Republicans losing patience with scandal-scarred Pruitt

Republicans on Capitol Hill are growing frustrated with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt — and many are now publicly questioning whether he can hang on to his job amid the unending stream of scandals.

Several GOP lawmakers said their patience was running thin after this week's news that Pruitt sought to buy to buy a used mattress from the Trump Hotel and inquired about securing a Chick-fil-A franchise for his wife. And Pruitt's circle of confidantes inside the agency appeared to be shrinking as well, with two of his closest aides set to depart in the coming days.

“The constant drip needs to stop so the agency can get its footing and focus back,” House Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) told reporters. “They’re doing some really good work in the environmental front, but this needs to stop.”

“Sometimes people get tripped up on other things besides the core mission, and I think that’s what you’re seeing,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) told reporters.

Pruitt’s scheduler, Millan Hupp, is resigning following her interview by the House Oversight Committee during which she disclosed that she helped her boss find housing and inquired about purchasing a used mattress for him from the Trump International Hotel.