This may be the beginning of the end of one of the most business-crushing entities in the nation.
President Donald Trump is poised to introduce a series of executive actions aimed at scaling back Obama-era climate change initiatives.
The president intends to sign the actions during a visit to the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters to swear in Scott Pruitt as head of the agency, Inside EPA reported Tuesday, citing an administration source. The timing of the event has not been determined because the full Senate has not yet confirmed Pruitt.The Hill reported on the Inside EPA report on Wednesday. The White House did not immediately return CNBC’s request for comment.The source did not share the contents of the executive actions, but told Inside EPA they would “suck the air out” of the room.
I suspect the Conservative Carbon Tax will not be among those orders.
There have been accusations of internal leaks (possibly violating federal law) in the wake of the resignation of national security advisor Michael Flynn. Now, officials are concerned that leaks of this nature are also occurring at the EPA.
Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and oversight subcommittee Chairman Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) sent a letter to EPA Inspector General Arthur Elkins on Tuesday asking him to investigate “a group of approximately a dozen career EPA officials … using an encrypted messaging application, Signal, to discuss potential strategies against any attempts by newly appointed political officials to redirect the EPA’s priorities.”The letter cites a Politico report from earlier this month.“Reportedly, this group of career officials at the EPA are aiming to spread their goals covertly to avoid federal records requirements, while also aiming to circumvent the government’s abilities to monitor their communications,” the GOP lawmakers wrote.That allegation is more severe than the reporting in the Politico article, which said fewer than a dozen EPA employees are using Signal to discuss what to do if political appointees from the Trump administration undermine the agency’s mission or attempt to delete scientific data the agency has been collecting.
Finally, Florida’s Rep. Matt Gaetz recently introduced H. R. 861, a bill to entirely end the EPA.
The Environmental Protection Agency shall terminate on December 31, 2018.
Given how toxic the agency has been for this country, especially after the Animas River Spill and Flint Water Crisis, there is ample reason to hope President Trump’s pen will be able to ink the measure into law in the near future.
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