Senate: Don't Hold Key EPA Nominee Hostage
As we were reminded just last week by the American Lung Association, air pollution remains a major public health threat in America. More than 180 million Americans live in communities with dirty air, and tens of thousands of people die prematurely each year from air pollution.
But EPA's program to address air pollution is being impeded by politics.
It's time to tell the U.S. Senate not to hold a key -- and very qualified --nominee to the EPA hostage just because a senator objects to the Obama administration's environmental policies.
Here is the story in a nutshell: President Obama has nominated Regina McCarthy, currently commissioner of Connecticut's Department of Environmental Protection, to become the head of EPA's air pollution control and climate division. But Senator John Barrasso has put a "hold" on her nomination because he objects to an Obama administration proposal which found that global warming poses a threat to public health and the environment.
McCarthy is an experienced and very qualified official. The Senate should permit her to begin her critical job.
We the undersigned believe it is critical that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency be staffed by qualified experts who can lead the agency's mission of protecting health and the environment.
President Obama has nominated Regina McCarthy, currently commissioner of Connecticut's Department of Environmental Protection, to become EPA Assistant Administator for Air and Radiation -- probably the agency's most important job after that of the administrator. McCarthy is highly qualified for the job.
But Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming objects to the Obama administration's proposed "endangerment" finding -- a proposal which found that global warming poses a threat to public health and the environment. And he has put a "hold" on McCarthy's nomination, according to the senator, "because she will oversee this process."
We think that McCarthy should be allowed to begin her job, and that the U.S. Senate should vote to end his unfair "hold."
Thank you very much for taking time to consider this very important issue.
