Senate Committee Approves Pruitt As EPA Head

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works voted unanimously to approve Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency.

Thursday is the second straight day the committee met to vote on Pruitt's confirmation but it's also the second straight day committee Democrats boycotted the hearing. Yesterday, the committee did not vote.

Today, the committee members in attendance, all Republican, voted unanimously to suspend the rules prior to the confirmation vote. Senate committee rules require at least one member of the minority party to be present in order to vote to recommend the nominee for a full Senate vote.

This is the same move the Senate Finance Committee used twice yesterday to send both Steve Mnuchin and Rep. Tom Price to a full Senate vote.

There is still no word as to when Pruitt will face a full Senate vote, the last step in confirmation.