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Trump's EPA nominee gets committee approval despite Democrats' boycott

Trump's EPA nominee gets committee approval despite Democrats' boycott
Posted at 12:28 PM, Feb 02, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-02 12:31:41-05

(CNN) -- Scott Pruitt, President Donald Trump's nominee to serve as administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, has advanced to the Senate floor.

Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee suspended committee rules following the Democrats' boycott of Pruitt's nomination, which began Wednesday.

Pruitt was approved 11-0.

Committee Chairman John Barrasso told CNN's Manu Raju Thursday ahead of the panel's vote that the panel would do what was necessary to move Pruitt's nomination along.

"Scott Pruitt will be voted out of committee today. He will get to the floor of the United States Senate and he will be confirmed as the next administrator of the EPA," Barrasso said.

He added: "All Democrats are invited to the committee. I met earlier this morning with Sen. (Tom) Carper, the ranking member. He indicated that Democrats would not be attending. We're going to have a meeting today and we're going to make sure that Scott Pruitt is advanced to the floor of the Senate."

"Everything we do today is totally consistent with the rules," Barrasso told CNN.

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