The U.S. Senate on Friday, confirmed Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a 52 to 46 votes cast largely along party lines.
The vote came after Democrats kept the Senate in session overnight while they raised concern over Pruitt and his ties to the oil and gas industry.
The Oklahoma Attorney General was opposed by environmental groups, who believed that he would gut much of former president Barack Obama’s environmental regulations.
Pruitt led Oklahoma’s legal challenges to environmental regulations many times in an attempt to reverse Obama administration activism that Republicans said hurt the economy.
President Donald Trump nominated Pruitt for the post in December.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called Pruitt, “exceptionally qualified’’ adding that he was dedicated to environmental protection. (Dpa/NAN)