[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 11, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                      Nomination of Andrew Wheeler

  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. President, I appreciate the opportunity to speak 
today about the nomination of Andrew Wheeler to be the Deputy 
Administrator of the EPA--an extremely important position.
  Mr. Wheeler's expertise and experience make him extraordinarily 
qualified to become the Deputy Administrator. I am a little biased when 
it comes to Mr. Wheeler because he has great family roots in the State 
of West Virginia, which, to me, is a good recommendation in and of 
itself. I think his wealth of knowledge over the years working on 
environmental policy in the public and in the private sectors is just 
incredible. His knowledge and experience will be a tremendous asset to 
the Agency and to the American people. He understands--watching policy 
being made and helping policy being made himself but also then 
transitioning to the private sector and watching how that policy then 
influences the private sector as well. He has had an active hand in 
significant environmental--energy--and infrastructure policy 
achievements and debates and probably some of the failures that we have 
had, as well as the confirmation of numerous Presidential nominees. So 
Andrew will have a head start. He will hit the ground running, and that 
is what we need at the EPA.
  Andrew was also tasked with coordinating and working with the various 
agencies within the committee's jurisdiction. Most importantly, he has 
been and was tasked with this, so he worked with other agencies while 
he was a staffer.
  Beginning in 2009, Mr. Wheeler went into the private sector, 
continuing his work in environmental and energy policy. Throughout his 
career, he has worked with individuals and stakeholders who run the 
political gamut, and he has left a very positive impression on them.
  During his confirmation hearing in our EPW Committee, he was very 
forthright in his answers, very willing to look deeper into certain 
areas, and very willing to not express an opinion if he didn't really 
know or was unsure of some of the details. Actually, I think he 
exhibited a real curiosity as to how he could make the EPA run smoother 
and better and be more reflective of what the President and we here in 
the Senate and people across this country see as a vision for the EPA.
  I have also been impressed by the number of individuals who know Mr. 
Wheeler and who have come forward and spoken about his expertise and 
his willingness to collaborate on issues all across the country. He has 
had an active role in my State of West Virginia, which is a high 
energy-producing State.
  I urge my colleagues to vote to confirm Mr. Wheeler. They will have 
no regret. I look forward to working with him at the EPA on issues that 
are important to my State of West Virginia and across the country.
  I yield back.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.