    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 9 (Monday, March 7, 2005)]
    [Pages 358-359]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks on the Nomination of Stephen L. Johnson To Be Administrator of
    the Environmental Protection Agency

    March 4, 2005

        The President. Good morning. I am pleased to announce my nomination
    of Stephen Johnson to be the Administrator of the Environmental
    Protection Agency.
        Steve Johnson is a talented scientist and skilled manager with a
    lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship. He has 24 years of
    experience at the EPA, spanning all four decades of the Agency's
    history. Since late January, he has served as Acting Administrator. He
    knows the EPA from the ground up and has a passion for its mission, to
    protect the health of our citizens and to guarantee the quality of our
    air, water, and land for generations to come. I've come to know Steve as
    an innovative problemsolver with good judgment and complete integrity.
    I'm proud to ask him to become the first career EPA employee to hold the
    office of Administrator, and I'm glad he's agreed to do so.
        When confirmed by the Senate, Steve will also become the first
    professional scientist to lead the EPA. He will use that background to
    set clear, rational standards for environmental quality and to place
    sound scientific analysis at the heart of all major decisions. Steve
    shares my conviction that we can improve the Earth while maintaining a
    vibrant and competitive economy. He will work cooperatively with leaders
    in government, industry, and environmental advocacy to continue using
    our resources wisely. He will listen to those living closest to the
    land, because they know our environmental needs best.
        For the last 4 years, Steve has served at the side of EPA
    Administrators Mike Leavitt and Christie Todd Whitman, and he shares in
    their record of achievement. Today, America's air and water are cleaner
    than in 2001. The clean diesel rule we finalized will cut emissions from
    heavy-duty vehicles by more than 90 percent over the next 10 years. Our
    brownfields initiative has helped restore

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    more than a thousand abandoned industrial sites to productive use in
    their community. We've taken landmark steps toward improving water
    quality in one of our Nation's most treasured natural resources, the
    Great Lakes.
        All Americans are benefiting from the EPA's practical approach and
    emphasis on results, and Steve will build on that progress. His
    immediate task is to work with Congress to pass my Clear Skies
    Initiative. This innovative legislation will reduce powerplant pollution
    by 70 percent without disrupting the economy or raising electricity
    prices. The bill will give Governors the flexibility they need to meet
    strict new air quality standards, improve public health, and protect
    vulnerable ecosystems from acid rain. Clear Skies is a commonsense, pro-
    environment, pro-jobs piece of legislation, and Congress needs to get it
    to my desk this year.
        Steve will also bring valuable experience that will help us improve
    our homeland security. As an expert on pesticides, he helped design new
    regulations to improve food safety. In his new role, Steve will lead
    Federal efforts to ensure the security of our drinking water supply. My
    budget includes a new program to better monitor urban water systems, so
    we can detect contamination as quickly as possible. EPA personnel are
    playing an important role in the war on terror, so my budget increases
    support for EPA homeland security programs by more than 70 percent this
    year.
        As he embarks on all these duties, Steve has the trust and
    admiration of his longtime colleagues, the thousands of hard-working EPA
    employees across the country. He is also fortunate to count on the love
    and support of his wife, Debbie, and their children and grandchildren,
    who are with us here today--and his mother- and father-in-law.
    [Laughter]
        I ask the Senate to confirm this nomination promptly. I look forward
    to welcoming Steve Johnson to my Cabinet as America's 11th Administrator
    of the Environmental Protection Agency.
        Congratulations, Steve. Appreciate you.

    [At this point, Administrator-Designate Johnson made brief remarks.]

        The President. Good job, sir.
        Administrator-Designate Johnson. Thank you.
        The President. You bet.
        Administrator-Designate Johnson. Thank you very much, sir.
        The President. Smile--smile for the camera. [Laughter]

    Note: The President spoke at 8:45 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to Debbie Johnson, wife of
    Administrator-Designate Johnson. The transcript released by the Office
    of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of Administrator-
    Designate Johnson.