Obama’s Big Climate Change Tool: Yes, It Is a Big Deal

The Chamber of Commerce recently bowed to pressure from big member companies which have crafted schemes to pick your pocket under cap-and-trade, and cravenly pleaded for some form of global warming legislation. It defended this with the argument distilled as “we merely restated our position. A different way.” So it is with Congress, in a fashion, with its controversial Sec. 707 identically stuck in both the Waxman-Markey and Kerry-Boxer bills.

Some on Team Liberty insist there’s nothing to see here, because you’ll notice that the language says the President “shall” exercise “existing statutory authority”. QED. My former CEI colleague Jonathan Adler adopts Ed Morrissey’s position posted on Hot Air, phrasing it on Volokh:

“The above provision grants no new powers to the federal government, let alone the President. Zero. Zilch. Rather, it directs the President to have agencies use “existing statutory authority” to ensure greater greenhouse gas emission reductions.  In other words, it requires the President to ensure that agencies are using all the tools Congress has already delegated to them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — tools that such agencies could use even if the section is not triggered — and demands the President “submit to Congress” a request for additional authorities the President believes are necessary to ensure greater emission reductions.  Moreover, insofar as this provision constrains the Executive Branch’s discretion over what emission-reduction measures it wants to take, it actually reduces executive authority.”

That first part is true.

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Tags: Barack Obama, cap-and-trade, carbon caps, carbon emissions, climate change
Posted Nov 13th 2009 at 1:22 pm in Congress, Environment, Justice/Legal, News, Obama, Politics | 3038621 Commentshttp://biggovernment.com/chorner/2009/11/13/obamas-big-climate-change-tool-yes-it-is-a-big-deal/Obama%27s+Big+Climate+Change+Tool%3A+Yes%2C+It+Is+a+Big+Deal2009-11-13+20%3A22%3A14Christopher+C.+Horner

These Are the Times That Try Men’s Blogging Souls

THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

– Thomas Paine, The Crisis, December 23, 1776

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

– Esther 4:14

These are interesting times. Under President Obama and the most liberal Congress since 1965, the United States government is expected to borrow a trillion dollars per year for the next decade while the size and power of our federal government will grow at the expense of our liberties. 

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Tags: Ace of Spades, alexander hamilton, Barack Obama, Big Hollywood, blogging
Posted Oct 30th 2009 at 6:49 am in Culture, Media Criticism, Politics | 2273837 Commentshttp://biggovernment.com/cdevore/2009/10/30/these-are-the-times-that-try-mens-blogging-souls/These+Are+the+Times+That+Try+Men%27s+Blogging+Souls2009-10-30+13%3A49%3A21Chuck+DeVore