Adam Beitman, adam.beitman@sierraclub.org or 202-670-5585
WASHINGTON, DC - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has filed cloture to begin the process for a vote on a coal lobbyist and climate change denier, Andrew Wheeler, to be the #2 official at the Environmental Protection Agency. This vote comes at time when rumors and speculation swirl that Scott Pruitt could soon be fired from his job, which would likely render Wheeler the head of the agency if he is confirmed.
Wheeler was voted out of committee on a party-line vote the same day that The Intercept revealed that Wheeler hosted fundraisers for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee chairman, Senator John Barasso, as well as the immediate past chairman, Senator Jim Inhofe, months after he was already the presumptive nominee.
In Response, Sierra Club Senior Federal Policy Director John Coequyt Released the Following Statement:
“Andrew Wheeler has spent the past decade lobbying for corporate polluters including the coal industry, and if he seizes the EPA he will pose a threat to the health and safety of everyone in America. With Scott Pruitt plagued by scandals, Andrew Wheeler could soon be the head of the Environmental Protection Agency despite his record of working to promote polluter profits and opposing science and climate action at all costs.
“It is appalling that Republican Senators voted to advance this nomination out of committee, especially in light of Wheeler’s own fundraising scandal that has yet to be investigated.
“Before any full Senate vote on Wheeler, his actions, scandals and conflicts of interest need to be immediately investigated, and Senators should staunchly oppose his nomination in order to protect our communities and families.”
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MORE ABOUT WHEELER
Climate Denier, Never Trumper & “Milo Truther”
CLIMATE DENIER: Wheeler is best known for being a denier of the scientific consensus on climate change and an coal industry hack in Washington.
NEVER TRUMPER: Wheeler was also an aggressive Never Trumper. As reported by the Washington Post Wheeler wrote that Trump “is a bully. This alone should disqualify him from the White House.” that he “doesn’t understand how the government works” and that “as a businessman, he really hasn't been that successful.”
MILO TRUTHER: Apparently Wheeler is also a “Milo Truther” who promoted a pro-Milo apologia by an InfoWars conspiracy theorist on Twitter.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.