WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement after President Trump formally nominated Andrew Wheeler to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
“This is devastating news for clean air and clean water across America. If it wasn’t clear before, it certainly is now: President Trump is hell-bent on turning the Environmental Protection Agency into the Polluter Protection Agency. A coal lobbyist has no business being anywhere near the EPA, let alone leading it. Forget about draining the swamp—President Trump is helping the swamp reach a new high-water mark in our nation’s capital.”