Hill Heat: White House Organizes Mayors Against EPA Global Warming RegulationsScience Policy Legislation Actiontag:www.hillheat.com,2005:TypoTypo2008-11-26T19:01:38-05:00Wonk Roomurn:uuid:6ed13c79-8b17-4466-a631-2e4aa20d42282008-11-26T18:56:00-05:002008-11-26T19:01:38-05:00White House Organizes Mayors Against EPA Global Warming Regulations<p><i>From the <a href='http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/11/26/bush-wrong-way-regulate/'>Wonk Room</a>.</i></p>
<p>The Bush administration, though in the shadows of President-elect Barack Obama’s transition effort, continues to subvert the rule of law and impede action on global warming. Last week, the White House <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/25/AR2008112502743.html">emailed mayors asking them to oppose</a> the Environmental Protection Agency’s draft proposal for greenhouse gas regulations. According to the Washington Post, the email by Jeremy J. Broggi, associate director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs reminded mayors to formally submit complaints to the <span class="caps">EPA</span>:</p>
<blockquote>At the time, <strong>President Bush warned that this was the wrong way to regulate emissions</strong>. Chairman John D. Dingell called it “a glorious mess.” And many of you contacted us to let us know how harmful this rule would be to the economies of the cities and counties you serve.</blockquote>
<p>Broggi, a young <a href='http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/002431.php'>Dick Cheney protegé</a>, also linked to a November 20 U.S. Chamber of Commerce blog post by Bill Kovacs that makes the absurd claim regulation of carbon dioxide under the Clean Air Act “<a href="http://www.chamberpost.com/2008/11/the-impact-climate-change-proposals-on-infrastructure.html">will operate as a de facto moratorium</a> on major construction and infrastructure projects.” Broggi’s lobbying against his own government is nothing new—last year the <a href='http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/12/transportation-dept-caught-lobbying-congress/'>Department of Transportation lobbied Congress</a> to oppose global warming regulations.</p>
<p>To avoid action on global warming despite a direct order from the Supreme Court, Bush’s people have brazenly flouted their Constitutional obligation to faithfully execute the law, <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2007/01/30/scientists-warming/">ignoring science</a>, <a href='http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/04/19/bush-contempt-wednesday/'>ignoring Congressional subpoenas</a>, even <a href="http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/06/26/epa-email-denial/">ignoring emails from the <span class="caps">EPA</span></a>. Just as former attorney general Alberto Gonzales claimed the Geneva Convention’s ban on torture was “quaint,” <span class="caps">EPA</span> Administrator Stephen Johnson <a href="http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/07/11/epa-global-warming-ill-suited/">called the Clean Air Act “outdated” and “ill-suited”</a> to the task of regulating greenhouse gas emissions.</p>
However, it is the approach of the likes of George Bush, Stephen Johnson, Bill Kovacs, and John Dingell to the climate crisis that is “outdated,” “ill-suited,” and “a glorious mess”—not laws like the Clean Air Act. Robert Sussman, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund and co-chairman of Obama’s <span class="caps">EPA</span> transition team, <a href="http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/10/20/sussman-on-carbon-ultimatum/">explained last month</a>:
<blockquote>In fact, <strong>a new administration could enforce new global warming regulations with common sense</strong>, focusing on large emitters of greenhouse gases to achieve reasonable reductions while spurring trillions of dollars worth of economic growth and green-collar jobs. </blockquote>
<p>Come January, <a href="http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/11/06/waxman-has-votes-vs-dingell/">Dingell will have been replaced as chairman</a> of the House Energy and Commerce Committee by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), and the Bush administration by Obama’s team. Sadly, Kovacs will continue plugging his dangerous message of inaction, although <a href="http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/11/21/bicep-climate-action/">major companies are starting to abandon</a> the Chamber’s reactionary rhetoric.</p>
<p>Broggi’s email reminded Bush’s allies in “bold, underlined text” that the <a href="http://www.repoweramerica.org/page/s/epa">public comment period</a> for these proposed regulations closes this Friday, November 28. You can <a href='http://www.repoweramerica.org/page/s/epa'>join the We Campaign</a> in sending the message that the <span class="caps">EPA</span> can and should take immediate action to control global warming and to help <a href='http://www.repoweramerica.org/page/s/epa'>repower America</a>.</p>
<p>The text of the email follows.</p><p><i>From the <a href='http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/11/26/bush-wrong-way-regulate/'>Wonk Room</a>.</i></p>
<p>The Bush administration, though in the shadows of President-elect Barack Obama’s transition effort, continues to subvert the rule of law and impede action on global warming. Last week, the White House <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/25/AR2008112502743.html">emailed mayors asking them to oppose</a> the Environmental Protection Agency’s draft proposal for greenhouse gas regulations. According to the Washington Post, the email by Jeremy J. Broggi, associate director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs reminded mayors to formally submit complaints to the <span class="caps">EPA</span>:</p>
