Climate Change & Clean Energy

Ellen Knickmeyer and Michael Biesecker Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt laughed off questions Wednesday about whether he used his office to try to help his wife get a “business opportunity” with Chick-fil-A, while a close aide abruptly resigned amid new ethics allegations against her boss. Pruitt said in a… Read more »

Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings and Rep. Gerry Connolly, the Ranking Member and Vice-Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter to Chairman Trey Gowdy requesting he issue a subpoena for documents being withheld by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relating to Administrator Scott Pruitt’s multiple abuses of authority in using agency staff… Read more »

Juliet Eilperin, Josh Dawsey, and and Brady Dennis June In mid-September, the Environmental Protection Agency’s director of scheduling and advance, Millan Hupp, reached out to the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., with an unusual request. Hupp wanted to know how much the hotel would charge EPA chief Scott Pruitt for… Read more »

Today Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition Co-Chairs Reps. Gerry Connolly, Doris Matsui, and Paul Tonko released the following statement in response to the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. “One year ago President Trump announced his misguided plan to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate… Read more »

Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA) and Gerry Connolly (D-VA) today sent a letter to the Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeking an investigation of EPA Senior Adviser to the Administrator Albert Kelly. Kelly was appointed to oversee the Superfund program without qualifications in environmental protection. It has recently been reported that Kelly had previously… Read more »

Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Representatives Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Don Beyer (D-Va.) sent a letter to Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) transmitting new documents… Read more »

Brian Dabbs House Republican power brokers are zeroing in on Scott Pruitt—and they’re predicting a rocky road ahead for the controversy-laden Environmental Protection Agency administrator. Democrats have long maligned Pruitt for, among other things, his spending habits, rental of a condo from a juggernaut lobbyist couple,… Read more »

Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), Rep. Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA), Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) sent a letter to President Donald Trump and a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt expressing grave concerns about stunning new revelations they received this week from Kevin Chmielewski—a long-time supporter and… Read more »

Kyla Mandel Two letters sent by top Democratic senators and representatives to President Donald Trump and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt Thursday reveal new information about the administrator’s questionable travel habits and what prompted him to fire former deputy chief of staff Kevin… Read more »

Eric Lipton and Lisa Friedman Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, insisted on staying in luxury hotels that were costlier than allowed by government standards, while also pushing to fly on an airline not on the government’s approved list so he could accrue more frequent flier miles, one of his top… Read more »