Scott Pruitt Re-Invented, or is He? | Perspective

On Friday, February 2, 2018, the day of the release of the infamous Nunes Memo, and the intense media coverage that followed, New York Times The Daily veered off media course and featured a noteworthy interview with EPA Director Scott Pruitt. Pruitt struggled to answer Barbaro’s direct questions. It’s an amazing interview, well worth a listen.

Interestingly, Senator Markey (D-MA), sent a harsh letter to Scott Pruitt on January 18, 2018, rebuking him and demanding that he answer 41 vital questions and reply by January 24th. Further, Markey requested that Pruitt come in person to be interviewed be the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) on January 30, 2018.

Pruitt’s attempt to dismantle all of Obama’s environmental protection policies, and erase the scientific research at the EPA proving Climate Change, have been met with lawsuits. Dozens and dozens of lawsuits in 2017. The aggressive de-reguations agenda of Pruitt’s is now clogging the courts.

Perhaps Scott Pruitt has begun feeling the heat after decimating the programs that protect the environment and safeguard public health, and continuing his “Climate Change denier” position even after the catastrophic hurricane season of 2017. He seemingly became “inspired” after his meeting with Senator Markey and the Senate EPW Committee on January 30th, aired on C-SPAN …he announced today Monday February 5, 2018 that he invited Cabinet members to a meeting on February 15, 2018 to strategize about updating America’s water infrastructure.

The Washington Examiner outlined: “Lead poisoning is an insidious menace that robs our children of their intellect and their future,” Pruitt said in the letter, addressed to Cabinet heads including HHS Secretary Alex Azar, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Ben Carson, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and others.

Just 8 weeks ago, before the tax overhaul, Pruitt testified in Congress that he was concerned about the cost to replace the infrastructure – approximately $30 billion – for “7 million to 11 million lines.” This seems to imply he’d never be able to follow-through with whatever strategy the Cabinet comes up with for eliminating lead from water during their meeting on February 15th.

Replacing 11 million lead pipe lines for $30 billion, which would drastically reduce lead poisoning, if not eliminate it all together, is less than half the cost of the $70 billion border wall that Trump is determined to install. We can’t forget that the tax overhaul is expected to generate a tax shortage of $1.5 trillion, which will likely stall each and every infrastructure program.

CNN stated that in 2016 Pruitt was supporting Jeb Bush, and commented about Trump: “I think he’s an empty vessel when it comes to things like the Constitution and rule of law,” Pruitt said on the “Exploring Energy” radio show on February 11. “I’m very concerned that perhaps if he’s in the White House, that there may be a very blunt instrument as the voice of the Constitution.”

But in 2017, Pruitt claimed: “After meeting him, and now having the honor of working for him, it is abundantly clear that President Trump is the most consequential leader of our time,” Pruitt said. “No one has done more to advance the rule of law than President Trump. The President has liberated our country from the political class and given America back to the people.”

So this zig-zag, is Scott Pruitt, Director of the EPA. Someone to keep an eye on as long as he’s in office. “America the Beautiful,” national tourism, is a $1.5 trillion dollar industry. Poisoning our water and air for profit, chopping off breathtaking mountaintops to appease the Coal Industry, smashing monuments out West (Zinke), is a destruction campaign.

It’s encouraging to see the new Scott Pruitt. It took an army to get Director Pruitt to this fresh start. It will likely take an army to ensure he follows through. Apparently, pressure is a great motivator for Pruitt. But there’s a famous adage to keep in mind: “A man convinced beyond his will is of the same impression still.”