WASHINGTON — The top Democrat for the Senate Environment and Public Works committee is leading an effort to ditch the White House’s nomination of Kathleen Hartnett White, the ex-Texas regulator picked to lead the Council on Environmental Quality.

President Donald Trump nominated White, a climate change skeptic and former chairwoman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, in October to head the federal office that coordinates efforts among agencies.

She faced tough questions at her Nov. 8 confirmation hearing, though the committee forwarded her confirmation three weeks later on a party-line vote. Democrats grilled White about remarks she made in her role as a fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank in Austin.

On Tuesday, Delaware Sen. Tom Carper, the senior Democrat on the committee that oversees the EPA and environmental policy, vowed to block White's nomination from rolling over into 2018 automatically. That would remove her from the list of pending nominees still under consideration when the new session of Congress begins in January.

I will object to any agreement that allows Ms. White's nomination to be held over into the second session of the 115th Congress. Let's start the new year off with a clean slate and allow @POTUS the opportunity to nominate a qualified leader for CEQ. https://t.co/mob11Sgnqd — Senator Tom Carper (@SenatorCarper) December 19, 2017

Trump would be forced to renominate her or accede to critics and pick someone else.

“Let’s start the new year off with a clean slate and allow President Trump the opportunity to nominate a leader for the Council on Environmental Quality who takes environmental laws and public health protections seriously,” Carper said.

The White House did not immediately return a request for comment.

The Senate is unlikely to move forward with any nominees before the end of December, technically putting in jeopardy many pending nominations, though traditionally, the Senate allows them to roll over into the new year.

During White's hearing, Democrats said they were concerned that she is skeptical of global warming, particulate matter and the Renewable Fuel Standard Program. If confirmed, White would head the council that coordinates federal environmental efforts and ensures that agencies meet their obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act.

"It seems to me you don't believe climate change is real," Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said to White during the hearing. "You're not a scientist, are you?"

"No," White replied. "But in my personal capacity, I have questions that remain unanswered," adding that scientists need to have a more precise understanding of how much human activity affects climate change.

Environmental advocates also sounded the alarm on White's nomination. Nearly 50 groups signed a letter to the committee urging lawmakers to reject her nomination. And last month, more than 300 scientists called on senators to oppose her nomination.

If nominated, White will join a number of Trump administration officials who doubt the scientific consensus behind human-caused climate change. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt told USA Today that a newly released government report blaming human activity for the rise of global temperatures does not affect his decision to roll back the Obama-era Clean Power Plan.