Whitman Resigns

[Timber Loftis]

Ari Fleischer. Now Whitman. Why are these folks jumping ship? Note: "time for family" is the standard by-line for "It's a secret" when it comes to reasons for leaving.
________________________________________
Today's BNA report:

EPA
Whitman Announces Resignation in Letter
To Bush, Citing Wish to Return to New Jersey

Christine Todd Whitman announced her resignation May 21 as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, citing personal reasons for ending her nearly two-and-a-half year tenure as head of the agency.
Whitman met with President Bush on May 20 and submitted her resignation letter, which said, "It is time to return to my home and husband in New Jersey, which I love."

EPA staff were notified May 21, and the resignation letter was made public by the agency. Her resignation is effective June 27.

An acting administrator has not been named, but a likely candidate is Linda Fisher, the current deputy administrator. An EPA spokeswoman told BNA no decision had been made on either a temporary or permanent replacement, and there is no timetable in place for announcing a successor.

In a statement released May 21, Bush said Whitman "has served my Administration exceptionally well. I thank her for her outstanding service." He called Whitman "a trusted friend and adviser who has worked closely with me to achieve real and meaningful results to improve our environment."

In her letter, Whitman praised the president, noting his support for legislative proposals such as the Clear Skies Initiative to regulate emissions from power plants and brownfields legislation enacted in January 2002 to accelerate reclamation of abandoned parcels of land at an estimated 450,000 to 600,000 polluted sites in the United States.

She also touted EPA's work to establish a Clean School Bus USA program to encourage the use of only low-emission public school buses by 2010, EPA's Watershed Initiative to expand watershed protection, and a water quality trading program to address nonpoint source pollution.


Whitman on Defense, Offense

Whitman started her EPA career in 2001 by defending potential rollbacks and temporary postponement of environmental rules drafted during the Clinton administration, including regulations to control arsenic in drinking water and emissions from heavy-duty highway diesel engines and to reduce the sulfur content in diesel fuel.
Whitman, however, gained some support from environmental advocacy groups when she later announced the agency would allow the Clinton-promulgated diesel highway rule to go forward.

More recently, she received accolades from both environmental and industry groups for issuing a proposed regulation to cut diesel pollution from heavy-duty nonroad engines and cut the sulfur level in their fuel.

She took heat from environmental and public health groups from the start because of EPA's efforts to hold up the Clinton-era rule to significantly lower a 50-year-old arsenic standard of 50 parts per billion to 10 ppb. The administration ultimately decided to let the requirements stand as promulgated.

Whitman, the former two-term New Jersey governor, was again under the spotlight in March 2001 when Bush reversed a campaign pledge to seek mandatory reductions in power plant carbon dioxide emissions and announced that the United States would not implement the Kyoto Protocol on global warming.

Only weeks earlier, Whitman had expressed support for reducing global warming emissions at a meeting of international environmental leaders in Trieste, Italy. She then reversed herself to support the new Bush policy.

Many in environmental advocacy work believed that "she started off strong and they were encouraged" by Whitman's commitment to protecting the environment, one source said. "But she often got her legs cut off from under her," the source added, citing Bush's global warming stance as an example.


Economy or Environment?

An EPA official who asked not to be named, told BNA May 21 that Whitman was divided between the need to maintain a healthy economy and protect the environment.
Within the agency "everyone saw that she was miserable here," and "given that situation of the White House disagreeing with her on everything," employees understood her constraints and formality, the source said.

Nonetheless, this source said, "it seemed like she was trying pretty hard" to respond to all pressures and satisfy all parties, "but still do the right thing" by the environment.

The president agreed, noting that Whitman "has been a dedicated and tireless fighter for new and innovative policies for cleaner air, purer water, and better protected land."

In her letter, Whitman said the administration's "work has been guided by the strong belief that environmental protection and economic prosperity can and must go hand-in-hand." But she also added, "that the true measure of the value of any environmental policy is in the environmental results it produces."

To that end, she included in her letter examples of EPA's "record of success that will result in significant improvements to the state of our Nation's treasured environment."

Other "success" stories Whitman cited during her tenure include improvements to the rules governing concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to protect surface water runoff from large agricultural operations and efforts to clean up polychlorinated biphenyls in the Hudson River, a superfund initiative that set a new standard for restoring threatened waterways, Whitman said.

She also praised EPA's work on chemical and drinking water security issues in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and subsequent anthrax mailings.


Shoes to Fill

Many within the agency as well as in the environmental and business circles agreed the administrator's position is "nothing but hard decisions one after the other," as one source said, and questioned why anyone would want it.
Given rumors of Whitman's departure practically since her first months on the job, several names have been floated for potential replacements, including former Michigan Gov. John Engler, Florida Environmental Protection Secretary David Struhs, and Josephine Cooper, president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

Other strong possibilities, according to observers, include agency officials such as Fisher, Tracy Mehan, current assistant administrator for water, or Jeffrey Holmstead, the assistant administrator for air and radiation.

According to sources, Mary Gade, former director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, is seen as a long-shot candidate. In February the president announced his intention to appoint Gade as a members of the Board of Directors of the Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center.

One industry source said another possible choice is James Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. However, an EPA official said it seems unlikely Connaughton would leave CEQ "for the rigors of EPA."

Also in the running may be Russell Harding, former director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne (R).


Experienced Leader Needed

The EPA official said the agency head will likely be "someone with state experience and who shares the president's agenda. David Struhs is a middle-of-the-road guy and a possible candidate." But it all depends on the campaign for president, according to this source.
The nomination can go one of two ways, according to the EPA official. The president can either bring in "somebody neutral, or bland" as acting administrator to hold the position temporarily until the election is over. Or, the source said, the president could get the confirmation process out of the way now, which "would be far enough from the election, so that if the candidate is someone like Engler, who would have his own policies to defend to the Senate, such a confirmation battle could be forgotten by the time the votes are cast."

