President Obama Had One Great and Very Busy Week

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

Norris McDonald

President Barack Obama is performing at a pace that has to leave observers gasping for air. Right after signing the final reconciliation on the health care bill, he met with President of France Sarkozy and made a secret trip to Afghanistan. He even squeezed in a meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu. But let's get to the environmental and energy stuff.

Listed below are some of the actions by the Obama administration this past week:

1. DOT/EPA Set Fuel Economy & GHG Emission Standards

2. EPA Initiated A Study On The Environmental Impacts of Bisphenol A

3. President Obama Signed Health Care/Reconciliation/Education legislation into law

4. Proposed Expanded Offshore Drilling (we oppose this)

5. EPA Issued Guidance on Mountaintop Mining

6. Signed A Commercial Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Deal With India

7. Proposes Veto of Spruce No. 1 Mine (Mountaintop Mining) Water Permit

8. DOE Held First Meeting of Nuclear Blue Ribbon Commission

President Obama also made 15 recess appointments. It appears that the administration is also going to introduce climate/energy legislation when Congress returns from its recess. The Center is salivating at the prospect of working to get climate legislation passed. And not just any old legislation, we want a very strong cap-and-trade program.