EPA Administrator Hearing Put on Hold

On Oct. 1, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee was scheduled to vote on the nomination of Utah Gov. Michael Leavitt to the position of EPA Administrator. A vote on the nomination was postponed because Committee Democrats boycotted the session, saying Leavitt failed to adequately answer their questions.

Without the Democrats present, the committee did not have a quorum and was unable to proceed with the vote.

Committee Ranking Member James Jeffords (I-Vt.) said the Democrats wanted to the delay the vote by two weeks to allow time for Leavitt to sufficiently answer the more than 400 questions posed to him.

Leavitt is the nation’s longest-serving governor. He is a former chair of the National Governors Association, Western Governors Association, Republican Governors Association and Council of State Governments.