By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Wednesday, December 7, 2016, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange (R) congratulated fellow Attorney General Scott Pruitt of Oklahoma on his nomination as EPA Administrator in the Trump administration.
AG Strange said, “I am absolutely elated to learn my friend and colleague Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has been nominated to serve as the next EPA Administrator.”
Strange said that, “President-elect Trump could not have selected a more capable Administrator than Scott to guide our nation’s climate and environmental policy. Scott has been a champion for responsible stewardship of the environment, challenging the systematic overreach of the Obama EPA beyond its mandate of protecting the public interest. As one of the conservative Attorneys General who has been most active in standing up to the EPA’s political agenda to punish the oil, gas and coal industries, Scott will be an effective voice for a balanced policy that safeguards our environment without undermining our economy.”
The conservative Alabama Attorney General said, “I am proud to have joined Scott in pushing back against unwarranted attacks on the First Amendment rights of America’s fossil fuel industry and I look forward to supporting his nomination as America’s new EPA Administrator.”
Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) also issued a statement supporting the nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to serve as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Sen. Hatch said, “I am extraordinarily pleased with President-elect Trump’s decision to nominate Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to serve as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. For years, Scott has been the go-to leader in resisting the Obama EPA’s regulatory overreach. By standing up to unwarranted and unlawful policies, he has demonstrated rightful concern for Americans whose livelihoods and communities have suffered under intrusive, job-killing regulations. Under Scott’s leadership, I have confidence we can implement commonsense policies that protect both our environment and our economy.”
Pruitt’s nomination is being roundly criticized by radical environmentalists. Pruitt and Strange have challenged a number of new regulations by President Barack H. Obama’s (R) EPA. The appointment of Pruitt signals that the Trump administration may be rolling back some of the numerous new regulations forced on the country by the EPA without the consent of Congress.
AG Strange has announced his intention to run for the Senate seat currently held by Jeff Sessions (R). Strange said in a statement, “Today I am officially announcing my intention to seek the Senate seat left open by Jeff Sessions’ nomination to be our nation’s next attorney general. In keeping with those intentions, last week I filed the appropriate paperwork with federal election authorities. The voters will make the ultimate decision about who will represent them, and I look forward to making my case to the people of Alabama in the months to come as to why they can trust me to keep protecting and fighting for our conservative values.”
