Democrats on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee are digging their heels in, refusing to allow a vote on President Donald Trump’s nominee for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt.

Pruitt’s nomination was due to come to a vote February 1, but when it came time to gavel in the meeting, none of the committee’s Democrats were there. Under committee rules, at least two members of the minority party must be in attendance for a vote to be held.

Republicans on the committee expressed disappointment that the Democrats wouldn’t show up, saying that Pruitt had been put through the ringer during his confirmation process, allegedly answering more questions than any other nominee for the role in recent history. “I hope this is not the new normal. We cannot afford for the EPA to go without an administrator for the foreseeable future,” committee Chairman Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said during the hearing.

Catherine McCabe, the former deputy regional administrator of the EPA’s Region 2 in New York City, is currently serving as acting administrator.…

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