[CPEO-MEF] Utah Governor Leavitt confirmed as EPA chief

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

THE MERCURY NEWS
Utah Governor Leavitt confirmed as EPA chief
By John Heilprin
Posted on Tue, Oct. 28, 2003

WASHINGTON - Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt won Senate confirmation Tuesday to
become head of the Environmental Protection Agency after Senate
Democrats sharply critical of the Bush administration backed down in the
face of an overwhelming Republican show of force.

The lopsided 88-8 vote did not reflect the intense efforts by some
Democrats to hold up the nomination as they attacked the Bush
administration's environmental decisions.

President Bush's nomination of Leavitt to head the 18,000-employee
agency was helped by the Utah Republican's three terms as governor,
during which he forged personal relationships with many Senate
Democrats, some of them former governors.

"He's very good at bringing people together," Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del.,
said moments before the vote in explaining why he was supporting
Leavitt.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said, "The record is clear that Michael
Leavitt is a champion of the environment."

Leavitt said Tuesday he will be sworn in as EPA administrator on Nov. 6,
a day after resigning as governor. "I continue to be very optimistic
that I can make a contribution," he said. "I accepted this
responsibility because I believe the president is committed to
substantially more progress on the environment, and doing it in such a
way that does not compromise our place in the world competitively."

After weeks of efforts by some Senate Democrats to block or delay the
confirmation, only eight Democrats voted against Leavitt.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/7118478.htm

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