Sources speculate that given the president's popularity right now and with the re-election campaign in the early stages, it is more likely the president might pick a candidate viewed as controversial and endure the potential political risk early.

The industry source said that Whitman has sent signals that she wanted to leave since last fall, but could not leave during the midterm elections. After that, the beginning of a new Congress and the run-up to the war in Iraq have prevented her from leaving, the industry source said.


Reaction Mixed

Whitman's resignation spurred mixed reaction from several commenters.
Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) said in a statement, "While in many instances I was disappointed with environmental decisions made by Administrator Whitman, it is clear that in some cases she attempted to bring some environmental sanity to an administration that from the get-go has done nothing but undermine environmental protections."

The Natural Resources Defense Council said: Whitman "was not the force behind the Bush administration's unprecedented assault on our landmark environmental protections, and her resignation is not the solution. Whitman occasionally opposed environmental retreats in unsuccessful behind the scenes battles with the White House, but almost never prevailed."

Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, said Whitman's tenure "disappointed environmentalists everywhere."

But, her "resignation signals a crossroads for the Bush administration. The president now has a choice--appoint a leader who will uphold the EPA's mission and improve the administration's dismal environmental record or choose someone who will put the interests of regulated industries first," Claybrook said.

Likewise, the Competitive Enterprise Institute said, the resignation of Whitman presents the White House with "an outstanding opportunity to choose a leader who can bring the agency into the 21st century. Now is the time for a clear-thinking reformer to overhaul the increasingly outdated legal and regulatory structure that EPA continues to labor under."

Edison Electric Institute President Thomas R. Kuhn said Whitman "has provided tremendous leadership and great service to the environment. She helped advance some very complex and critical environmental policy objectives, including the Clear Skies Initiative to improve air quality and voluntary actions to address global climate change concerns."

Eric Schaeffer, former chief of EPA civil enforcement and now director of the Environmental Integrity Project, said, "Unless the president changes his tune, we will merely hear the same song sung by a different singer."

Schaeffer, who resigned in February 2002, said, "In this administration, environmental policy comes straight from the White House."


Eighth Administrator

Whitman is the eighth EPA administrator. She succeeded Carol M. Browner, who served during all eight years of the Clinton administration from from Jan. 22, 1993, to Jan. 19, 2001.
Other EPA administrators were:


William K. Reilly, who served from Feb. 6, 1989, to Jan. 20, 1993;
Lee M. Thomas, who served from Feb. 8, 1985, to Jan. 20, 1989;

William D. Ruckelshaus, who served from May 18, 1983, to Jan. 4, 1985, and from Dec. 4, 1970, to April 30, 1973;

Anne M. Gorsuch [Burford], who served from May 20, 1981, to March 9, 1983;

Douglas M. Costle, who served from March 7, 1977, to Jan. 20, 1981; and

Russell E. Train, who served from Sept. 13, 1973, to Jan. 20, 1977.

By Pamela Najor

[Ar-Cunin]

Please tell me Rumsfeld is next in line [img]tongue.gif[/img]

What do you think the real secret reason is behind Fleischer and Whitman leaving TL? I think Whitman left because she doesnt agree witht he current administration, and is giving up. Isn't she a left over from the last administration? I wish several folks in the State Department would quit or get sick or need time for their families.

[Timber Loftis]

Bush appointed Whitman, MagiK. I don't know what the "secret reason" would be, and it could be different for each of them.

What's the big capital K mean? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

[HolyWarrior]

Whitman is a RINO (Republican in name only). No loss.

[Azred]

Actually, I can understand Whitman deciding to step down; I certainly wouldn't want to head the EPA. "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" is the order of the day there.
I can't figure out why Fleischer is leaving, though. White House Spokesman? That has to be a really cushy job, giving some talks and press releases every day from the comfort and safety of Washington, D.C. *yawn* He doesn't even have to suffer negative backlash from unpopular decisions, because they aren't his. [img]graemlins/beigesmilewinkgrin.gif[/img]

However, for two high-ranking people in Bush's staff to leave within days of each other is more serious than it may be initially appear. Was there a power struggle and they are the fallout? Are they jumping ship before the ship sinks? Were they not willing to completely toe Bush's line and were nudged out?

Oh, well. Maybe they really did just get tired of the Washington rat race. However, if they have mysterious accidents like Casey and Foster then there was definitely more going on that meets the eye....

[Timber Loftis]

Originally posted by Azred: However, if they have mysterious accidents like Casey and Foster then there was definitely more going on that meets the eye....

Ouch!! Good post, if a bit more on the questioning side than the speculating side.

I like RINOs. There some of the few Repugs I can tolerate. Of course, I also like DINOs. In short, anyone who veers from the extreme right or left and charts a course more in the middle has one check-mark on my "good qualities" list.

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: Bush appointed Whitman, MagiK. I don't know what the "secret reason" would be, and it could be different for each of them. What's the big capital K mean? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

Err what Capital K?

(why did I just flash on Marty Feldmans line..."Hump? What Hump?")

I am partly of Azreds mind that two senior officials leaving at once could mean something....but then it might also mean nothing...things do happen, life plans change..TL just saw someone completely change lives around him with no warning...Mysti's Uncle had a sudden attack of Pneumonia..which could potentially alter peoples lives...so it is conceivable that these two just ..for their own reasons had their life plans altered.

I do know that the State department has major policy conflicts with Bush and ther rest of the administration...and yet..none of them are jumping ship.....weird.

[Ladyzekke]

So does this mean there will not be any more "Samples"? Waah! [img]smile.gif[/img]