[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 10, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S3312]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            VOTE EXPLANATION

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote 
No. 299, confirmation of the nomination of David Fotouhi to be Deputy 
Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency. Had I been 
present for this vote, I would have voted no. Mr. Fotouhi has 
demonstrated an alarming record as a partner in the D.C. law firm 
Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher LLP, where he has represented an industry 
challenge to the Biden ban on asbestos, challenged EPA's water quality 
standards related to legacy PCB contamination, represented tire 
companies that released a chemical known to kill salmon, and 
represented International Paper in lawsuits accusing the firm of 
contamination from PFASs. During the first Trump administration, he 
served as the EPA's deputy general counsel and acting general counsel. 
In these roles, he played a central part in revising the Waters of the 
U.S. rule that stripped Federal protections from wetlands and streams, 
and also led the EPA's effort to oppose bonding requirements on mining 
companies. Because of this poor environmental record, I would have 
voted no on his confirmation.

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