washington u.s. senate vote thursday 49-47 confirm top air quality official environmental protection agency despite concern raise lawmakers industry tie william wehrum represent industry clients law lobby firm hunton williams serve epa assistant administrator air radiation top position oversee key air quality regulations wehrum second high-level epa official administrator scott pruitt confirm senate wehrum serve epa act assistant administrator air radiation 2005 2007 former president george w. bush leave government head administrative law group hunton williams focus air quality issue industry clients exxonmobil corp. democratic senator tom carper delaware urge colleagues reject wehrum confirmation ahead vote bill wehrum spend career fight dismantle federal environmental protections many state include delaware depend clean toxic air pollution carper say senate majority leader mitch mcconnell say wehrum would continue work epa undo damage obama administration overreach u.s. senate confirm top epa air quality official despite concern