Washington D.C. — Today, during an Environment and Public Works Committee confirmation hearing, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) grilled Aaron Szabo, President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), on his position on climate change and his loyalty to the oil industry.
Watch the full clip HERE.
Key Excerpts:
On Szabo’s relationship with the oil industry influencing his policy positions:
Schiff: Mr. Szabo, do you think the oil industry has a disproportionate impact on our ability, willingness to speak plainly about climate change? You seem to be having difficulty. Does the oil industry exert too great an influence on our policy dealing with climate change such that you can’t answer that question?
Szabo: No, and I am curious if you are insinuating that I’m somehow under the influence of the oil and natural gas industry. I’ve been consulting with career –
Schiff: I think this whole Congress is under the influence of the oil, coal and gas industry that makes it so difficult to answer a simple question about if these are contributors to climate change, wouldn’t a sensible policy be to reduce our reliance on them. There is some explanation for why that question is difficult to answer, and it is not science.
On Szabo’s murky position on reducing reliance on oil to mitigate climate change:
Schiff: Should we reduce the consumption, the burning of coal, oil and gas, as part of a strategy to mitigate climate change? Yes or no.
Szabo: Senator, I believe that it’s important that we follow the law with respect to any actions we take. If Congress wishes for us to take a different action on climate change, I would leave that into the decision of those in Congress about what policies the United States would take with respect to do that.
Schiff: But as a potential top official in the EPA, you would agree, would you not that if coal, oil and gas contribute to climate change. And climate change is resulting in horrendous fires like we had in Los Angeles, and stronger hurricanes and more flooding, that one part of a sensible approach to dealing with climate change would be to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels that are contributing to that crisis.
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