Trump's EPA Pick Scott Pruitt Confirmed
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: Welcome back to THE LEAD. Sticking with politics now. Scott Pruitt, President Trump's pick to run the Environmental Protection Agency has now been confirmed. That marks the 14th nominee in the Trump administration to be approved by the Senate -- almost as many confirmations as President Obama had over the same span back in 2009. In a last ditch protest, Senate Democrats took to the floor, railing against the former Oklahoma attorney general's ties to the oil and gas industry and his prior lawsuits against the very agency he now leads. CNN government regulation correspondent Rene Marsh joins me now live. So, Rene, a district judge in Oklahoma, he's ordering Pruitt to hand over thousands of communications with oil and gas companies while he was attorney general. What are they looking for?</s>RENE MARSH, CNN GOVERNMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I mean, despite his confirmation that just happened a few hours ago, we real should I expect even more drama. His opponents say he was often an advocate for the energy industry and now a watch dog group's request for his e-mail communication. Well, that happened some two years ago. And when that request was not granted, the Center for Media and Democracy filed a lawsuit. They believe the e-mails will reveal potential conflict of interest.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The nomination is confirmed.</s>MARSH (voice-over): Scott Pruitt confirmed to the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, the same agency he fought against as Oklahoma's attorney general. The confirmation coming as Pruitt faces a new court order.</s>LISA GRAVES, CENTER FOR MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY: The American people have a right to know what Scott Pruitt is hiding.</s>MARSH: A watch dog group filed a lawsuit to get access to Pruitt's e- mail communications with the fossil fuel industry. Thursday, an Oklahoma district judge ruled Pruitt must turnover 3,000 e-mails by next Tuesday.</s>GRAVES: He has been hiding information from the Senate and from the American people about the true extent of that relationship, how deep his ties go to the industries that he would be basically charged with regulating.</s>MARSH: He's filed at least a dozen lawsuits against the EPA and in his confirmation hearing, senators revealed Pruitt used Oklahoma state stationery and signed his name to letters drafted by energy lobbyists. Those letters were then sent to federal agencies criticizing environmental regulations. Democrats pushed to delay Pruitt's confirmation vote to allow time to review the e-mails.</s>SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), MINORITY LEADER: It's not the worst thing in the world to take a few extra days to properly vet someone who will have immense power.</s>MARSH: But Senate Republicans refused to delay.</s>SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MAJORITY LEADER: It's pretty clear what's happening. They want to move them as slowly as possible and on the ones they have deemed controversial, they want to give their left wing agitators enough time to get up and get organized.</s>MARSH: Democrats accuse Pruitt of being pro-industry.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our plan will end the</s>EPA. MARSH: Pruitt's track record makes him attractive to Trump and Republicans who are desperate to rein in an agency they say is wasting taxpayer dollars.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I get no joy being one of those states at the end of America's tail pipe.</s>MARSH: From an all nighter on the Senate floor to protests outside the EPA and a union urging its EPA members to tell their senators to vote no. Despite the resistance, a fresh tweet from the agency for the first time in weeks, welcoming Scott Pruitt.</s>MARSH: Pruitt was confirmed on a largely party line vote, but there were some crossovers. Democratic Senators Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, both who represent producing states, voted for him while moderate Republican Susan Collins voted against him.</s>SCIUTTO: Rene Marsh, thanks very much. If you don't think Russia is watching President Trump's every move, you're wrong. Today, Moscow is trying to needle him with a new taunt. And the president is spending another weekend working from his Mar-a- Lago resort. Guess who is footing the bill for his security? That would be you and me.