Gina McCarthy
Regina McCarthy was an administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Obama administration. She was the 13th person to serve in the position.[1]
In her role as administrator of the EPA, McCarthy was responsible for overseeing the agency's programs that protect human health and the environment.
On December 17, 2020, President-elect Joe Biden (D) announced that he had selected McCarthy as his nominee for National Climate Advisor. In this position, McCarthy would lead the new White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy and work as a counterpart to John Kerry, the presidential envoy for climate. The position did require U.S. Senate confirmation.[2] McCarthy left this position on September 16, 2022.[3]
Before taking the position as head of the EPA, she was the assistant administrator for the EPA's air and radiation office.
Biography
McCarthy was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts. She earned her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Boston in 1976 and her M.S. from Tufts University in 1981.
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of McCarthy's academic, professional, and political career:
- 2013 - 2017: Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
- 2009 - 2013: Assistant Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air and Radiation
- 2004 - 2009: Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
- 2003 - 2004: Deputy Secretary of Operations for the Massachusetts Office of Commonwealth Development
- 1999 - 2003: Assistant Secretary of Pollution Prevention, Environmental Business, and Technology for the State of Massachusetts
- 1981: Earned M.A. from Tufts University
- 1976: Earned B.A. from the University of Massachusetts Boston
Confirmation vote
President Barack Obama (D) nominated McCarthy as EPA administrator on March 4, 2013. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 18, 2013, by a vote of 59-40.[1]
McCarthy's confirmation process was one of many to have an extended wait in 2013. Republicans held up a confirmation vote for 136 days. According to The Washington Post, "McCarthy received more than 1,100 questions from the Environment and Public Works Committee, all but 25 of which came from Republicans. The panel's top Republican senator David Vitter (La.) posed 600 of them."[4][5]
After her confirmation, Obama said that McCarthy was "a proven leader who knows how to build bipartisan support for commonsense environmental solutions that protect the health and safety of our kids while promoting economic growth."[5]
| Gina McCarthy confirmation vote, July 18, 2013 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes for  |
Votes against  |
Total votes |
 Democrats |
51 | 1 | 52 |
 Republicans |
6 | 39 | 45 |
 Independents |
2 | 0 | 2 |
| Total Votes | 59 | 40 | 99 |
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
McCarthy and her husband, Kenneth McCarey, have three adult children.[4]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Senate.gov, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Regina McCarthy, of Massachusetts, to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency)," July 18, 2013
- ↑ Biden-Harris Transition, "President-elect Biden Announces Key Members of His Climate Team," December 17, 2020
- ↑ The New York Times, "Gina McCarthy, Biden’s Top Climate Adviser, to Step Down Sept. 16," September 2, 2022
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The New York Times, "After Delayed Vote, E.P.A. Gains a Tough Leader to Tackle Climate Change," July 28, 2013
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Washington Post, "Senate confirms Gina McCarthy as EPA administrator," July 18, 2013
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lisa P. Jackson |
Administrator of the EPA 2013 - 2017 |
Succeeded by Scott Pruitt |
