Nancy Mace Relentlessly Grills EPA Administrator Michael Regan: 'Can't Even Answer The Questions'

3 months ago

At a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) questioned EPA Administrator Michael Regan on an organization that could receive funds from the EPA.

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Transcript

00:00Mr. Reagan, as part of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, the EPA

00:05established the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, which

00:09now manages $3 billion for environmental and climate justice to fund

00:14community-based NGOs. As part of the allocation, $600 million is devoted to

00:19the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities grant-making program, which

00:23has shown serious signs of waste, fraud, and abuse. More alarmingly, some of this

00:28money has been designated for groups opposed to the interests of the United

00:31States and her allies. So my questions today, Mr. Reagan, are yes or no. Very

00:37simply, yes or no. Administrator Reagan, environmental justice grantees have

00:42partners and affiliates who also receive funds from the EPA. Are any of these

00:46groups or affiliates who receive this money anti-American? Yes or no. Not that

00:52I'm aware of. Are any of these groups who receive this money anti-semitic? Yes or

00:56no. Not that I'm aware of. Are any of these groups explicitly anti-Israel? You're

01:03talking about that have received money? That are on the list to receive money,

01:08correct. Yes or no. Are any of these groups explicitly anti-Israel? Do they

01:11hate Jews? None of these groups. Okay, are any of these groups opposed to police and

01:16law enforcement? Yes or no. I think we have to establish the point that none of

01:18the question is yes or no. Are any of these groups opposed to police and law

01:22enforcement? Yes or no. None of the groups have received money. That's not

01:26the question. Are any of these groups who are allotted to get money from this fund

01:30anti-police? Yes or no. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Are you

01:35familiar with the group called Climate Justice Alliance? Yes or no. Yes. Okay, I

01:41was surprised to learn that $50 million has been designated for Climate Justice

01:46Alliance, a group which explicitly publishes a free Palestine section on

01:50its website. On the website, there are dozens of anti-Semitic and alarming

01:54images designed to be printed and used in the violent pro-Hamas protests we've

01:59seen across the country. Here are a few of them this morning. This first image

02:04includes a slogan that is widely recognized as a call to eradicate the

02:08State of Israel. Is this the official position of the Biden EPA? Yes or no. Is

02:14it the what? Official position of Biden's EPA. Yes or no. That is not our problem.

02:19Does this sign protect the environment? Yes or no. That is not our problem. This group, where

02:25this image came from, is designated to receive 50 million dollars. Has that group

02:30received money? So this sign says freedom for Palestine. What does it say at the bottom?

02:34From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. Should taxpayers pay for this

02:38kind of thing? Yes or no. I think you're misrepresenting the facts. We're not misrepresenting. My second

02:42image that I'm going to show you today, this image calls, I'm speaking and I'm

02:46going to reclaim my time, this image calls to defund the police and

02:50accuses the United States of violence. Is this the official position of Biden's

02:56EPA? Yes or no. No, that's a problem. Okay, does this sign protect the environment? Yes

03:01or no. I don't know what that says. The group that produces this sign is

03:05allotted to get 50 million dollars from U.S. taxpayers. What is your

03:10definition? The next image I'm going to show you, I would like you to read this

03:14poster from your seat. Can you tell me what this says? I think you can read for

03:18yourself. I'm asking you to read the poster. What does it say? Read it for

03:22yourself. I abhor bigotry. What does it say? I abhor bigotry and I will not repeat. This image says abolish prisons

03:27everywhere. This image says free Palestine. This image says stop cop city.

03:34This group that produced this poster is allotted to receive 50 million dollars

03:39from U.S. taxpayers. That group has not received one dime from EPA. This next image adds an

03:45anti-semitic message and it calls for defunding the police. This is

03:49particularly special. Is this the position, the official position of Biden's

03:53EPA? Yes or no. They have not received one dime. Does this sign

03:57protect the environment? They are slated to receive 50 million dollars from

04:01taxpayers. They have not received one dime from EPA. So you're saying on this next image, this is probably

04:08the left's favorite. The quote on this image is from a convicted murderer of a

04:13police officer that is still at large and wanted by the FBI. Does the Biden EPA

04:18support this position? Yes or no. So today our witness can't even answer

04:25the questions. 50 million dollars was going to go to this organization vis-a-vis

04:29U.S. taxpayers. So you're going to tell me today, are you promising that this group

04:34will not receive a single dime? Yes or no. None of these groups that you have

04:39paraded up here have received one dime. Will you promise to ensure that they won't

04:44receive a single taxpayer dollar? This particular group is slated to get 50

04:50million dollars. Will you promise me today that they will get zero? Yes or no.

04:54Half the things you've put up there are offensive, right? They are offensive and

04:58like I said, it is in fact, this group is going to get, is slated to get 50 million

05:04dollars from U.S. taxpayers. So our witness today can't even answer the question.

05:09Madam Chair, will you just allow him to answer you? I think it'd be fair to allow him to answer you.

05:12None of these groups have gotten one dime from EPA. For the record.

05:16Will you promise today that they will receive zero dollars? None of these groups have

05:21gotten one dime from EPA. I'm sitting in the chair, you're not. So thank you and I

05:27yield back.

Nancy Mace Relentlessly Grills EPA Administrator Michael Regan: 'Can't Even Answer The Questions'

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