Scott Pruitt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Scott Pruitt
Official portrait, 2017
14th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
In office February 17, 2017 – July 9, 2018
President	Donald Trump
Deputy	Andrew Wheeler
Preceded by	Gina McCarthy
Succeeded by	Andrew Wheeler
17th Attorney General of Oklahoma
In office January 10, 2011 – February 17, 2017
Governor	Mary Fallin
Preceded by	Drew Edmondson
Succeeded by	Michael J. Hunter
Member of the Oklahoma Senate
In office January 5, 1999 – January 2, 2007
Preceded by	Gerald Wright
Succeeded by	Bill Brown
Constituency	54th district (1999–2003) 36th district (2003–2007)
Personal details
Born	Edward Scott Pruitt (1968-05-09) May 9, 1968 (age 57) Danville, Kentucky, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Marlyn Pruitt ​ (m. 1990)​
Children	2
Education	University of Kentucky Georgetown College (BA) University of Tulsa (JD)

Edward Scott Pruitt (born May 9, 1968) is an American lawyer and politician from Oklahoma. He is a member of the Republican Party. From February 2017 to July 2018, he served as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President Donald Trump. He resigned from this role after facing questions about his spending and management.

Before leading the EPA, Pruitt was the Attorney General of Oklahoma. He also served in the Oklahoma Senate, representing parts of Tulsa and Wagoner counties.

Scott Pruitt's Early Life and Education

Scott Pruitt was born in 1968 in Danville, Kentucky. He grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, where his father owned restaurants and his mother was a homemaker. In high school, he played both football and baseball. He even earned a baseball scholarship to the University of Kentucky.

After one year, he transferred to Georgetown College in Kentucky. He graduated in 1990 with degrees in political science and communications. Later, he moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and earned a law degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1993.

Scott Pruitt's Early Career in Politics

After law school, Pruitt started his own law practice in Tulsa. He worked as a lawyer for five years before entering politics.

In 1998, Pruitt was elected to the Oklahoma Senate. He represented areas in Tulsa and Wagoner counties. During his time in the Senate, he held leadership roles. He was the Republican whip from 2001 to 2003 and then the Republican Assistant Floor Leader until 2006. He also chaired a task force for the American Legislative Exchange Council, focusing on workers' compensation limits.

In 2001, Pruitt tried to become a U.S. Representative for Oklahoma but was not successful. In 2003, he bought a share in a baseball team, the Oklahoma City RedHawks. He later sold his share in 2010.

While a state senator, Pruitt bought a home in Oklahoma City with several partners, including lobbyists. This arrangement later raised questions about his financial relationships, which were revealed by the press in 2018.

Scott Pruitt as Oklahoma Attorney General

In 2010, Scott Pruitt was elected as the Attorney General of Oklahoma. He won the Republican primary and then the general election. In 2014, he was re-elected without opposition.

Key Actions as Attorney General

After becoming Attorney General, Pruitt made some changes to his office. He moved attorneys who worked on environmental protection to other units. He said that the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality was mainly responsible for enforcing environmental laws in Oklahoma.

Pruitt also created a "Federalism Unit." This unit focused on challenging the federal government's rules, especially those from President Barack Obama's administration. He sued the EPA many times while in this role.

Pruitt received significant financial support for his campaigns from the fossil fuel industry. This helped him become chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association.

• Affordable Care Act: In 2013, Pruitt filed a lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act. However, the Supreme Court later upheld the federal subsidies for the Act in a similar case.
• Environmental Regulations: Pruitt's office sued the EPA to stop its Clean Power Plan and Waters of the United States rule. He also criticized the EPA in congressional hearings.
• Same-Sex Marriage: Pruitt expressed disagreement when a federal court ruled that Oklahoma's ban on same-sex marriage was against the U.S. Constitution.
• Industry Letters: In 2014, The New York Times reported that Pruitt used his office's letterhead to send letters written by energy industry lobbyists to federal agencies.
• Emails and Industry Ties: In 2017, an Oklahoma court ordered Pruitt to release thousands of emails showing his communication with fossil fuel companies. These emails showed a close relationship between Pruitt and groups supported by the Koch brothers.

