No Democrats Present for Unanimous Confirmation Votes
Senate Republicans on an environmental committee Thursday morning suspended their rules requiring at least one member of the minority party to be present before a quorum can be called, and pushed through President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency. This is the third time in two days Republicans have taken this unusual action to support the new president.
Scott Pruitt, Trump’s highly controversial choice to head the EPA, was unanimously approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, in an 11-0 vote. His nomination will advance to the full Senate, where is is likely to be confirmed. Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) (photo) led the vote.
On Wednesday, Steve Mnunchin and Tom Price, Trump’s nominees to head the Treasury Dept. and Health and Human Services Dept., were also unanimously passed through committee after Republicans changed the rules to allow votes with no Democrats present.
Pruitt, the Attorney General of Oklahoma, has spent the past six years suing the EPA, and is known as an anti-environmentalist. Under Pruitt’s tenure, Oklahoma has suffered an exponential increase in earthquakes, most of which are directly tied to the increase in fracking he has allowed.Â
All three nominee are expected to be voted upon by the full Senate soon.