POLITICS
Bush Planning Global Warming Initiative
2008-04-14 04:02pm
President Bush is set to change course and offer up an initiative to combat global warming, the Washington Times reported.
"This is an attempt to move the administration and the party closer to the center on global warming. With these steps, it is hoped that the debate over this is over, and it is time to do something," an anonymous source told the paper regarding the initiative.
Administration officials have told Republicans in Congress they are feeling pressure to act now to avoid a coming regulatory nightmare.
It's not clear what Bush will propose, the Times reported, given the fierce debate within the White House about how far to go with the measure.
Top Republicans in Congress have told the administration they think the president is making a mistake. Opponents of the initiative say the president could be igniting runaway legislation, noting that Democrats control Congress.
Environmentalists say the government can already impose strict rules under authority granted by the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act or the National Environmental Policy Act. They have filed lawsuits to force action on the issue.
(c) 2008 Newsroom.