RICHMOND – Today, the Senate voted 21-19 to block the nomination of Andrew Wheeler, Governor Youngkin’s extreme pick for Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources.
Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist and head of the Environmental Protection Agency under President Trump, where he presided over an unprecedented reversal of environmental laws and regulations, drew immediate criticism when he was nominated. The objections included a letter signed by more than 150 former EPA officials calling on Senators to reject him for this post due to his record gutting environmental laws and sidelining scientists.
En respuesta a la votación de hoy, Michael Town, director ejecutivo de la Virginia League of Conservation Voters, issued the following statement.
“Wheeler’s track record of environmental degradation and catering to big polluters made him unfit for this post from the outset, and we applaud Senate Democrats for preventing his confirmation. With evidence now that he lacks the votes to push this nominee forward, we hope Youngkin will see reason and appoint a Natural Resources Secretary who will prioritize protecting the lands, air and water of the Commonwealth.”