [Scott] Pruitt has accomplished key priorities as head of the EPA,” Barrasso said in a statement. “With the support of the president, he has been instrumental in returning the agency to its original mission. American workers are benefiting from his reversal of punishing regulations.”

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Barrasso acknowledged that “certain questions have been raised” about Pruitt’s actions, referring to recent reports about Pruitt’s rental for $50 per day from a lobbyist last year, the raises his agency gave to two top aides after the White House rejected them, and aides who were reportedly punished after pushing back against his spending or management decisions.

“The White House has indicated it has taken on a formal review of these questions. I will wait for the outcome of that process,” Barrasso said.

Three GOP senators on Sunday news shows criticized Pruitt. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Pruitt “is the wrong person to head the EPA,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said “this doesn’t look good,” and Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told Pruitt to “stop acting like a chucklehead.”

Meanwhile, three House GOP lawmakers have joined numerous Democrats in calling for Pruitt to resign or be fired over the scandals: Reps. Carlos Curbelo (Fla.), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.) and Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), all from tight districts being targeted by Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections.

The Senate is due to vote this week to confirm Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, to be Pruitt’s deputy at the EPA.