November 04, 2010 Obama drops plan to limit global warming gases Environmental groups and industry seem headed for another battle over regulation of greenhouse gases, as President Barack Obama said he will look for ways to control global warming pollution other than Congress placing a ceiling on it. "Cap-and-trade was just one way of skinning the cat; it was not the only way," Obama said at a news conference Wednesday, a day after Democrats lost control of the House. "I'm going to be looking for other means to address this problem." Legislation putting a limit on heat-trapping greenhouse gases and then allowing companies to buy and sell pollution permits under that ceiling narrowly passed the House in 2009 as a centerpiece of Obama's domestic agenda, but it stalled in the Senate. Republicans dubbed the bill "cap-and-tax" because it would raise energy prices. They then used it as a club in the midterm elections against Democrats who voted for it. Thirty of the bill's supporters were among some 50 House Democrats whom voters turned out of office Tuesday. "It's doubtful that you could get the votes to pass that through the House this year or next year or the year after," Obama said Wednesday. The new battle over global warming in Congress will target the Environmental Protection Agency, which is poised to regulate greenhouse gases for the first time, after the Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that it could treat heat-trapping gases as pollutants. John Engler, a former Michigan governor who leads the National Association of Manufacturers, said he expects a Republican-controlled House to take a "fresh look that will get at a lot of questions" dealing with the EPA's role in regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Environmentalists, meanwhile, urged Obama to hold his ground. "While there will be attacks on (EPA's) authority, it is important that there not be any surrender on EPA's ability to do the job," said Trip Van Noppen, president of Earthjustice. The Senate in June rejected by a 53-47 vote a challenge brought by Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski that would have denied the EPA the authority to move ahead with the rules. Six Democrats voted with Republicans to advance the "resolution of disapproval," which the White House had threatened to veto. A similar resolution has broad support in the House, with 140 co-sponsors. Engler said efforts to block the EPA will only be strengthened by Tuesday's election results. Obama, when asked about the EPA's authority Wednesday, said that while a court order gave the EPA jurisdiction, the agency still wants help from Congress. "I don't think ... the desire is to somehow be protective of their powers here," Obama said. "One of the things that's very important for me is not to have us ignore the science, but rather to find ways that we can solve these problems that don't hurt the economy, that encourage the development of clean energy in this country, that, in fact, may give us opportunities to create entire new industries and create jobs." ___
but rather to find ways that we can solve these problems that don't hurt the economy, -------------------- Anyone else fall over backwards out of their chair? Dang, he might repeal his own healthcare act.
True.I'm curious to see how this plays out. NOVEMBER 4, 2010 Will the new Congress repeal health care reform? Many conservatives running for Congress, including many who won, say they want to revisit health care reform â repeal or tweak or defund or something. Americans do remain split on the legislation overall â CNN said exit polls showed half want it repealed and the other half want it expanded or maintained. Though, advocates point out that many of the individual elements remain popular, such as keeping kids up to 26 on their parentâs health insurance, closing the Medicare prescription benefit âdonut hole,â banning insurers from bumping those who get sick out of coverage and not covering kids with pre-existing conditions. It seems the part many have a problem with is the mandatory coverage for everyone, mainly because of the costs. Though, the advocates say putting so many more people in the system spreads the risk and makes the other provisions possible. Those advocates, including Health Care for America Now, said they believe the election hinged more on the economy than health care. The group points to a CNN poll that found only 19 percent of voters named health care as their top concern, second, and well behind, the 61 percent who said it was the economy that was most important. The group also pointed to Politico's assessment that 22 of the 34 Democrats who voted against the health care legislation still lost, as well as three of five senators. Certainly, few even mentioned the legislation on the campaign trail, and many of those who did were running away from it. For sure, not all lawmakers are anti-health care reform. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who won reelection to his post, says he doesn't want the legislation dismantled. And Maryland officials, lead by Gov. Martin O'Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, have embraced health care reform.
He only dropped Cap and Trade because he is going to be expelling considerable amounts of carbon dioxide over the next few weeks trying to spin this election loss for Dems as all George Bush's fault.
The President doesn't seem to get it. He stated that this election outcome occured because "people are frustrated with the slow recovery of the economy". No Mr. Obama, the election was a referendum on your policies and they were rejected. People are frustrated with YOU.