The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved Andrew Wheeler on Tuesday to be administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, which he currently leads on an acting basis.
All Republicans on the panel voted for Wheeler, while Democrats unilaterally opposed him. The vote was 11-10.
Wheeler, a former energy lobbyist and Senate Republican staffer, has led the EPA since July after former Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned from the post amid numerous scandals over his misuse of federal funds.
Since he replaced Pruitt, Wheeler has introduced major actions started by his predecessor to delay, weaken, or repeal various regulations on air, water, and climate change.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the committee’s chairman, said Wheeler has been an “outstanding” advocate for Trump’s deregulatory agenda.
While Democrats agreed that Wheeler is implementing the Trump agenda more ethically than Pruitt, they said he has not been the moderating force he promised them he would be when he became acting leader.
[Related: Democrats eyeing 2020 spar with EPA’s Andrew Wheeler over climate change ‘crisis’]
“It brings me no joy to say he has not done what I hoped he would do in number of important respects,” said Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, the committee’s top Democrat. “In many instances he has gone further than his predecessor in his rejection of important measures that are supported by a broad list of environmentalists and industry.”
After being approved by the committee, Wheeler’s nomination will be considered by the full Senate, where he is expected to have enough GOP votes to be confirmed.
