Rep. Steve King said Friday that Democrats have raised the standards too high for Cabinet appointments.
“The standards have been raised to a place here that I would say to the Democrats you better remember how you’re conducting yourselves today because one day you might well be back in the majority and trying to confirm and sustain appointments to the Cabinet for a Democrat president,” Mr. King, Iowa Republican, said on CNN.
He was referring to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt who appeared on Capitol Hill on Thursday. Mr. Pruitt answered questions for his behavior including pay raises for friends of his in the department.
Mr. King said Mr. Pruitt did not come out of the hearing “unseared,” but he said Democrats ought to keep in mind that they are setting the standard for future Cabinet appointments and secretaries.
“If these standards are applied to the next president, it’s going to be really hard to get anybody to serve in the next administration,” Mr. King said.
Mr. Pruitt has also faced questions about his housing arrangement in Washington, where he was renting a nightly room from an energy lobbyist, and his travel expenses.
