President Obama has rounded out his second-term Cabinet picks with three new nominations. On Monday, Obama formally tapped air quality expert Gina McCarthy to head the Environmental Protection Agency and nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz to head the Energy Department.
President Obama: “Ernie knows that we can produce more energy and grow our economy while still taking care of our air, our water and our climate. As assistant EPA administrator, Gina has focused on practical, cost-effective ways to keep our air clean and our economy growing. She has earned a reputation as a straight shooter. She welcomes different points of views. I’m confident that she is going to do an outstanding job leading the EPA.”
The advocacy group Food and Water Watch is campaigning against Ernest Moniz’s nomination, citing his support for the gas-drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.