Leaders Urge a Responsible Path Forward on Energy and Regulation

August 20, 2025

Dear Members of the United States Senate,

The undersigned stakeholders write in support of Katherine Scarlett’s prompt confirmation to be a member of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). We represent conservative thought leaders and former senior White House officials in the first and second Trump Administrations.

On November 5th, 2024, the American people gave President Trump a mandate to establish American energy dominance by returning to sensible policies that promote energy abundance, affordability, deregulation, and energy freedom for American families, while also protecting our Nation’s natural beauty.

The role that CEQ plays in achieving these outcomes cannot be understated. CEQ is central to the Federal government’s implementation of key environmental and permitting laws, such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). To unlock our Nation’s economic potential and safeguard our national treasures, the Trump Administration is undertaking an historic overhaul of the implementation of NEPA across the Federal government. Moreover, legislators in both the House and Senate are actively working on potential legislative remedies to our Nation’s permitting challenges. Within the Executive branch, CEQ is tasked with providing expert advice to the President on these legislative changes.

Addressing our Nation’s permitting challenges requires all hands on deck. Your expeditious confirmation of Katherine Scarlett’s nomination will enable CEQ to play a productive role in establishing American energy dominance and protecting our environment. It is our belief that Ms. Scarlett, through her time in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the White House Permitting Council, and as CEQ’s Chief of Staff, has demonstrated a commitment to providing Americans with clean air, water, and land by improving environmental reviews and cutting down on onerous regulations that have stifled American prosperity and growth.

As such, we urge the entire U.S. Senate to confirm Ms. Scarlett’s nomination to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Thank you for your consideration, and for your steadfast dedication to supporting America First policies that will usher in the Golden Age of America.

Sincerely,

Oliver McPherson-Smith, Ph.D.

Vice Chair, Energy & Environment

America First Policy Institute

Carla Sands

Chair, Foreign Policy & Senior Fellow, Energy & Environment

America First Policy Institute

Greg Sindelar

CEO

Texas Public Policy Foundation

Mandy Gunasekara

Principal

Section VII Capital

Myron Ebell

Chairman

American Lands Council

Mario Loyola

Senior Fellow in Law, Economics, and Technology

The Heritage Foundation

Former Associate Director for Regulatory Reform at the White House Council on Environmental Quality

Thomas Hochman 

Director of Infrastructure Policy

Foundation for American Innovation

Nick Loris

Executive Vice President of Policy

C3 Solutions

Gabriella Hoffman

Director of the Center for Energy & Conservation

Independent Women

Craig Richardson

President

Energy and Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal)

James Taylor

President

The Heartland Institute

Karen Kerrigan

President & CEO

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council

Avery Ash

Senior Vice President of Government Affairs

Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE)

John Droz, Jr.

Founder

Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions (AWED)

Andrew Langer

President

Institute for Liberty

Matthew Kandrach

President

Consumer Action for a Strong Economy

Paul Gessing
President 

Rio Grande Foundation

*Organizational affiliations are listed for identification purposes only. The views expressed here are solely those of the individual signatories and do not necessarily reflect the institutional positions of the listed organizations, their boards, or any affiliates.