January 25, 2017 The Honorable Senator Tom Udall 531 Hart Senate Office Building United States Senate Washington DC, 20510 The Honorable Ben Ray Lujan 2231 Rayburn HOB United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Martin Heinrich 303 Hart Senate Office Building United States Senate Washington DC, 20510 The Honorable Steve Pearce 2432 Rayburn House Office Building United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Michelle Lujan Grisham 214 Cannon House Office Building United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Members of the New Mexico Congressional Delegation: As elected officials from across New Mexico we understand the vital importance clean air and water play to the health of our communities, our children and the economic vitality of our state. That is why we write today to urge you to oppose President-elect Trump’s nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt. Mr. Pruitt has repeatedly sued the EPA to block clean air and clean water standards that protect the health and well-being of millions of New Mexicans. Throughout his career, Mr. Pruitt has actively worked against the mission of the agency he has been nominated to lead and he should be rejected by the Senate. To give one especially troubling example to New Mexico where we deeply understand the need to protect our limited water resources, Mr. Pruitt has sued the EPA to overturn clean water safeguards for more than half the nation’s waterways, including streams that feed into the drinking water supplies of 117 million Americans. Mr. Pruitt sued the EPA to overturn standards to curb mercury and other toxic air pollutants that will prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths and 130,000 asthma attacks per year. He has also sued to void standards to reduce soot and smog pollution projected to prevent up to 15,000 non-fatal heart attacks, 34,000 premature deaths, and 400,000 asthma attacks every year. These lawsuits seek to void needed clean air standards that directly benefit New Mexicans. Mr. Pruitt also denies the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is real and is driven by human-made air pollution. He sued unsuccessfully to overturn the EPA’s scientific determination that carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping air pollutants are harmful. And he has sued to block the EPA from setting any limits on carbon pollution from power plants, the nation’s largest polluter. Mr. Pruitt’s views and actions run counter to the EPA’s critical mission to protect our health and the environment and would put the health of New Mexican’s at risk. For these reasons we ask you to reject his nomination. Sincerely, State Representative Deborah Armstrong, Bernalillo County Jim Baca, Former BLM Director, State Land Commissioner, Mayor of Albuquerque Jody Benson, Los Alamos School Board 2007-2011 City Councilor Isaac Benton, Albuquerque Chris Calvert, Former City Councilor, Santa Fe State Senator Jacob Candelaria, Bernalillo County State Representative Gail Chasey, Bernalillo County David Coss, Former Mayor, Santa Fe City Councilor Pat Davis, Albuquerque Diane Denish, Lt. Governor 2003-2010 State Representative Brian Egolf, Speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives, Santa Fe State Treasurer Tim Eichenberg State Representative Daymon Ely, Sandoval and Bernalillo Counties State Representative Joanne Ferrary, Dona Ana County State Representative Doreen Gallegos, House Majority Whip, Dona Ana County County Commission Chair Paula Garcia, Mora State Representative Stephanie Garcia Richards, Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, Santa Fe Counties Rey Garduno, Former City Councilor, Albuquerque County Commissioner Billy Garrett, Dona Ana County City Councilor Diane Gibson, Albuquerque Mayor Javier Gonzales, Santa Fe PRC Commissioner Cynthia Hall, Bernalillo, Sandoval Counties County Commissioner Anna Hansen, Santa Fe Kathy Holian, Former County Commissioner, Santa Fe State Auditor Tim Keller State Senator Linda Lopez, Bernalillo County State Representative Georgene Louis, Bernalillo County State Representative Antonio “Moe” Maestas, Bernalillo County City Councilor Joseph Maestas, Santa Fe State Representative Javier Martinez, Bernalillo County State Senator Richard Martinez, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Sandoval Counties State Representative Bill McCamley, Dona Ana County State Representative Matthew McQueen, Santa Fe County State Senator Cisco McSorley, Bernalillo County State Senator Howie Morales, Catron, Grant, Socorro Counties County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley, Bernalillo County State Senator Bill O’Neil, Bernalillo County State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino, Bernalillo County State Senator Michael Padilla, Majority Whip, New Mexico State Senate, Bernalillo County Ray Powell, Former State Land Commissioner State Representative Angelica Rubio, Dona Ana County State Representative Tomas Salazar, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Torrance Counties State Representative Debra Sarinana, Bernalillo County Linda Siegle, Santa Fe Community College Board State Representative Nathan Small, Dona Ana County City Councilor Gil Sorg, Las Cruces State Senator Liz Stefanics, Santa Fe, Rio Arriba Counties State Senator Jeff Steinborn, Dona Ana County State Senator Mimi Stewart, Bernalillo County State Representative Liz Thomson, Bernalillo County Carmie Lynn Toulouse, Public Education Commissioner, District 3, Bernalillo County Secretary Of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver County Commissioner Vice-Chair and School Board Chair George Trujillo, Mora State Representative Jim Trujillo, Santa Fe County State Representative Linda Trujillo, Santa Fe County County Commissioner Rock Ulibarri, San Miguel County Commission State Senator Peter Wirth, Majority Leader New Mexico State Senate, Santa Fe State Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton, House Majority Leader, Bernalillo County