US senators block floor vote on nomination of new EPA chief
Washington (Platts)--7Apr2005
Two US Senate Democrats Thursday said they will block a floor vote on Stephen Johnson's nomination as Environmental Protection Agency administrator until EPA cancels a little-known program that paid some Florida families to document the effects routine exposure to pesticides were having on their children. Sens Barbara Boxer (Democrat-California) and Bill Nelson (Democrat-Florida) are concerned over Johnson's support for the Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study, which offered families in Duval County, Florida, $970, a video camera and various other items to document how their young children were affected by having pesticides and chemicals routinely sprayed inside their homes. While serving as EPA deputy adminsitrator, Johnson last fall praised the program, "saying it would answer high priority research questions on children's exposures to chemicals in the residential environment." Boxer first confronted Johnson about the program Wednesday, during Johnson's confirmation hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "The idea that [EPA] would pay parents to expose their children to toxins is absolutely reprehensible," Boxer said. Johnson told Boxer that he had suspended, but did not cancel, the program last November, pending the outcome of an external scientific review. But that didn't satisfy Boxer, who promised to derail Johnson's confirmation unless he cancels the program. Johnson sent a letter to Boxer yesterday afternoon, but fell short of meeting's the senator's request, saying only that "all aspects of the study, including enrollment of participants, [are] suspended....[N]o additional work will be conducted on this study subject to the outcome of external scientific and ethical review." Boxer Thursday told reporters she plans to block a vote on the nomination of Nelson, who has also placed a hold on Johnson, agreed, calling the program "immoral." Under Senate rules, one member can prevent a floor vote on a nomination by placing what is called a "hold" on the nominee. Such holds can only be overcome by a 60-vote majority. This story was originally published in Platts Natural Gas Alert http://www.naturalgasalert.platts.com
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