Washington Watch: NC Opposition May Doom Trump Nominee
All politics is local, even in Washington.
Another egregious Trump environmental appointee may actually lose a confirmation vote in the U.S. Senate, despite the GOP majority. That’s because the two Senators from our state—both Republicans—have come out against Trump’s nominee for the top chemical safety position in the Environmental Protection Agency.
Why have Richard Burr and Thom Tillis announced their opposition to a chemical industry consultant who regularly finds no human health hazards from various chemicals? After all, they had no problem voting for any of the other Trump nominees for sensitive environmental posts, who had anti-environmental records just as or more extreme.
It’s because Michael Dourson (a University of Cincinnati professor and chemical industry consultant) is specifically tied to findings checking off on the safety of a chemical also known as GenX. No politician in his or her right mind wants to be associated with approval of someone or some action which has become politically “radioactive” within their own constituency. They may well take the blame by association in their next election.
Read the details here.
Environmental advocates, take heart: Your advocacy can make a difference even with your usual opponents, so long as they have to worry that ignoring your concerns may come back to haunt them at the ballot box.
