Andrew Wheeler, who currently serves as acting administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), appeared before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Jan. 16 to defend his nomination by President Trump to head the agency. Wheeler took over the acting administrator role last summer after the resignation of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt (GM July 6, 2018). Wheeler was confirmed as EPA’s No. 2 last April by a 53-45 vote.
Wheeler fielded questions from senators on the renewable fuel standard, fuel economy, greenhouse gas emissions, and lead pollution. Democrats on the committee also pressed Wheeler on EPA’s shutdown activities, and suggested that his confirmation be delayed while the government remains under a partial shutdown. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told reporters that senators will have adequate time to send and receive responses to questions for the record, “so that there’s not going to be a rush.”
Republicans in the midterm elections increased their margin in the Senate to 53-47, as two of the three Democrats who supported Wheeler – Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) and Joe Donnelly (Ind.) – lost their re-election bids, Bloomberg Law reported. That leaves Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) as the lone Wheeler-backing Democrat left.