News broke Wednesday that President-Elect Donald Trump had selected Oklahoma Attorney General, and active opponent to the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt to lead that very same organization. Word of Trump’s latest pick sent liberal environmental groups into a panic along with networks CBS and NBC. “The president-elect filled more administration posts today, putting a global warming sceptic in charge of protecting the environment,” announced anchor Scott Pelley on CBS Evening News.
CBS’s Nancy Cordes bemoaned Trump’s climate change switcheroo from earlier in the week. “Al Gore's meeting with Mr. Trump the other day gave environmentalists hope, but that hope evaporated today when Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt was tapped to head the environmental protection agency,” she whined.
She seemed to try to discredit Pruitt, reporting, “Pruitt claims the debate over climate change is far from settled and has repeatedly sued the EPA over fossil fuel regulations.” She then smeared him by quoting a liberal organization press release arguing he was “unfit to serve,” “The Sierra Club said today, ‘Having Scott Pruitt in charge of the EPA is like putting an arsonist in charge of fighting fires.’”
She interviewed Hawaii Democratic Senator Brian Schatz who warned, “This person who wants to lead the EPA has actually made a career out of undermining the EPA. So this is really the worst-case scenario, and we're going to have a fight.”
NBC Nightly News kept their fretting brief as they covered all of Trump’s new appointees. But NBC’s Hallie Jackson noted that Pruitt’s nomination come with, “push-back already from those who fear he'll keep fighting to dismantle President Obama's climate change initiatives.” Eight years ago, none of the networks seemed to have a problem with Obama dismantling programs started under George W. Bush.
Both mentioned that Pruitt has sued the EPA a number of times, NBC only noted that it was over “power plant emissions regulations,” while CBS kept it vague with “fossil fuel regulations.” None mentioned that his lawsuits are against federal government overreach through President Barack Obama’s, so-called, Clean Power Plan. The plan puts burdensome regulations on coal fire power plants, which has forced many of them to shut down, coal mines to close, and energy bills to skyrocket.
And according to Fox News, Pruitt stands in opposition to the EPA’s abuse of the Clean Water Act, which has been a known method for the agency to disregard property rights of US citizens. On the issue, Fox News quotes Pruitt as saying:
Respect for private property rights have allowed our nation to thrive, but with the recently finalized rule, farmers, ranchers, developers, industry and individual property owners will now be subject to the unpredictable, unsound and often byzantine regulatory regime of the EPA.
In contrast to their competitors, ABC did not mention Pruitt’s nomination on World News Tonight.
Transcript below:
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CBS Evening News
December 7, 2016
6:35:00 PM EasternSCOTT PELLEY: The president-elect filled more administration posts today, putting a global warming sceptic in charge of protecting the environment. Here's Nancy Cordes.
[Cuts to video]
NANCY CORDES: Al Gore's meeting with Mr. Trump the other day gave environmentalists hope, but that hope evaporated today when Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt was tapped to head the environmental protection agency. Pruitt claims the debate over climate change is far from settled and has repeatedly sued the EPA over fossil fuel regulations.
SCOTT PRUITT: It is the most damning thing that I see with respect to our ability to grow as a country.
CORDES: The Sierra Club said today, "Having Scott Pruitt in charge of the EPA is like putting an arsonist in charge of fighting fires." Senator Brian Schatz is a Democrat from Hawaii.
BRIAN SCHATZ: This person who wants to lead the EPA has actually made a career out of undermining the EPA. So this is really the worst-case scenario, and we're going to have a fight.
…
NBC Nightly News
December 7, 2016
7:04:38 PM EasternTAMRON HALL: A very busy day in the presidential transition. Early this morning, we learned Donald Trump has been named Time magazine's person of the year. And we heard from the president-elect himself, moments after. Mr. Trump speaking with the Today show on a range of issues. And throughout the day, a flurry of cabinet picks including another general. This time, to lead homeland security. NBC's Halle Jackson has it all covered.
[Cuts to video]
HALLIE JACKSON: With the transition clock ticking, more picks for the president-elect. Including as head of the EPA, the man who's currently suing it over power plant emissions regulations. A top transition source tells NBC News Scott Pruitt has been picked to lead that agency, with push-back already from those who fear he'll keep fighting to dismantle President Obama's climate change initiatives.
…
