GOP Attacks White House for Politicizing Oil Spill
Republicans lashed out at the Obama administration yesterday for using the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico for political purposes, signaling sharpening partisanship during a crucial period in which Democrats hope to build support for climate legislation.
That effort was clouded yesterday as the White House threatened to veto Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-Alaska) resolution blocking U.S. EPA from regulating thousands of businesses that release carbon dioxide. Critics charge that the EPA rules will shock companies with new costs.
The White House punctuated its opposition to the resolution, to be considered by the Senate tomorrow, by claiming Murkowski’s effort would weaken the government’s ability to address environmental catastrophes, like the “ongoing BP oil spill.”
A peeved Murkowski argued that the administration’s “leap of logic,” along with environmental groups’ attacks linking her resolution with oiled wildlife, obscures her intent: to prevent a massive inflation of agency power that would drown jobs and hike energy prices.
“To have made this connection here that this resolution is all about the oil industry or the energy industry is just absolutely flawed,” Murkowski said. “But what I think is happening is the administration and those who oppose me on this are looking to, I think, confuse the issue. I think they’re doing a pretty good job of that.”
New York Times
6/9/8
Magnolia Tribune
