EPA requested 24/7 security for Pruitt on day one, internal watchdog says The subcommittee's chair Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, asked Pruitt about several policy issues impacting her state but also said that he needs to address some of the swirling questions around his conduct.
"Instead of being asked about the work that you are doing on WOTUS, or the Clean Power Plan, or the Superfund program I’m being asked, really constantly asked, to comment on security on housing or on travel," Murkowski said in her opening statement.
Udall also pressed Pruitt about reports that he told his security detail to use lights and sirens to help him get through Washington, DC, traffic.
Pruitt said he "did not recall" any instance like that and that his security detail followed agency procedure for using lights and sirens. Udall submitted an email from the former head of the EPA security detail that seemed to contradict that statement.
“Administrator encourages the use,” an email from Pasquale “Nino” Perotta read under the subject line, “Lights and Sirens.”
That email was released by Democrats on a different Senate committee with oversight of EPA in a letter to the agency's inspector general asking for an investigation into Perrotta.
Six Democrats on that committee called for Pruitt to testify, saying that a new letter from the inspector general directly contradicts his previous testimony to two House subcommittees.
In that letter to Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., on Monday the EPA's internal watchdog said Pruitt requested a 24/7 security detail before his first day at the agency.
Udall and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D- Md., asked Pruitt to explain that letter. Both Van Hollen and Pruitt read from the document but Pruitt insisted that the decision was made by his security detail and that he did not request it.
"I can only say senator I did not decide, direct that decision to be made," Pruitt said.
Van Hollen said that the document shows that the security team was directed to increase security for Pruitt, not that it determined the upgraded security was necessary.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., asked about a report in Politico earlier this week that officials from EPA, DOD, and the White House asked HHS to delay a report on the safety of a chemical that is present in drinking water supplies across the country, known as PFAS or PFOS chemicals.
The story cited emails from a White House official that would reportedly have said that the chemical is dangerous at much lower levels than currently recommended and referred to is as a "public relations nightmare."
Pruitt said the agency is having a summit on these chemicals and said he supports having the information in the public and taking action to clean up these chemicals.
"I was not aware there had been some holding back the report, I think it’s important to have all information out there in the marketplace," Pruitt said.
In a press conference after the hearing, Udall said that Democrats will continue to put pressure on Pruitt, even if Pruitt is "being protected" by Republicans.
Kaynak:Abcnews
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