Former EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler Gets Role as Senior Advisor After Being Blocked from Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources

Former Trump-era EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler will serve as a senior advisor to Governor Glenn Youngkin after the Virginia Senate blocked Wheeler’s confirmation as Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. Deputy Secretary Travis Voyles is acting secretary.

Wheeler was a controversial pick among Democrats both for his link to former President Donald Trump and for the policy direction the EPA took during Wheeler’s tenure. E and E News reported Monday that Wheeler said Democrats had planned to block a nominee even before he was announced.

“I was told by a state senator before I was nominated that the state Senate Democrats planned to hold one cabinet nominee to try and rebuff the governor. Knowing this, I still decided to accept the position of secretary because I knew I could get a lot done in this short amount of time on behalf of Governor Youngkin and the people of Virginia,” Wheeler told E and E.

During interviews with General Assembly committees, some members of the Senate seemed soft on Wheeler’s appointment compared to the House, including State Senator Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond.) Nevertheless, Morrissey did not join a Republicans in voting against a critical confirmation resolution, an effort to add Wheeler back on. With 19 Senate Republicans and a Republican lieutenant governor, Morrissey’s defection would have given Republicans the chance to rescue Wheeler’s confirmation. Morrissey told E and E that he worked behind the scenes in support of Wheeler, and didn’t join Republicans because he didn’t want to escalate the battle, which still resulted in House Republicans and Senate Democrats blocking more appointments…. (Excerpt from Virginia Star)