[Vision2020] 4-18-18: 170 lawmakers sign resolution calling for Pruitt's resignation

[Ted Moffett]

Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
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http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/170-lawmakers-sign-resolution-calling-for-pruitts-resignation/ar-AAw22yU?ocid=ientp_edu

170 lawmakers sign resolution calling for Pruitt's resignation

Miranda Green 6 hrs ago

A group of 131 representatives and 39 senators signed a resolution
introduced Wednesday that calls for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Administrator Scott Pruitt to resign.

The resolution states
<https://www.scribd.com/document/376735298/Resolution-Calling-on-Resignation-of-EPA-Administrator-Scott-Pruitt>
that the co-signers have "no confidence in the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency and [are] calling for the immediate
resignation of the Administrator."

Highlighted within the resolution are concerns about Pruitt's use of
taxpayer money, "dramatic" budget cuts and waivers given to employees to
work at connected companies while still employed by the EPA.

"The Agency is hemorrhaging staff and experts needed to protect the health,
safety, and livelihood of millions of people of the United States, with
more than 700 employees of the Agency having left or been forced out of the
Agency during his tenure as Administrator," reads the resolution.

The lawmakers argue that Pruitt is failing to uphold the responsibilities
his job as administrator due to regulation rollbacks and actions to lower
environmental protections at the agency they say should remain
"science-based."

"Whereas Administrator Pruitt has failed to exercise the enforcement
authorities of the Agency, which are necessary to the fulfillment of the
mission of the Agency, and has hampered career officials and experts from
efficiently doing their jobs without political interference," the
resolution reads.

The resolution, signed entirely by Democrats, attracted the most senators
to ever sign a resolution calling for a Cabinet official's ouster,
according to their press release.

Notably absent from the letter were the signatures of the three Republican
members of Congress who previously called for Pruitt to resign or be fired:
Reps. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), Carlos Curbelo (Fla.) and Illeana Ros-Lehtinen
(Fla.).

A number of Democrats have called for Pruitt's resignation or firing since
news broke at the end of March that he rented a $50-a-night condo from the
wife of a prominent energy lobbyist. Pruitt has maintained that the
arrangement was ethical and approved by the agency's ethics office after
the fact.

The administrator has attracted criticism from the left since ever before
being confirmed. Pruitt was asked more than 1,000 questions during the
nomination process and passed through confirmation with the fewest votes
ever for an EPA administrator.
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