Longtime Inhofe Aide Ryan Jackson Likely Pick For EPA Chief
Inhofe ally expected to be agency’s next chief of staff
Robin Bravender, E&E News reporter
A longtime aide to Oklahoma Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe is expected to become the next chief of staff at U.S. EPA, according to sources close to the administration.
Ryan Jackson, who has climbed the ranks in Inhofe’s office for more than a decade and was staff director for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, is likely to become Scott Pruitt’s chief of staff if he wins confirmation as EPA’s next administrator, the sources said, although it’s unclear whether Jackson has formally been offered or accepted the position.
Jackson has been working on the team helping to guide Pruitt through the thorny Senate confirmation process. Senate Democrats and outside groups are fiercely opposed to Pruitt’s nomination, although he’s expected to ultimately win confirmation largely along partisan lines.
“Ryan’s focus is on assisting with Mr. Pruitt’s confirmation process and on his duties at the U.S. Senate,” said John Konkus, a member of Pruitt’s confirmation team, when asked about the chief of staff role.