Senate Democrats are prodding the Republican leadership to hold a special oversight hearing on Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt’s lavish travel expenses, retaliation against staff, and a laundry list of other ethical concerns.
Six Democrats sent a letter to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., on Tuesday, asking him to hold the hearing.
“In light of Administrator Pruitt’s testimony last Thursday before two House subcommittees and planned appearance in front of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee [Wednesday], we believe that the proper execution of our committee’s responsibilities demands that he appear before us as soon as possible,” the letter states.
The letter, led by Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, the top Democrat on the committee, said Pruitt has been before the committee fewer times than any other panel, despite its direct role in overseeing the EPA.
“Administrator Pruitt has not testified before our committee on EPA’s FY 2019 budget; in fact, he never testified on its FY 2018 budget,” the Democrats wrote.
Pruitt’s testimony was taken in the “most charitable light,” depicting an EPA administrator who has “failed to exert any oversight over his staff as they have, as he testified, spent exorbitant funds and made impactful personnel decisions without his knowledge or approval.”
The senators added that Pruitt’s “willingness to pass blame on to everyone around him, including career staff and his top political aides, shows that he is either unwilling or unable to lead.”
The Democrats added that much of Pruitt’s testimony before the House was quickly contradicted by press reports, EPA documents, “and even his own prior testimony before Congress.”
They listed a number of concerns that they would like to look into, but they say they are most concerned about Pruitt’s travel that was planned by business interests.
“This pattern of allowing private business interests to dictate the administrator’s international travel warrants further inquiry by this committee,” the letter stated. The two destinations of particular concern include his trip last year to Morocco and a planned, but canceled, trip to Australia. Both were planned by lobbyists.
“While we may disagree on the policy choices made by Administrator Pruitt, we hope we can agree that Cabinet officials of any party owe Congress clear and truthful answers to questions and should be held to the highest ethical standards as Administrator Pruitt himself acknowledged last week,” the Democrats said.
“Your Republican colleagues on and off this committee, as well as those in the House, have already called upon Administrator Pruitt to testify,” the senators added. “We hope you share this view, and look forward to working with you to ensure that the mismanagement currently plaguing EPA is rectified promptly and effectively.”
