Record number of lawmakers sign resolution demanding Pruitt's resignation
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt isn't the most popular guy in Washington.
Lawmakers made their opinions on the scandal-riddled EPA chief very clear in resolutions introduced Wednesday. Thirty-nine members of the Senate called for Pruitt's resignation, as did more than 130 members of the House of Representatives, Reuters reports. The companion resolutions, signed entirely by Democrats, would force Pruitt to step down, or force President Trump to appoint a new administrator.
No Cabinet member has ever had so many senators officially push for their resignation, making Pruitt's recent blunders historically controversial. The EPA chief has been heavily criticized in recent weeks as ethics scandals pile up around him: He rented a room for $50 a night in a condo owned by an energy lobbyist's wife, his request for a $43,000 soundproof phone booth in his office violated federal spending laws, and he has racked up massive taxpayer-funded travel bills.
It's not just lawmakers who are unhappy with Pruitt. More than 30 organizations took out full-page ads in The New York Times, the New York Post, and The Oklahoman to call for his resignation, The Hill reports. Environmental and civil rights-focused groups ranging from the NAACP to the Friends of the Earth wrote that Pruitt should resign or "be removed." While Pruitt's support on Capitol Hill is quickly dwindling, he can at least depend on Trump to be a friend — for now.