Posted on 12/07/2016 1:23:35 PM PST by SeekAndFind
On Thursday, sources confirmed to multiple media outlets that Donald Trump has chosen Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Earlier in the day, Trump's Homeland Security pick — retired general John Kelly (here's what you should know about him) — was also announced.
The choice of Pruitt is bad news for environmentalists as he has led the charge nationally against President Obama's climate change policies. Here's what you need to know.
Pruitt’s opinion on climate change aligns with that of Trump, who repeatedly has dismissed global warming as a hoax, in conflict with the overwhelming scientific consensus that human activity through greenhouse gas emissions is the primary cause of changes in the climate. He co-authored a piece in the Tulsa World in May that the debate over climate “is far from settled,” and that “scientists continue to disagree about the degree and extent of global warming and its connection to the actions of mankind.”
[The Hill]
Pruitt joined a coalition of states and other challengers in a failed attempt to kill EPA’s 2009 scientific declaration that climate change poses a threat to public health and welfare. That EPA "endangerment finding" is the basis for many of the agency's subsequent greenhouse gas rules and is likely to come under new attack under Trump.
[Politico]
Oklahoma, under Pruitt’s lead, was one of two dozen states to file suit against the EPA over the Clean Power Plan, the Obama administration’s regulatory effort to curb emissions from power plants. Pruitt said he would ensure that the power plant rules, and other regulatory efforts from the Obama administration, “will ... not survive his presidency.”
Attorneys general in at least a dozen states are working with energy companies and other corporate interests, which in turn are providing them with record amounts of money for their political campaigns, including at least $16 million this year...[N]ever before have attorneys general joined on this scale with corporate interests to challenge Washington and file lawsuits in federal court...For Mr. Pruitt, the benefits have been clear. Lobbyists and company officials have been notably solicitous, helping him raise his profile as president for two years of the Republican Attorneys General Association[.]
Speaking to a group of oil and gas executives, Pruitt said:
Whether it’s EPA through [carbon standards], EPA through regional haze [regulations] or Fish and Wildlife through endangered species, what we see is a regulatory approach that says ‘Fossil fuels are bad, and we’re going to do all we can to elevate renewables.’...There is a reason and a need to have an Environmental Protection Agency...The EPA has performed a very important role for us all. There are air-quality issues that cross state lines. There are water-quality issues, obviously, that cross state lines.
Throughout the debate on same-sex marriage, Pruitt actively resisted the notion:
A US Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage for all states threatens Oklahomans’ ability to live out their religious beliefs in the public square, Attorney General Scott Pruitt said in a written statement. As an example, Pruitt said, churches and other religious organizations could face having their tax-exempt status revoked for refusing to recognize same-sex marriage.
Pruitt filed a brief in the case supporting the idea that privately held companies could withhold birth control coverage from employees based on religious beliefs:
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that privately-held companies don't have to provide birth control to their employees, if that goes against their religious beliefs. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt says he's thankful for the high court's ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby. He's known the founders — the Green family — for years, and had filed a brief with the Supreme Court in support of their position.
[News 9]
You forgot puppies. (insert name here) hates puppies too.
What magnitude of liberal head explosion resulted from this appointment on the log10 Gallagher watermelon explosion scale? Anything above 7.0 Gallagher magnitude means it was an excellent appointment.
That’s basically how I’m judging this one too. If they aren’t outraged then I’ll be concerned.
hasn’t West Virginia died before the cavalry can ride in?
” so much for the “dialogue” al Bore had with the Trump’s-”
Au contraire, mon ami!
President Trump asked Mr. Gore to provide him with a list of those whom Gore would least like to head the EPA, and then picked from that list! Algore said that it was a great meeting with President Trump, no noticing in the least bit the shiv sticking out of his back.
He’s from Oklahoma. What’s not to like?
Sounds like a good pick, but I’ll wait to hear from Mark Levin why this is a terrible choice and how Trump is a fascist.
I would have preferred that he appoint a wrecking ball with an Al Gore teddy bear attached to it.
This appointment by Trump trumps his meeting with Gore.
Sounds like a great pic. MAGA!
I’m thinking the same thing !!!!!
LOL- good one
I hope that was true...
I did think it was odd that Trump would want to meet
with man/pig— scam artist—
hope the EPA is the FIRST agency to be cut
We ain’t dead yet.
We need to start being concerned about D. Trumps legacy. If he continues in this vein, history will condemn him as conservative with honest and true values; a patriot; a constitutionalist, etc.. Legacy is the paramount issue. Look at Bill Clinton and B. O.. The country can go to hell in a hand basket but legacy must be preserved. {sarc}
Sounds like a good choice.
And some naive Freepers were freaking out about Ivanka Trump and AGW alarmism. Sheesh! President Trump made it crystal clear he believes AGW theory is a hoax. He has backed that up with his actions.
Dont rely on what he says. He is usually trolling somebody, negotiating, or fishing for info. Dont fall for it. Just watch what he does.
Trump trolled Gore and now he is trolling Rahm Emmanuel, and they are eating out of the palm of his iron hand. This is hilarious.
He sounds perfect.
I was in Nitro once a week in the late summer of ‘15
The charleston paper went on and on about loss of the severance tax and no money for the government. I think it was a huge loss of funds.
I was monitoring a large contract production for export stuff
I also visited several small manufacturing companies that made special stuff for the mining business. They were nearly gone. I figured by now, they were gone of barely there
The thing I can’t understand is why the Freinds of Coal did not put out a contract on Barack Obama
Sounds good. Need to lay off 40% of the EPA employees for starters so they can go out and find meaningful work.
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