Seven Republican Senators back water expert endorsed by the US Chamber of Commerce.
The US Senate has confirmed Indian American water expert Radhika Fox as head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water with seven Republican senators crossing the aisle to back her in the evenly divided Senate.
The Senate voted 55-43 last Wednesday to confirm Fox who was nominated for the post of Assistant Administrator for Water at the EPA by President Joe Biden on April 14.
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s Democratic Chairman Tom Carper, in remarks on the Senate floor, praised Fox’s record.
“Ms Fox brings with her an impressive professional record of service and accomplishment, spanning over two decades, working on water issues at the local, state and federal level,” he said. “We have the opportunity today to confirm a truly gifted leader and put her to work serving our country right away.”
He also highlighted the organizations endorsing her for the position including the US Chamber of Commerce, the Family Farm Alliance and the US Water Alliance, where she previously served as CEO.
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“What those organizations have said – again and again – about Radhika Fox is that she is an exceptional leader who will work day and night to come up with practical solutions to our country’s serious water challenges,” Carper said.
“Moreover, Ms. Fox will make sure everyone’s point of view is heard and taken into account when EPA acts to protect our country’s precious water resources.”
Seven Republicans crossed the aisle and joined every Democrat present to vote in favor of Fox’s nomination: Sens. Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Roger Wicker, Richard Burr, Kevin Cramer and Lisa Murkowski.
Appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water at the EPA on Jan. 20, Fox currently serves as the Acting Assistant Administrator for Water.
The EPA’s Office of Water works to ensure that drinking water is safe, waste water is safely returned to the environment, and surface waters are properly managed and protected.
Prior to joining EPA, Fox served as the Chief Executive Officer for the US Water Alliance, where she established herself as a widely recognized national thought leader on complex water issues, from equitable water management to investing in the nation’s water infrastructure.
Read: 7 Republicans Cross the Aisle to Confirm Radhika Fox as Head of EPA’s Office of Water (JUNE 17, 2021)
Her work has helped address the most salient water issues facing the nation—including climate change, affordability, equity, governance, innovative finance, and the evolution of the One Water movement.
Fox previously directed the policy and government affairs agenda for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which is responsible for providing 24/7 water, wastewater, and municipal power services to 2.6 million Bay Area residents.
She also served as the Federal Policy Director at PolicyLink, where she coordinated the organization’s policy agenda on a wide range of issues, including infrastructure investment, transportation, sustainable communities, economic inclusion, and workforce development.
Fox holds a BA from Columbia University and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the University of California at Berkeley where she was a HUD Community Development Fellow.