Republican Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) said Wednesday that he wants to talk to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt about his management of the agency.
The Washington Post reported the news following an interview with the senator.
Inhofe said he planned on asking Pruitt about his “spending and management decisions,” in the paper’s words. Earlier Wednesday, the Post reported that Pruitt had a top aide contact Republican donors to help look for jobs for his wife Marlyn.
Pruitt, Inhofe told the Post, would be “in a very awkward position not to answer to me, and to answer me truthfully.”
Despite telling conservative radio host Laura Ingraham earlier Wednesday that one option for Pruitt would be “for him to leave that job,” if he doesn’t get his act together, the paper noted, Inhofe held back on calling for Pruitt’s resignation.
“I’m keeping my powder dry until I talk to him, which would be Monday at the very latest,” the senator told the Post.
Inhofe also told Ingraham that Andrew Wheeler, the former coal lobbyist and current deputy EPA administrator, “might be a good swap” for Pruitt, telegraphing his unhappiness with his fellow Oklahoman.
“I would say this, that there’s a guy behind him, Andrew Wheeler, who’s really qualified, too, so you know we could, that might be a good swap,” Inhofe said.
