WASHINGTON — Even with Republican lawmakers’ patience running short, President Donald Trump’s environmental chief appears to be in no mood to apologize as he faces Congress for the first time since a deluge of ethics allegations has consumed his tenure.
Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt will make no reference to ethics issues or complaints about lavish spending on travel and security that have dogged him in recent months, according to an opening statement for an appearance before a House energy panel Thursday.
Pruitt is likely to face sharp questions about his spending decisions, and his answers could prove crucial in determining whether he stays atop EPA, lawmakers say.
Republicans have largely stood behind Pruitt, saying they are encouraged by his efforts to ease federal regulations on manufacturing, mining and other industries. But as allegations against Pruitt keep surfacing, even his allies increasingly are raising doubts about his job security.
Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and John Thune, R-S.D., said Pruitt faces “serious questions” about his use of taxpayer money.
“I want to make sure taxpayers are getting value for their dollars, make sure money is being spent appropriately. So there continue to be serious questions,” said Barrasso, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
While Trump has previously backed Pruitt, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders appeared noncommittal Wednesday. “We’re evaluating these concerns, and we expect the EPA administrator to answer for them,” she said.
The shift represented growing frustration that Pruitt’s problems were becoming the Republican Party’s problems in a campaign season where the GOP is already facing headwinds. Pruitt’s spending pattern is out of step both with Trump’s promise to bring corporate efficiency and penny-pinching to government and with the rules many lawmakers must follow. While some have praised Pruitt’s refusal to back down, casting him as a fighter against a bias liberal media, others said it was time for him to explain himself.
Pruitt’s political mentor, GOP Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, called recent allegations about Pruitt “concerning.”
