EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt (AP Photo)

(CNSNews.com) - Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt told “Fox News Sunday” that President Donald Trump is keeping his promise “to rollback regulatory overreaches” that have occurred during the Obama administration.



“I think what's important this past week is to recognize that the president is keeping his promise to the American people to rollback regulatory overreaches that have been occurring the last couple of years. And as you know, the Clean Power Plan is subject to a U.S. Supreme Court state,” Pruitt said.





“The steps have been taken by the EPA historically. They've equally been challenged several times with respective CO2 regulation, and each of those times, the Supreme Court and courts have said that the power that has been used has been an overreach,” he said.



“And so, the president is keeping his promise to deal with that overreach, Chris. It doesn't mean that clean air and clean water is not going to be the focus in the future. We're just going to do it right within the consistency of the framework that Congress has passed,” Pruitt added.



As CNSNews.com previously reported, Trump signed an executive order last week rolling back environmental regulations enacted during the Obama administration, including the Clean Power Plan.



Fox News’s Chris Wallace noted that the American Lung Association said half of Americans live in counties with unhealthy air. He asked Pruitt how he planned to “remove some of the pollution restrictions, which will make the air even worse.”



“Well, Chris, a couple things, we are actually pre-1994 levels with respect to our CO2 footprint. So, this country is doing far better than most across the globe. As you know, also since 1980, we've got a 65 percent reduction in those key air pollutants, SOx and NOx and particulate matter and ozone, while at the same time growing our economy,” Pruitt said.



“I think what's happened the last several years is that we've adapted to and adopted this previous administration's views that if your pro-jobs and pro-growth, you can’t be pro-environment. If you’re pro-environment, you can’t be pro-growth and pro-jobs, and that simply is not the way we’ve done business as a country,” he said.