McCarthy Nomination for EPA Head: Environment Over Politics
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
HARRISBURG, Pa. - A U.S. Senate committee controlled by Democrats has given its blessing to the nomination of Gina McCarthy as the next head of the Environmental Protection Agency. That vote late last week came after some Republicans had tried to stall the process, and has people from both sides of the aisle saying what's good for the environment should take precedence over politics.
According to Dr. Walter Tsou, a past president of the American Public Health Association and former health commissioner of Philadelphia, McCarthy has a history of working with Democrats and Republicans.
"So, whether it's clean water, clean air, or other areas around environmental protection, I think that she's going to be a strong advocate for environmental causes," Tsou declared.
McCarthy has worked for five Republican governors, including former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift, who had praise for the nominee.
"She makes sure that the business community is heard, and they have a legitimate position," Swift stated. "She listens to legislators and she gets the job done in a bipartisan way, and to me, we need more of that in Washington right now."
Tsou said McCarthy's nomination holds special importance to a state such as Pennsylvania, where clean air is affected not only by pollution produced from within but also by entities in other states.
"Air pollution does not stop at the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, so it is important for us to have national standards in order to protect everybody in all of our surrounding states," he said.
Republicans efforts to scuttle McCarthy's nomination appeared based more on EPA policies than McCarthy's record. There is no indication when a full Senate confirmation vote on McCarthy may take place.
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