Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, appearing at two House hearings on April 26, faced criticism about the agency’s proposed fiscal year 2019 budget request and also was grilled about controversies surrounding his management and use of agency resources.
Testifying before the House appropriations subcommittee that oversees EPA spending, Pruitt heard legislators from both parties push back against proposed cuts. Subcommittee chairman Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) noted that the $6.14-billion 2019 request is down about $1.9 billion from 2018. “While some reductions may be in order, cuts of this magnitude put important programs at risk,” Calvert said. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) hit harder, calling the 2019 budget “reckless, irresponsible and unrealistic.”