Senate Committee Approves Bush EPA Nominee

By J.R. Pegg

WASHINGTON, DC, October 15, 2003 (ENS) - The nomination of Utah Governor Mike Leavitt to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was voted out of committee today, but several Democrats say they will block a full Senate vote on Leavitt unless the Bush administration provides information about some of its environmental policies.

The Senate and Environment and Public Works Committee approved Leavitt's nomination by a vote of 16 to 2, with five Democrats and Vermont Independent James Jeffords joining the panel's 10 Republicans in support of the Utah governor.

Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut voted against the Bush nominee - both say they will block a Senate vote on Leavitt. California Senator Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat, abstained from voting.

In addition to Boxer, Clinton and Lieberman, Democratic Senators John Edwards of North Carolina, Bob Graham of Florida, John Kerry of Massachusetts, and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey say they will hold up the nomination.

Republicans were pleased just to have the vote - two weeks ago Democrats blocked a vote on Leavitt by not showing up for the scheduled meeting.

Committee Chairman James Inhofe said Leavitt has an excellent environmental record and one of bipartisanship.

Utah Governor Mike Leavitt today inched closer to taking the reins at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Photo courtesy Office of the Governor)

It is "unfortunate that we have a Leavitt bashing" for political reasons, said the Oklahoma Republican.

"I do not think it is any surprise that most of those holds are by people who are running for president," Inhofe said.

Three of the seven Democrats who have threatened holds on Leavitt are declared candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination - Edwards, Kerry and Lieberman.

Most Democrats on the committee acknowledge that their concerns have little to do with Leavitt's qualifications and center on the Bush administration's environmental policies.

"This administration's record for the environment is the worst that I have seen," said Senator Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat. "With this administration we are not even treading water, we are going backwards."

Reid said he will support Leavitt but with "little confidence he can do much to change this administration's dismal record."

Vermont Independent James Jeffords said today's vote was "out of respect for Governor Leavitt," but blasted the Bush administration for not giving him and other Democrats requested information about environmental policies and legislation.

Jeffords says the administration has failed to provide information requested by Congress about its environmental policies stretching back to early 2001, including analysis of its changes to the Clean Air Act and comparative analysis of its air pollution plan with rival bills in Congress.

Democrats are keen to attack President Bush's environmental record. (Photo by Tina Hager courtesy White House)

Prior to a Senate vote, Jeffords said, the administration "will have to satisfy our requests for information on New Source Review and cost benefit analysis of clean air legislation."

Clinton told the committee that she had no plans to lift her hold on Leavitt's nomination until the White House answers questions about an internal EPA report on air quality in downtown Manhattan after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The report found that administration officials pressured the EPA to mislead the public about the air quality in the weeks after the attacks.

Clinton said her block on Leavitt is in no way "a political statement."

"I am committed to receiving the response that I think any senator would expect from the White House," Clinton said.