Enlarge / WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 20: Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, arrives for the Inaugural Luncheon in the US Capitol January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump is attending the luncheon along with other dignitaries after being sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. (credit: Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)

On Friday, the Republican-controlled senate voted 52-to-46 to confirm Oklahoma Attorney General (AG) Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), despite fierce opposition from many Democrats and environmental groups. Two Democrats from fossil fuel-rich states broke with their party to vote for Pruitt: Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia. One Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, voted against Pruitt.

Democrat Joe Donnelly from Indiana and Republican John McCain from Arizona didn’t vote.

Pruitt is a controversial choice to head the agency tasked with protecting the environment. He’s previously expressed doubt regarding the science behind climate change and has sued the EPA 14 times in his tenure as AG of Oklahoma (a state which has, incidentally, suffered a string of earthquakes thanks to the oil industry). He also drew fire after a New York Times article discovered that Pruitt had copied wholesale a letter drafted by oil and gas company Devon Energy and sent it to regulators in Washington as his own, with only a few minor changes. The Times wrote that Pruitt had done this several times in letters he sent to the EPA, the Office of Management and Budget, and President Obama.