President Obama's choice to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cleared one procedural hurdle, but another remains. A U.S. Senate committee last night approved the nomination of Gina McCarthy, an EPA official who previously served as the Massachusetts environmental regulator under former Republican Governor Mitt Romney. McCarthy also served under Romney's predecessor, Republican Jane Swift. She says McCarthy's work on clean air regulations focused on process and outcomes, not politics.
Republican Senators last week blocked the committee's attempt to vote on the nomination. Organized labor is also supporting McCarthy's bid. David Green, President of the United Auto Workers Union local in Lordstown, says her previous work as an assistant administrator in the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation helped create jobs. He says a good environment is also good for the economy.
The committee vote sends McCarthy’s nomination to the full Senate. But Missouri Republican Roy Blunt has placed a hold on the nomination, which will have to be withdrawn before a floor vote can occur.