<blockquote>At the time, <strong>President Bush warned that this was the wrong way to regulate emissions</strong>. Chairman John D. Dingell called it “a glorious mess.” And many of you contacted us to let us know how harmful this rule would be to the economies of the cities and counties you serve.</blockquote>
<p>Broggi, a young <a href='http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/002431.php'>Dick Cheney protegé</a>, also linked to a November 20 U.S. Chamber of Commerce blog post by Bill Kovacs that makes the absurd claim regulation of carbon dioxide under the Clean Air Act “<a href="http://www.chamberpost.com/2008/11/the-impact-climate-change-proposals-on-infrastructure.html">will operate as a de facto moratorium</a> on major construction and infrastructure projects.” Broggi’s lobbying against his own government is nothing new—last year the <a href='http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/12/transportation-dept-caught-lobbying-congress/'>Department of Transportation lobbied Congress</a> to oppose global warming regulations.</p>
<p>To avoid action on global warming despite a direct order from the Supreme Court, Bush’s people have brazenly flouted their Constitutional obligation to faithfully execute the law, <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2007/01/30/scientists-warming/">ignoring science</a>, <a href='http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/04/19/bush-contempt-wednesday/'>ignoring Congressional subpoenas</a>, even <a href="http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/06/26/epa-email-denial/">ignoring emails from the <span class="caps">EPA</span></a>. Just as former attorney general Alberto Gonzales claimed the Geneva Convention’s ban on torture was “quaint,” <span class="caps">EPA</span> Administrator Stephen Johnson <a href="http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/07/11/epa-global-warming-ill-suited/">called the Clean Air Act “outdated” and “ill-suited”</a> to the task of regulating greenhouse gas emissions.</p>
However, it is the approach of the likes of George Bush, Stephen Johnson, Bill Kovacs, and John Dingell to the climate crisis that is “outdated,” “ill-suited,” and “a glorious mess”—not laws like the Clean Air Act. Robert Sussman, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund and co-chairman of Obama’s <span class="caps">EPA</span> transition team, <a href="http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/10/20/sussman-on-carbon-ultimatum/">explained last month</a>:
<blockquote>In fact, <strong>a new administration could enforce new global warming regulations with common sense</strong>, focusing on large emitters of greenhouse gases to achieve reasonable reductions while spurring trillions of dollars worth of economic growth and green-collar jobs. </blockquote>
<p>Come January, <a href="http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/11/06/waxman-has-votes-vs-dingell/">Dingell will have been replaced as chairman</a> of the House Energy and Commerce Committee by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), and the Bush administration by Obama’s team. Sadly, Kovacs will continue plugging his dangerous message of inaction, although <a href="http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/11/21/bicep-climate-action/">major companies are starting to abandon</a> the Chamber’s reactionary rhetoric.</p>
<p>Broggi’s email reminded Bush’s allies in “bold, underlined text” that the <a href="http://www.repoweramerica.org/page/s/epa">public comment period</a> for these proposed regulations closes this Friday, November 28. You can <a href='http://www.repoweramerica.org/page/s/epa'>join the We Campaign</a> in sending the message that the <span class="caps">EPA</span> can and should take immediate action to control global warming and to help <a href='http://www.repoweramerica.org/page/s/epa'>repower America</a>.</p>
<p>The text of the email follows.</p>
<blockquote><b>From:</b> <a href='mailto:intergovernmentalaffairs-lg@whitehouse.gov'>White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs</a><br />
<b>To:</b><br />
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, November 20, 2008 6:12 PM<br />
<b>Subject:</b> Reminder of November 28 deadline to comment on the <span class="caps">EPA ANPR</span> on greenhouse gas emissions
<br /><br />
<p>On July 11 the <span class="caps">EPA</span> released an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) that suggests how the Clean Air Act might be used to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in our economy. At the time, President Bush warned that this was the wrong way to regulate emissions. Chairman John Dingell called it “a glorious mess”. And many of you contacted us to let us know how harmful this rule would be to the economies of the cities and counties you serve.</p>
<p>As you know, the White House asked the <span class="caps">EPA</span> to make the <span class="caps">ANPR</span> available for public comment, and has encouraged the public to do so. If you have planned to comment, this is a reminder that the <b><u>comment period closes on November 28</u></b>. Instructions on how to submit comments to the <span class="caps">EPA</span> can be found on their website: <a href='http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/anpr.html'>www.epa.gov/climatechange/anpr.html</a></p>
<p>You may be interested in reviewing the attached White House policy memo that lays out the issue in more detail. You may also be interested in reading the U.S. Chamber’s assessment of how the <span class="caps">ANPR</span> would affect various local building and infrastructure projects:
<a href='http://www.chamberpost.com/2008/11/the-impact-climate-change-proposals-on-infrastructure.html'>www.chamberpost.com/2008/11/the-impact-climate-change-proposals-on-infrastructure.html</a></p>
<p>Please let us know if you have any questions.</p>
<p>Jeremy</p>
<p>Jeremy J. Broggi<br />
Associate Director<br />
Intergovernmental Affairs<br />
The White House</blockquote></p>