Last week, three Democratic senators asked for the resignation of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen Johnson. 

Sworn in as the 11th Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Johnson leads EPA's efforts to protect human health and the environment, managing more than 17,000 EPA employees nationwide and overseeing an annual budget of $7.7 billion. Unlike typical political appointees, Johnson was a 27-year veteran of the EPA and rose from the ranks, holding several senior-level positions, including Acting Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Acting Deputy Administrator, and Assistant Administrator of EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances. 

Members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, including Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), have been unsatisfied with Steven's performance and asked for his resignation, charging that he had refused to cooperate with Congressional oversight and gave misleading testimony.  The senators also asked Attorney General Michael Mukasey to investigate the contradictions between Johnson's sworn testimony to Congress and the sworn testimony of other witnesses regarding the EPA's decision to deny California a waiver to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Boxer said that Johnson had become an ally of polluters, alleging that Johnson's EPA has shown an "extraordinary disregard for the law."

The senators also criticized Johnson for failing to appear before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which Boxer chairs, to testify on the EPA's behalf.  

"Mr. Johnson has consistently chosen special interests over the American people's interests in protecting health and safety. He has become a secretive and a dangerous ally of polluters. And we cannot stand by and allow more damage to be done," said Boxer. 

EPA spokesman, Tim Lyons, dismissed Boxer's claims and said Johnson has no plans to resign. 

"Administrator Johnson's record is one of aggressive health-protective environmental standards," said Lyons. "Sen. Boxer's record is one of press conferences and political drama."

The case against Johnson was outlined in a lengthy press release prior to their call for his resignation:

On Dec. 19, 2007, Administrator Johnson denied a request by California for a waiver of the Clean Air Act that would permit the states to set tough standards on global warming pollution from motor vehicles.  This was the first time in over 50 instances that EPA has ever denied outright a California waiver request.  In sworn testimony before the Committee, Administrator Johnson stated that he based his decision on California’s failure to meet criteria required under the Clean Air Act, and said that the decision was "mine and mine alone."  Many other states, including Rhode Island, have adopted California’s standards, or are in the process of adopting them, but all are barred from implementing the standards unless California receives a waiver from EPA.

However, former Associate Deputy Administrator Jason Burnett testified last week that Mr. Johnson had in fact determined that California had met Clean Air Act criteria necessary for approval of the waiver, and had communicated to the administration that he intended to grant the waiver in part.  Mr. Burnett further testified that Administrator Johnson only reversed course and denied the waiver after White House officials informed him of President Bush’s "policy preference" for a single regulatory system -– even though the Clean Air Act clearly contemplates a dual system in cases where the statutory criteria for the waiver are met.

So did this career federal employee sell his soul for this high profile position, or is this simply more election year politicking? 

Most likely, Johnson had to make a decision to follow input from the White House where the ultimate outcome is either removal of position for not following your boss, the President, or brace oneself for the political onslaught and request for resignation from the politically motivated members on the Hill.

While the true blame falls on the White House for attempting to manipulate the system for its own political agenda, Johnson, as a man of science, should have put science and public health before the political desires of his superiors. That being said, it is unfortunate that he has become yet another fall guy at the whim of the Bush administration.

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