Washington, D.C. — After the official nomination of acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler to head the agency, Christy Goldfuss, senior vice president for Energy and Environment Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Andrew Wheeler should not be allowed to interview for a promotion while his staff goes unpaid as a result of President Donald Trump’s political stunt to shut down the government. Wheeler is a former coal lobbyist who used the last remnants of his agency’s funding before the shutdown to begin rolling back protections against mercury pollution—a huge favor to the coal industry that threatens the health of American families. We deserve an EPA administrator who will prioritize his agency’s mission of protecting public health rather than the radical policies of coal companies for his own personal gain.
According to a CAP analysis, EPA staff are missing out on more than $65 million in their paychecks every two weeks.
For more information, or to speak with an expert, contact Sam Hananel at [email protected] or 202-478-6327.