Posted on 01/29/2017 9:59:13 AM PST by drewh
PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. — When likely EPA Secretary Scott Pruitt walks into his first day at the office, “He’ll have 16,000 employees working against him,” Sen. James Lankford told a large gathering of libertarian donors Saturday evening.
“And I expect a flood of lawsuits over everything he does.”
Pruitt, who has been nominated to lead the EPA by President Donald Trump, is the attorney general of Lankford’s state, Oklahoma. He has faced fierce opposition from the environmentalist left.
Lankford, who chairs the Senate Oversight Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care and Entitlements, was joined on stage by Sens. Mike Lee and Pat Toomey. Their panel, moderated by Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips, was during a dinner on day one of Charles and David Koch’s libertarian Seminar Network in Palm Springs, Calif. (RELATED: Mike Lee Is Certain The Senate Will Confirm Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee)
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Of the three senators, Lankford was the only tepid backer of Trump, saying he would support the nominee and frequently dodging press requests to weigh in on specific incidents. Toomey withheld endorsement of Trump, though didn’t rule it out, and was a frequent critic. On Election Day, he said he was voting for Trump. Lee, who is a close friend of Sen. Ted Cruz and represents Utah’s quieter, more conflict-adverse Mormon Republican electorate, urged Trump to quit in October and declined to endorse him throughout the election. (RELATED: Three Republican Senators Kick Off Koch’s First Massive Donor Conference In Age Of Trump)
Called “A Time to Lead,” the meeting is hosted at the Renaissance Indian Wells Resort and Spa, and is focused on local, grassroots initiatives Americans can take in what Hooks called “the key institutions of society”– “education, community, business and government.” (RELATED: Charles Koch Calls For Action: ‘We Might Not Have An Opportunity Again Like We Have Today’)
There are around 550 individuals included in the “principals” network meeting, which requires at least $100,000 donation to the network. In addition to these invited people, there are approximately 150 staff and speakers, Seminar Network spokesman James David told reporters. There is also a larger press presence than any previous conference has allowed.
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Editor’s Note: Christopher Bedford was a fellow at the Charles Koch Institute in 2010.
Tags: Charles Koch, Charles Koch Institute, Environmental Protection Agency, James Lankford, Mike Lee, Pat Toomey, Scott Pruitt Show comments
Fire about 15,000 of them and the job will get easier. Less opposition.
Purge them. They’ll get in line.
F’em
No, Trump will have 8000 working against him after he fires the first half. and then he’ll have none after he fires the other half for cause.
CC
LMAO
A big RIF will do wonders for that attitude.
I thought the plan was for 8000 of them to be collecting unemployment, or working at Starbucks.
That is why the EPA must be gutted, or deleted.
Agree as it is easy to do. Layoff as many as allowed ASAP. No possibility to return. The rest will fire themselves. Quit or written up for every illict move they make. They can’t claim Whistleblower Status as they never brought anything up about Obama’s illegal activities. Should take less than 90 days.
Streamline everything so they never need that many employees in the future.
Warming to ALL EPA employees, you’re all gonna get fired soon anyway because...
THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL EPA WILL BE ABOLISHED SOON!
Cut the budget 25%, eliminate travel and conferences, and change their performance metrics. Lay off 25%, fire the ones who can’t meet the newcmetrics. The rest will fall in line. Then change the law and undo 100,000 pages of their regulations. They’ll either cry all day or quit. Good riddance.
The EPA — another federal government agency with a budget of billions that is not serving the people but promoting a leftist agenda.
"Ceterum censeo Islam esse delendam."
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Make that 8,000 former employees and 8,000 employees who will quickly have to relearn that they are not our Nazi overlords and we have not given them power over every detail our lives.
The EPA outlived it’s usefulness the day it was created....
Historically, it’s been a difficult and cumbersome process to fire employees in the federal civil service.
However, I read recently that one way to get around this would be to alter their salary down to $1 per year. Technically, they’re not fired, but it’s kind of difficult to live off a salary of $1 a year.
Firing them would be a good test run also against the IrS gestapo which went after the T Party
I’ll give him major credit if he just prevents them from getting anything done. Getting something useful done, or getting them out the door, either would be a delightful bonus.
The EPA workers maw wanna google “air traffic controllers strike” for reference material.
cC
Fire everyone dissolve the EPA and form a new agency with new employees
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