July 16, 2008
The Honorable Stephen L. Johnson
Administrator
United States Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
Dear Administrator Johnson:
We write to invite you to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a hearing on Wednesday, July 30, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) response to congressional requests for information regarding the implementation of laws to address important environmental issues including global warming and the threat to public health. The hearing will focus on the Bush Administration’s efforts to limit Congressional oversight and access to information, including claims of executive privilege.
We wish to have you appear to answer questions regarding whether EPA has complied with its responsibilities to provide information to Congress and the American people on environmental issues including public health and other risks from global warming, and EPA’s related decision making. This hearing will provide an opportunity for you to testify as to whether EPA’s decisions were made in accordance with the technical and legal conclusions of EPA’s own staff and whether the White House improperly interfered with EPA decision-making or the information provided to Congress. To the extent information has been withheld from Congress, we wish to explore the basis for that withholding and, in particular, the basis for any claims of executive privilege.
We look forward to your response by July 18, 2008. Committee rules require that you provide 75 hard copies of your testimony and curriculum vitae for distribution to members of the Committee and the press at least 48 hours before the hearing is scheduled to begin. Please delivery the hard copies of your testimony as soon as possible to the attention of ------------, Hearing Clerk, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 224 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510. Please also send an electronic copy of your testimony to -------------------.
Sincerely,
PATRICK LEAHY BARBARA BOXER
Chairman United States Senator
cc: The Honorable Arlen Specter
cc: The Honorable James M. Inhofe
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