Senate votes 69-31 to end filibuster blocking a vote on EPA nominee Gina McCarthy
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has cleared the way for a vote to confirm President Barack Obama's choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency.
Senators voted 69-31 Thursday to end a filibuster that has blocked a vote on Gina McCarthy. McCarthy has headed the EPA's air pollution office since 2009.
Democrats consider her an environmental champion, while Republicans say the agency has issued overly strict regulations that have hurt the economy and cost jobs.
McCarthy worked for years as a state environmental official in New England, working at times under Republican governors, including 2012 GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney when he was governor of Massachusetts.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/senate-ready-approve-labor-department-chief