Andrew R. Wheeler

For other people named Andrew Wheeler, see Andrew Wheeler (disambiguation).
Andrew R. Wheeler
EPA portrait, 2018
12th Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources
In office
January 15, 2022 – March 15, 2022
GovernorGlenn Youngkin
Preceded byAnn Jennings
Succeeded byTravis Voyles
15th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
In office
July 9, 2018 – January 20, 2021
Acting: July 9, 2018 – February 28, 2019
PresidentDonald Trump
DeputyHenry Darwin (acting)
Preceded byScott Pruitt
Succeeded byMichael S. Regan
Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
In office
April 20, 2018 – February 28, 2019
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byRobert Perciasepe
Succeeded byHenry Darwin (acting)
Personal details
Born (1964-12-23) December 23, 1964 (age 59)[citation needed]
Hamilton, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationCase Western Reserve University (BA)
Washington University in St. Louis (JD)
George Mason University (MBA)

Andrew R. Wheeler (born December 23, 1964[citation needed]) is an American attorney who served as the 15th administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2019 to 2021.[1] He served as the deputy administrator from April to July 2018,[2] and served as the acting administrator from July 2018 to February 2019. He has been a senior advisor to Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin since March 2022. He previously worked in the law firm Faegre Baker Daniels, representing coal magnate Robert E. Murray and lobbying against the Obama administration's environmental regulations.[3] Wheeler served as chief counsel to the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and to the chairman U.S. senator James Inhofe, prominent for his rejection of climate change.[4] Wheeler is a critic of limits on greenhouse gas emissions and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.[5]

In October 2017, Wheeler was nominated by President Donald Trump,[6] renominated in January 2018,[7] and confirmed as Deputy Administrator of the EPA in April 2018.[8] On July 9, 2018, Wheeler became the acting administrator following the resignation of Scott Pruitt.[9] On November 16, 2018, President Trump announced he would nominate Wheeler to serve as the EPA's permanent administrator.[10] He was confirmed for the position by a 52–47 vote in the Senate on February 28, 2019.[11]

  1. ^ "EPA's Administrator". EPA. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  2. ^ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (23 October 2014). "EPA's Deputy Administrator". Archived from the original on 2018-06-22. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  3. ^ Wolff, Eric (May 5, 2018). "Pruitt's replacement 'should scare anyone who breathes'". Politico (updated July 5, 2018). Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  4. ^ Mufson, Steven (2018-07-05). "Scott Pruitt's likely successor has long lobbying history on issues before the EPA". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  5. ^ Farrick, Ryan J. (July 26, 2017). "Trump Nominates Coal Industry Lobbyist Andrew Wheeler To Help Run EPA". Legal Reader. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  6. ^ Friedman, Lisa (October 5, 2017). "Trump Nominates a Coal Lobbyist to Be No. 2 at E.P.A." The New York Times. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  7. ^ "PN1084 — Andrew Wheeler — Environmental Protection Agency (115th Congress, 2017-2018)". U.S. Senate. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  8. ^ Grandoni, Dino; Dennis, Brady (2018-04-12). "Senate confirms a former coal lobbyist as Scott Pruitt's second-in-command at EPA". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  9. ^ "Scott Pruitt resigns as EPA head". Boston Globe. July 5, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  10. ^ Friedman, Lisa (November 16, 2018). "Trump Says He'll Nominate Andrew Wheeler to Head the E.P.A." The New York Times.
  11. ^ Daly, Matthew (February 28, 2019). "Senate confirms acting EPA chief for permanent role". Associated Press. Retrieved February 28, 2019.