Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pressed President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE’s pick for the No. 2 position at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on a range of issues during an at times contentious Senate hearing Wednesday.

Sens. Joni Ernst Joni Kay ErnstSenators offer disaster tax relief bill Conservatives see glaring omission on Trump's Supreme Court shortlist Senate Republicans scramble to contain fallout from Woodward bombshell MORE (R-Iowa) and Tammy Duckworth Ladda (Tammy) Tammy DuckworthMcConnell focuses on confirming judicial nominees with COVID-19 talks stalled Biden courts veterans amid fallout from Trump military controversies John Fogerty: 'Confounding' that Trump campaign played 'Fortunate Son' at rally MORE (D-Ill.) pressed Douglas Benevento about ethanol requirement exemptions for small refineries after a federal court ruled that the EPA would have to reconsider certain waivers.

The EPA has the option to appeal the court’s decision.

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“Can you commit to me that the EPA will not grant any of these pending small refinery exemptions of 2019 until the legal action is settled?” Ernst asked during the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing.

Benevento said he would get back to her with a response.

“Our farmers and producers are tired of being yanked around by the EPA and again these illegal [exemptions],” Ernst replied. “A number of these ‘small refineries’ are actually owned by much larger companies, oil companies like Exxon and Chevron.”

After the nominee similarly told Duckworth that he’d get back to her on whether the agency would temporarily stop issuing the waivers until the litigation is resolved, the senator said, “It’s an easy thing to say. Don’t grant any more waivers, since you’re going to be appealing this ruling, or if you’re not going to appeal the ruling, then you don’t need to grant any more waivers.”

“I just don’t think it would be prudent to be making a regulatory decision right here,” Benevento responded.

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“This is not a regulatory decision, this is just suspending any future actions on granting any more small refinery waivers,” Duckworth said.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Sheldon WhitehouseLWCF modernization: Restoring the promise Restaurant owner defends calamari as 'bipartisan' after Democratic convention appearance Warren calls on McConnell to bring Senate back to address Postal Service MORE (D-R.I.) also raised concerns about the agency’s ethics rules, particularly asking questions about Mandy Gunasekara, who is expected to return to the agency after leaving early last year and founding an energy nonprofit.

“You haven’t updated your ethics rules, you don’t even ask about dark money conflicts of interest. You’re still using ethics rules that predate the explosion of dark money that has corrupted our politics,” Whitehouse said.

“How could you possibly know if she is behaving in violation of her duty of impartiality without knowing who her big funders were through this time when she was in her hiatus from the EPA?” the senator added, referring to Gunasekara.

“We expect all employees to follow the ethics rules as they are written and to coordinate all their activities — their obligations — with career ethics counsel,” Benevento responded.

“And you don’t ask the right questions ... so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Whitehouse replied.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito Shelley Wellons Moore CapitoSecond GOP senator to quarantine after exposure to coronavirus GOP senator to quarantine after coronavirus exposure Hillicon Valley: Zuckerberg acknowledges failure to take down Kenosha military group despite warnings | Election officials push back against concerns over mail-in voting, drop boxes MORE (R-W.Va.) also questioned Benevento on contamination by a class of cancer-linked chemicals known as PFAS.

“We need to make sure ... we have the backup science,” the nominee said on PFAS. “We’re moving as quickly as science allows us to move and as quickly as the statute allows us to move.”

“Time is of the essence here. I think that this is so pervasive and I don’t know what the damage could be,” Capito said. “Quicker is better, more aggressive is better, and using the science, yes, but also, we all know that things can get expedited and move faster if you have the passion behind it.”

“Where we find PFAS, we are making sure to cut off exposure,” Benevento said.

PFAS chemicals can be found in a variety of products and are also known as “forever chemicals” because of their persistence in the environment and the human body.

President Trump announced last month that he would nominate Benevento to be the deputy EPA administrator.

Benevento has held various roles at the EPA since 2017, including serving as associate deputy administrator. Before joining the Trump administration, he worked for Xcel Energy, a gas and electric utility. He was also registered as a lobbyist for Colorado Interstate Gas.

He is reportedly close with Andrew Wheeler Andrew WheelerOvernight Energy: Smoke from wildfires has reached Europe | EPA postpones environmental justice training | UN report: Countries have failed to meet a single target to protect wildlife in last decade EPA postpones environmental justice training after White House memo OVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' MORE, the agency's administrator. According to E&E News, Wheeler was a groomsman in Benevento's 2000 wedding.