Senator Hassan Participates in Floor Debate in Opposition to Scott Pruitt for EPA Administrator

Senator Hassan Participates in Floor Debate in Opposition to Scott Pruitt for EPA Administrator

Click here for video of Senator Hassan's remarks.

WASHINGTON - Today, Senator Maggie Hassan delivered remarks on the Senate floor, opposing the nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to serve as Administrator of the Environmental Protecting Agency.

"It is clear from Mr. Pruitt's history of opposition to the agency he will be tasked to lead, his record of working to weaken critical environmental protections that our citizens need to thrive, and his unwillingness to fight climate change that he is unfit to serve in this position," Senator Hassan said on the Senate floor today.

In her remarks, Senator Hassan highlighted the work done in New Hampshire to protect the state's beautiful natural resources, environment, and citizens. The Senator also noted how Mr. Pruitt has been a consistent opponent of the EPA, taking legal action against the agency over 20 times and fighting against the EPA's efforts to combat climate change and protect our land, air, and water.

"The foundation of a future where all Americans have an opportunity to thrive starts with a healthy environment and healthy families. And the EPA serves an important role in protecting the health of our people. We must do better than having an administrator who has fought so tirelessly to undermine the work this agency does," said Senator Hassan.

Additionally, Senator Hassan explained that it is unacceptable that Mr. Pruitt is a climate change skeptic, putting him at odds with the world's leading climate scientists.

"Mr. Pruitt, however, has been a consistent skeptic on the role of climate change has on our environment. Mr. Pruitt has stated that we do not know the extent of human impact on climate change, and has called it a natural occurrence... The EPA is a science-based organization, and it is unacceptable for the EPA Administrator to be at odds with the well-established views of leading scientists," the Senator said.

Senator Hassan concluded her remarks by noting the critical role a cleaner environment plays in New Hampshire's economy and that we should be building on the EPA's efforts on climate change and protecting public health, not rolling them back.

"We know that a cleaner environment plays a key role in the economy of New Hampshire and our entire nation. And we should be building on the critical efforts the EPA has taken to combat change and protect public health - not rolling them back. Mr. Pruitt's hostility to the basic functions of the Environmental Protection Agency, and his work to undermine protections for our air, land, and water make clear that he should not serve in this role," added Senator Hassan.

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