Scott Pruitt as EPA Administrator

In December 2016, President-elect Donald Trump chose Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Trump stated that Pruitt would help "restore the EPA's essential mission of keeping our air and our water clean and safe."

Stop Pruitt sign, at a rally to oppose his nomination

Confirmation and Concerns

Pruitt's nomination was supported by some, including Republican Senator John Barrasso. However, many scientists and environmental groups were concerned. They pointed to Pruitt's history of suing the EPA and his views on environmental regulations.

• Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, said Pruitt's nomination was "like the fox guarding the henhouse."
• 447 former EPA employees wrote a letter opposing Pruitt. They believed he did not "put the public's welfare ahead of private interests."

Despite these concerns, the United States Senate confirmed Pruitt as EPA Administrator on February 17, 2017, by a vote of 52–46.

Actions as EPA Administrator

During his time at the EPA, Pruitt worked to change the agency's direction. He aimed to reduce the EPA's power and reverse many environmental rules.

• Budget and Staffing: The President's budget asked Pruitt to cut the EPA's budget by 24% and reduce its staff by 20%. Many staff members, including scientists, left the EPA during his tenure.
• Scientific Advice: Pruitt removed scientists from EPA advisory panels. He also proposed rules that would limit the type of scientific research the EPA could consider.
• Climate Change: Pruitt stated that he did not believe human activities were the primary cause of global warming. This view went against the EPA's own scientific position. The EPA website's climate change section was changed or removed during his time.
• Rule Changes:
  • Pruitt was directed to cancel the Clean Power Plan, which aimed to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.
  • He also worked to cancel the Clean Water Rule, which protected small streams and wetlands.
  • Pruitt proposed relaxing rules on coal ash and delaying new rules for power plants.
  • He reconsidered car emissions standards and proposed changes to fuel economy rules.
• Pesticide Decision: In March 2017, Pruitt decided not to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide. This decision was criticized by groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, who were "deeply alarmed."
• Methane Leaks: Pruitt ordered a delay in new rules for methane leaks from oil and gas wells. However, a federal court later overturned this delay.
• PFOS and PFOA Study: Emails showed that the White House and EPA under Pruitt delayed the release of a study on chemical pollutants PFOS and PFOA. The study showed these substances were dangerous at lower levels than previously thought.

Questions and Resignation

Pruitt faced many questions about his spending and management practices. These included frequent first-class travel and renting a condo at a very low rate from a lobbyist. He also gave large raises to his closest aides without White House approval.

These issues led to growing calls for his resignation. On July 5, 2018, Pruitt announced he would resign from office on July 9. After his resignation, Andrew R. Wheeler became the acting head of the EPA.

Scott Pruitt's Life After the EPA

After leaving the EPA, Pruitt started an energy consulting business. He also registered as a lobbyist in Indiana, focusing on energy and natural resources.

In April 2022, Pruitt ran for the United States Senate in Oklahoma. He was one of 13 candidates in the Republican primary but received 5% of the vote and did not advance.

Scott Pruitt's Environmental Views

Scott Pruitt has different views on environmental issues compared to many scientists.

Views on Climate Change

Pruitt does not agree with the widespread scientific understanding that human activities are the main cause of climate change.

• He has stated that "the climate is changing, and human activity contributes to that in some manner." However, he also said that "measuring with precision... the degree of human contribution is very challenging."
• In 2016, he co-authored an article saying that the debate about global warming is "far from settled." He argued that scientists continue to disagree about the extent of global warming and its connection to human actions.
• He has suggested that an increase in global temperature might not be "a bad thing."

Pruitt also opposed the Paris Agreement, an international agreement to fight climate change. He incorrectly claimed that China and India had "no obligations" under the agreement until 2030.

Images for kids

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  Pruitt at the CPAC in February 2017

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  Resist Trump Rally, NYC, 2017

See also

In Spanish: Scott Pruitt para niños