Environmental and clean energy advocates are refuting the idea that their agenda led to the downfall of more than 50 House Democrats who lost their seats in Tuesday’s elections.
Republicans on the campaign trail hammered away at Democrats who voted for the Waxman-Markey climate change bill in the summer of 2009, calling it a cap-and-tax bill.
But green groups say their exit polls and statistics show that the Waxman-Markey vote wasn’t the factor that pushed lawmakers out of Washington. They say voters overwhelmingly endorsed Democratic and Republican lawmakers who voted for the cap-and-trade bill.
Read the full Politico report here.
Vote Will Harm EPA Efforts
The job of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be a lot harder following the midterm election, particularly in regards to regulating greenhouse gas emissions.
Support for EPA regulations–due to begin in January–was already thin in the Senate, where several conservative Democrats have voiced opposition to the new regulations. Now with Republicans controlling the House, the oversight hearing will take on a hostile tone, and Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson will be required to spend much more time defending her actions.
House Republicans are also sure to put forward legislation to block greenhouse gas regulations as a fist course of business.
Read New York Times coverage here.
Election Results Likely to Spur Climate Lawsuits
The number of lawsuits surrounding greenhouse gas regulations is set to triple by the end of this year, according to a new study published Wednesday by DB Climate Change Advisors.
The failure of federal cap and trade, the return of Republican control in the U.S. House and California’s plans to move forward on that state’s greenhouse gas law is expected to inspire a new wave of lawsuits moving the climate change battle to the courts.
Read the ClimatWire report at the link below.
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