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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIssa, Vitter accuse EPA of conspiring with environmentalists
Posted with permission, and...
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/issa-vitter-accuse-epa-conspiring-environmentalists
Issa, Vitter accuse EPA of conspiring with environmentalists
10/14/14 10:27 AMUpdated 10/14/14 11:24 AM
By Steve Benen
The Republican search for a legitimate Obama administration scandal has gone quite poorly. The right occasionally rolls out one new controversy or another, but in each instance, these stories fall apart rather quickly.
But for some conservatives, hope springs eternal. The Republicans latest complaint even involves one of the federal agencies the GOP loves to hate, making it a two-fer the right gets to complain about the Obama administration and the Environmental Protection Agency at the same time.
In June, President Obama announced an ambitious plan to address the climate crisis by reducing carbon pollution, and in July, the New York Times reported that experts at the Natural Resources Defense Council helped provide a blueprint for the White House.
If that doesnt sound especially exciting to you, thats probably because youre not a congressional Republican. Coral Davenport reported over the weekend:
The investigation, begun by Representative Darrell Issa of California, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Senator David Vitter of Louisiana, the top Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, comes as Republicans continue a long-running effort to block President Obamas climate change agenda.
To help bolster the allegations of improper ties between the agency and environmentalists, the far-right lawmakers have uncovered friendly emails between EPA chief Gina McCarthy and her allies at environmental groups.
The fact that impeachment proceedings havent already begun is clearly evidence of Republicans showing great restraint.
All joking aside, its tough to get too excited about this latest controversy. As Rebecca Leber noted last month, Nobody denies that NRDC might have helped shape the rule. Obama Administration officials speak with advocacy groups when making policy, just like their predecessors and their counterparts on Capitol Hill. Thats called governing.
Jon Chait added yesterday:
Indeed, this isnt at all speculative. Issa specifically said in a statement, The E.P.A. appears to have a far cozier relationship with N.R.D.C. lobbyists on carbon emission rule-making than with any other stakeholders.
This accusation is arguably quite true. When Obama administration officials put together a plan to address the climate crisis, they were absolutely, shamelessly cozier with environmentalists than polluters. There are multiple stakeholders in the debate, and the administration worked closer with those who want to address the problem, and less with those who want to make it worse.
Similarly, in 2011, a congressman by the name of Darrell Issa reached out to corporate lobbyists as opposed to other stakeholders and asked them to tell his office which federal regulations theyd like to see eliminated.
In 2005, the Bush/Cheney White House turned over reports on global warming to a former lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute, the largest trade group representing the interests of the oil industry, encouraging the former lobbyist to edit the official materials to his hearts content. Other stakeholders in the climate debate were offered no similar opportunities.
Issa and Vitter didnt seem at all concerned about this at the time.
Update: I talked to an official at the EPA this morning, who referred me to this piece on the agencys outreach and engagement process.
In a statement, the EPA added, The Clean Power Plan was developed through an extensive public outreach process one that engaged tens of thousands of people across the country. EPA consulted with states, power companies, local communities, environmental groups, associations, labor groups, tribes, and many more. This process was a critical component in developing the proposed rule because it helped focus our attention on what was going on, on the ground, in states and communities across the country. It generated public discussion and ideas from numerous groups and individuals that helped inform our thinking. To imply that one group had any undue influence on the proposals development is ridiculous and absurd. There is simply zero merit to the idea.
In reference to Issas complaints, the statement went on to say, This is a flawed narrative driven by cherry picked and isolated communications that in no way reflect the full breadth and depth of the unprecedented outreach EPA engaged in to formulate and develop the Clean Power Plan. We are more than happy to work with the committees to demonstrate the facts and show the extraordinary engagement efforts by EPA in developing this proposal.
arcane1
(38,613 posts)gohuskies
(1,157 posts)What would we expect from a car thief/arsonist and a adulterous diaper-wearing freak... How are people so blind to these character challenged darlings of the extreme right-wing. This is the sad state of our elected reps from the republican universe.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Gidney N Cloyd
(19,847 posts)DisgustipatedinCA
(12,530 posts)It takes a special and highly deluded form of dumbass to level an accusation like this.
For my part, I accuse Issa of conspiring with other grand theft felons, and I accuse Vitter of conspiring with prostitutes to feed his goddamned diaper fetish. Next.