Reaction to Leavitt

"I know he will work closely with me to build upon my administration's initiatives to make our air and water cleaner, protect the land and use technology to improve our environment while our economy grows and creates jobs." — President Bush

"This vote should not be seen as an endorsement of the Bush administration's environmental policies but as a vote in support of a fine and honorable man who has an extremely difficult job ahead." — Sen. James Jeffords, I-Vt.

"I hope Gov. Leavitt gets the right message from this vote. Senators had no problem with him personally, and that's all it means. But if he reads 88-8 as an endorsement of the White House's catering to corporate polluters, he's in for just as rocky and embarrassing a ride as Christie Whitman had." — Philip E. Clapp, president, National Environmental Trust

"Leavitt is a qualified, dynamic leader that has gone out of his way to address all senators' concerns, which is why he was so overwhelmingly approved." — The Electric Reliability Coordinating Council

"Today's overwhelming vote for Mike Leavitt demonstrates the tremendous respect my colleagues have for this man. Mike Leavitt will make an excellent EPA administrator, and I congratulate him on his confirmation." — Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah

"Despite our concerns about his record in Utah, we do wish Gov. Leavitt well in his new role. We do encourage him to use his new position to reverse the course of weakening environmental protection currently followed by the Bush administration." — Lawson LeGate, Sierra Club southwest regional representative

"I hope that (Leavitt's) character will come through in the environmental policy of this country and can override the bad policies of this administration." — Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"With the confirmation, it will now be time for Leavitt to walk the walk. It's going to be a difficult environment to do that, but we certainly hope that he is sincere in inviting all affected parties to the table." — Jason Groenewold, Families Against Incinerator Risk

"Gov. Leavitt stands for environmental principles we desperately need here in Washington: collaboration, not polarization; national standards, neighborhood solutions; reward results, not programs." — Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo.

"In terms of environmental protection, the Bush administration has been clear about its priorities of rolling back environmental protection in favor of industry, and Leavitt's nomination isn't going to change that." — Scott Groene, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

"I think he was an accurate choice for the Bush administration to make. Salt Lake City has the worst air quality in the country and is last of all 50 states in water quality compliance." — Denise Boggs, Utah Environmental Congress

"Despite his commentary about balance and stewardship, Gov. Leavitt's record . . . reveals a disturbing tendency to place shortsighted economic gain for the regulated industries above protecting the long-term health of the public." — Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.