washington republican u.s. senators wednesday delay committee vote president donald trump pick head environmental protection agency panel democrats boycott meet say nominee scott pruitt doubt science climate change boycott senate environment public work committee delay transition new administrator agency senator ben cardin democrat say could support pruitt republican attorney general oklahoma public health position deny sum empirical science urgency act climate change committee confirmation hear last month pruitt sue agency intend run dozen time behalf oil-drilling state oklahoma express doubt climate change science pruitt say would would oblige uphold agency 2009 endangerment find carbon dioxide emissions harm public health find agency basis regulations emissions senator tom carper panel top democrat say pruitt provide woefully inadequate answer write question name one agency regulation support mr. pruitt serious lead important agency will provide straightforward answer fundamental question carper say republicans decry move democrats simply senatorial temper tantrum say senator dan sullivan alaska another oil state trump like republican senator jim inhofe panel call climate change hoax trump promise make change agency include away previous president barack obama clean power plan crack emissions coal-fired electricity generators plan suspend supreme court last year john konkus spokesman pruitt confirmation team say democrats epa obama put politics rhetoric ahead core work ahead welfare american public 2013 republican senators panel boycott then- obama second term pick agency gina mccarthy say completely unsatisfied answer 1,000 write question ask eventually confirm trump 's epa pick vote delay boycott senate democrats