WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The news comes as the EPA has faced criticism from Republicans throughout the eight-year administration of outgoing President Barack Obama for unilaterally issuing regulations on water and air quality with little input from state environmental regulators or people affected.
"Regional [EPA] administrators that we have across the country need to be seen as partners and not adversaries," Pruitt told the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works. "Restoring that confidence, restoring that relationship… is very, very important in carrying out this partnership."
Democrats on the Committee also attacked Pruitt for his support of fossil fuel producers — a major employer in Oklahoma — often by cutting off Pruitt as he attempted to answer questions.
Of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominations, Pruitt’s is among the most controversial. During Wednesday’s hearing, his eventual confirmation appeared likely to depend on a unified vote by the Senate’s slim 52-48 seat Republican majority.
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