U.S. Rep. Ben Ray LujánCONGRESSIONAL News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt requesting more information about his travel practices.
The letter comes after Luján questioned Pruitt during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing about his travel, his failure to visit low-income communities and communities of color, and whether he would take responsibility for the many scandals at the EPA.
Since his testimony, there have been troubling new revelations related to Pruitt’s travel, leading Luján to further question the EPA’s practices under Pruitt’s leadership.
In the letter, Luján wrote: “In several instances, your official foreign travel was allegedly planned and executed with significant assistance from current and former lobbyists, conservative activists and Republican campaign donors. Additionally, it was recently reported that your public schedule omits key information regarding meetings held while traveling.”
When Luján questioned him earlier this month, Pruitt failed to adequately answer several questions from Luján and fellow Democratic Committee Members. Luján’s letter follows up on the questions he had previously posed to the Administrator.
The letter states: “You also traveled domestically using a companion pass obtained through frequent flier miles accrued by a subordinate EPA political appointee. I questioned you about these issues when you testified before the Subcommittee on Environment, but further information is needed in light of recent developments.”
A .pdf of the letter is available here.
