Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., voted against the nomination of Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Senate approved Pruitt for the post in a 52 to 46 vote. He is the 14th agency nominee proposed by President Donald Trump who has been confirmed by the Senate.
Pruitt served as the Oklahoma attorney general since 2010. As part of the confirmation process, several members of the Senate requested that Pruitt submit official correspondence from his time in office. He refused.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee was asked 19 times to obtain the information, but failed to do so, according to Leahy’s office. The Oklahoma attorney general’s office has a two year backlog of freedom of information requests.
A federal judge ordered the release of the public records on Thursday.
On Friday, Leahy led an effort to delay Pruitt’s confirmation vote until the Senate had time to review the documents. Leahy believes the records will show Pruitt has close ties to the oil and gas industry.
As attorney general, Pruitt sued the EPA a dozen times. Leahy says he is worried that “confirming Mr. Pruitt will turn the Environmental Protection Agency into the “Polluters Protection Agency.”
Trump has said he will eliminate funding for the EPA.
Congress is now on recess through March 6.
