GOP Slams Biden EPA Chief, Former Cooper Appointee Michael Regan, After Purges EPA of Trump Science Advisors for Being Too ‘Business-Friendly’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Former Cooper Administration environmental chief, now President Joe Biden’s Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is under fire for flushing dozens of scientists from two advisory boards, some well before their term expires, in an apparent purge of Trump appointments and those not sufficiently wacko enough.

Before rigid Woke Dogma dominated social dealings in more ways than we can count, environmentalist were the original purity enforcers. As such, they are well practiced in enforcing the ‘authoritative truth’ and culling any who question the narrative; like Trump appointees that don’t subscribe to the Left’s radical policy prescriptions and climate change hysteria.

Regan, who Governor Roy Cooper regaled as an affable public servant who worked well with both sides of the aisle, removed more than 45 members of two science advisory boards. The traditionally bipartisan panels provide scientific expertise and recommendations for air quality standards and other policies intended to protect public health and the environment.

You can imagine why it is important to not have these boards dominated by wackos that would like nothing more than to ban V8 engines and give us all a pollution score by which to judge citizens and businesses. We dare say it’d be good to balance such boards out with dynamic perspectives that, let’s say, avoid total destruction of the economy and your liberty.

House Republican Reps. James Comer (KY) and Ralph Norman (SC) criticized Regan for what they called an unwarranted “purge” that has nothing to do with science, and everything to do with politics.

Comer is the senior Republican on the House Oversight Committee; Norman is the top Republican on the panel’s environment subcommittee. And they want answers:

“[…] The midterm firing of science advisory board members within the first months of a new Administration demonstrates a deeply troubling partisan political agenda.

Your apparent decision to use a political litmus test to determine who should serve on EPA scientific advisory boards raises serious concerns about the politization of the EPA.

Ironically, an EPA spokesman stated that fired board members are “eligible and encouraged to reapply,” raising questions about why the agency would “encourage” board members to apply after being fired unless the rationale for their dismissal is not related to qualifications. Indeed, removing science advisory board members simply because they were appointed by a different political party seriously undermines the credibility of EPA and its advisory boards.

In order for Committee Republicans to better understand EPA’s reasoning for firing
science advisory board members in what appears to be a political purge, please provide the
following documents and information as soon as possible but no later than April 21, 2021. […]”

You can review the letter in full, including the specific document requests, here.

You might be wondering what our senators from North Carolina think about this development, especially in context of their glowing recommendations of the Cooper administration Democrat.

Here are Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis on Regan during his confirmation in March, which they both supported:

“Secretary Regan will bring the right expertise, leadership, and experience to the EPA,” said Sen. Burr. “During his time working for North Carolina, Secretary Regan demonstrated his commitment to sound environmental stewardship and to building constructive relationships with those who may have different points of view. I applaud the Senate’s bipartisan support of this qualified nominee, and look forward to working with him in this new role.”

“Michael Regan has a strong record of service to the state of North Carolina, earning a reputation for being a thoughtful, engaging, and well-qualified leader through his work with the EPA, the Environmental Defense Fund, and as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality,” said Sen. Tillis. “I have no doubt he will do a great job and serve our country well.”

Well, Regan is certainly serving the special interests of the Far Left quite well over his first several weeks as EPA chief. Though, purging advisory boards of dozens of ‘business-friendly’ Trump appointees midterm doesn’t quite exhibit the ‘building of constructive relationships with those sporting different points of view,’ now does it?

In fact, this purge is a big bright signal that, either Regan has no interest in leading the EPA in such a ‘thoughtful and engaging’ manner, or he is simply too powerless to resist the cabal that is actually calling the shots.