RICHMOND, Va. -- Republican Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday nominated Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist who led a rollback of Obama-era environmental regulations as President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency chief, as his secretary of natural resources.
The pick drew immediate criticism from environmentalists and elected Democrats from Richmond to Washington, who warned that Wheeler might not survive confirmation in the state Senate, which remains under narrow Democratic control.
"I know he's new to Virginia government and all but GlennYoungkin does understand cabinet secretaries require General Assembly approval -- right?" state Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, tweeted.
State Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., called Wheeler "an anti-environment ideologue." Sierra Club Virginia decried the move as "one of the most dangerous appointments in our state's history."
Youngkin's spokesman declined to comment on the criticism, pointing only to the news release announcing the nomination, which praised Wheeler as an Eagle Scout with a law degree and MBA who has dedicated his career to "advancing sound environmental policies."