Adam Beitman, adam.beitman@sierraclub.org or 202-670-5585
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt told CNBC he does not believe carbon dioxide is a primary contributor to global warming, denying the basic established facts of climate science.
It now appears Pruitt misled Congress, as this anti-science position contradicts what he told the Senate in the questions for the record (Page 122) he submitted during his confirmation process.
This isn’t the first time that Pruitt has been discovered to have lied to or misled Congress -- he also lied about having used a private email account for government business in his testimony.
In Response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune Released the Following Statement:
"The arsonist is now in charge of the fire department, and he seems happy to let the climate crisis burn out of control. As Pruitt testified before Congress, it is the legal duty of the EPA to tackle the carbon pollution that fuels the climate crisis, but now he is spewing corporate polluter talking points rather than fulfilling the EPA's mission of protecting our air, our water, and our communities.
“Pruitt is endangering our families, and any sensible Senator should demand he is removed from his position immediately for misleading Congress and being unfit and unwilling to do the job he has been entrusted to do."