andrew wheeler
Credit: Gino Santa Maria/Big Stock Photo
Trump eyes former allies for possible EPA leadership role
Donald Trump may tap a former EPA chief or top advisor to lead the agency if he wins a second term, aiming to dismantle Biden-era regulations.
In short:
- Andrew Wheeler, Trump’s last EPA head, is a leading contender if Trump wins, with support from key former officials.
- Mandy Gunasekara, another former EPA official, has declined interest despite being a strong candidate.
- Trump may also consider other loyalists like Aurelia Skipwith Giacometto or Doug Benevento.
Key quote:
“They need to be able to set an agenda and go immediately.”
— Former Trump EPA official
Why this matters:
Trump’s EPA leader would face the challenge of rapidly rolling back environmental regulations and reshaping the agency. The appointment could significantly weaken U.S. environmental policy and hinder efforts to combat climate change.
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Former EPA head predicts swift end to Biden’s climate policies under a new Trump administration
Andrew Wheeler, former EPA chief under Trump, believes that Biden’s aggressive climate policies will be quickly dismantled if Trump is re-elected, though funding for clean energy subsidies may persist.
In short:
- Andrew Wheeler predicts that courts will strike down Biden’s pollution limits for power plants and vehicle regulations if Trump wins.
- He supports continuing clean energy subsidies but opposes using them to justify stringent regulations.
- Wheeler is prepared to lead the EPA again to reverse Biden’s climate initiatives.
Key quote:
“If you care about the planet you need to understand that the presidency is everything, and Republicans are not being unclear about what they want to do.”
— Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)
Why this matters:
The potential rollback of Biden’s climate regulations could significantly alter the U.S. approach to addressing climate change, impacting both environmental protection efforts and the clean energy market.
Flashback to EPA actions under the previous Trump Administration:
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Embajada de los Estados Unidos en Uruguay/Flickr/Public Domainhttps://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/U.S. Embassy photo: Gonzalo García / Juan Francisco Casal
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