Senate EPW committee favorably reports two EPA presidential nominations after brief debate and a pointed opening statement

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Oct. 12 voted 10–9 to favorably report two presidential nominations for the Environmental Protection Agency: David Fatui of Virginia to be deputy administrator and Aaron Zabo of Virginia to be an assistant administrator.

Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse used his opening remarks to play about two minutes and 20 seconds of an earlier hearing involving Andrew Sabo and to criticize what he described as a pattern of climate-change skepticism in recent nominees and officials. "The notion that we're now in a place in which the person in charge of protecting us in this area is saying that it's a climate change religion and not climate science puts me into a really challenging position," Whitehouse said during his remarks.

Why it matters: Both nominations were moved, seconded and advanced out of committee by roll call. A favorable committee report is a procedural step that sends a nomination to the full Senate for consideration; it does not by itself place a nominee into office.

The committee chair called up presidential nomination 13-6, David Fatui of Virginia, to be deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and moved to "approve and report the nomination favorably." A second was recorded; the clerk then called the roll. The clerk announced a final tally of 10 yays and 9 nays for Fatui, and the nomination was "favorably reported."

The chair then called up presidential nomination 25-53, Aaron Zabo of Virginia, to be an assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and moved to "approve and report the nomination favorably." After a second and a roll-call vote, the clerk again reported 10 yays and 9 nays and the committee favorably reported the Zabo nomination.

Roll-call excerpts recorded in the committee proceeding show a mix of in-person and proxy votes. For both nominations, several senators were recorded as voting "no by proxy." Senators recorded as voting in the affirmative during the roll calls included Representative-style roll-call entries of Bozeman, Kramer, Curtis, Graham, Houston, Ricketts, Sullivan, Wicker and the presiding chair, among others; Kelly and several other senators were recorded as voting no (some by proxy). The clerk summarized each vote: "Madam chairman, yays are 10 and nays are 9." The committee adjourned immediately after the second favorable report.

Discussion vs. decision: Aside from Whitehouse's opening statement and the brief exchange surrounding the playing of the prior hearing excerpt, there was no extended debate on either nominee recorded in the transcript. The formal actions recorded are the two motions to approve and report the nominations and the roll-call tallies that followed.

Quotations in this report are taken from committee remarks recorded in the public hearing transcript. Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse criticized the quality of nominees he described as skeptical of climate science, and he said he intended to "build a record" contrasting those views with the research taught in state universities. The transcript includes the clerk's roll-call announcements and the chair's motions to approve and report the nominations favorably.

Next steps: Both nominations were favorably reported to the full Senate; the transcript does not record their final confirmation by the full Senate or any subsequent actions.