WASHINGTON, DC - With less than 24 hours until he was scheduled to testify in front of the Energy and Power Subcommittee, former Regional Administrator for EPA Region 6 Al Armendariz has notified the committee that he will not appear at tomorrow’s hearing. Counsel representing Armendariz contacted the committee late this afternoon notifying staff of the cancellation. Armendariz himself had previously agreed to testify after his comments in a controversial online video forced him to resign.
“We are extremely disappointed to hear Dr. Armendariz will no longer be testifying at our hearing tomorrow. Congress and the American people deserve an explanation for the outrageous comments suggesting EPA should ‘crucify’ American energy companies, as well as a fuller understanding of EPA’s actual enforcement priorities and practices that are creating a hostile regulatory environment," said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY). “President Obama’s EPA has established a record of abuse in its policies and enforcement practices. Tomorrow’s hearing will continue without Armendariz, and we expect compelling testimony from the other witnesses describing concerns with EPA’s aggressive enforcement and regulatory actions."
Tomorrow’s Energy and Power hearing, titled “EPA Enforcement Priorities and Practices," is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. in room 2322 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
