Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt mostly bobbed and weaved as lawmakers questioned him Thursday about his role in various spending and ethics decisions at the agency.
Pruitt opened his much-anticipated testimony before Congress vowing to “take responsibility” for various ethics and spending accusations that have imperiled his job, assuring lawmakers he will “make changes,” but blaming the media for reporting “half truths” and saying critics want to derail his deregulatory agenda.
“As administrator, I have to take responsibility to make changes to ensure in each of these areas we get results and show the American people we are good stewards of taxpayer resources, stay true to the EPA’s mission and I am committed to doing that,” Pruitt said in a hearing before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee.
But the embattled EPA administrator demurred when Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, asked about reports that Pruitt removed or reassigned employees who questioned his spending on security and travel.
“I don’t ever recall a conversation to that end,” Pruitt responded.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” the New Jersey Democrat said.
“You shouldn’t take that as a yes,” Pruitt shot back.
The EPA administrator later said there is “no truth” to the reports that some EPA employees have faced retaliation after disagreeing with his spending or management decisions. “I’m not aware of that ever happening,” he said.
Some Republicans were not happy with that answer.
“Even the implication of retaliation can harm morale [at the EPA],” said Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss.
Pruitt also repeated an earlier assertion that EPA chief of staff Ryan Jackson authorized massive raises for close aides to Pruitt who used to work for him when he was Oklahoma’s attorney general. The EPA gave the raises after the White House refused to approve them.
“Those were delegated to Mr. Jackson,” Pruitt said. “The inspector general recognized that,” he added, noting a recent EPA inspector general report that found Jackson signed forms authorizing the pay increases, each time writing “Ryan Jackson for Scott Pruitt.”
The EPA said those raises have been reversed, but the inspector general was unable to confirm that claim.
“On respect to the raises I was not aware of the amount nor was I aware of the bypassing of process,” Pruitt said.
Pruitt later said he was aware beforehand that one of the employees would receive a raise, but not the other.
In later questioning, Pruitt similarly said he “did not” know that the EPA failed to notify Congress before it purchased a $43,000 secure phone booth for his office, which the Government Accountability Office said violated federal law.
He said he sought a secure “line” to discuss classified information in his office and delegated to “career staff” on devising a solution to address that.
“I requested a secure line in my office for confidential calls,” Pruitt said. “Based on that, a process ensued.”
Rep. Leonard Lance, R-N.J., challenged Pruitt about the purchase.
“I do not think it was appropriate and I think it was a waste of funds,” Lance said. “I am concerned about what I believe is overspending.”
Pruitt replied that he agreed the spending was excessive, but said he did not approve the purchase. He said he would have stopped the transaction if he knew about it.
“I agree with you,” Pruitt said. “I believe that was an amount of money that should not have been spent and was not authorized. In this instance, the process failed.”
The EPA chief, meanwhile, again cited “unprecedented” threats against him for prompting his frequent first-class travel. He says agency security officials suggested he take precautions when flying.
The EPA has spent at least $105,000 on Pruitt’s first-class flights, arguing that he needs to travel away from other passengers because of threats to his safety.
“I have since made changes to that,” Pruitt said Thursday, indicating he is flying coach more often.
Democrats criticized Pruitt for not taking ownership of EPA decisions.
“Are you the EPA administrator? Do you run the EPA? Are you responsible for the scandals at the EPA?” Rep. Ben Lujan, D-N.M., asked Pruitt at the close of the nearly four-hour hearing.
Pruitt did not say yes to the last question, referring Lujan to his previous statements.
