In response to President-elect Donald Trump’s announced plans of nominating Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to be the next Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America, made the following statement:
“The intended nomination of Attorney General Pruitt as EPA Administrator signals a rejection of the global consensus on the urgent need for action against climate change. Climate change is already a reality faced by millions in the world, especially poor people who are vulnerable to changes in weather, storms, and droughts.
“Attorney General Pruitt has been a prominent critic of the EPA and has a long history of collaboration with the fossil fuel industry. The EPA Administrator is a new position for him and we hope he recognizes and understands the important role the EPA Administrator plays in protecting Americans’ health and environment.
“As EPA Administrator, Attorney General Pruitt would have a huge responsibility on his shoulders – for the well-being of our planet and our children’s lives.
“Climate change is real and is one of the most dangerous and far-reaching challenges facing our country and planet today. Oxfam sees the challenges and huge impacts that a changing climate is already making in the lives of people in vulnerable communities.
“If nominated, we will urge Senators to consider his full environmental record, including his continued denial of the overwhelming scientific evidence of human-caused climate change in their consideration of his confirmation.”
