3 former Republican EPA chiefs give current agency a 'D' grade
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
They've been there and done that and now they're disappointed with the work of their successors.
Three former Republican heads of the Environmental Protection Agency told ABC News on Tuesday that the current EPA under the Trump administration deserves a D grade, or maybe "a little lower" for its work. Christine Whitman, William Reilly, and Lee Thomas, who led the agency under former Presidents George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan, respectively, all agreed that the EPA's current leadership is supporting the "undermining of science" and taking a potentially "catastrophic" approach to climate change. They all also said they were concerned that the U.S. is heading toward undoing its recent gains in cleaner air and water.
"You need an agency that is credible, has consistency in its rule making, and is science-based," Thomas said, adding that he believes his old boss, Reagan, would want the agency to recommit to its original purpose.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Whitman and Reilly also both expressed excitement about the Green New Deal — at least in the sense that it has helped bring environmental policy to the forefront of the current political discourse.
The trio were in Washington to testify before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, where they were also joined by another former EPA chief, Gina McCarthy, who led the agency under former President Barack Obama. Read more at ABC News.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
5 calamitous cartoons about the Washington Post layoffsCartoons Artists take on a new chapter in journalism, democracy in darkness, and more
-
Political cartoons for February 14Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include a Valentine's grift, Hillary on the hook, and more
-
Tourangelle-style pork with prunes recipeThe Week Recommends This traditional, rustic dish is a French classic
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
-
US to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train armySpeed Read Trump has accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks
-
Grand jury rejects charging 6 Democrats for ‘orders’ videoSpeed Read The jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers for a video in which they urged military members to resist illegal orders
