President Obama and the EPA have not had an entirely uncomplicated relationship during his tenure, but in the face of a GOP candidate field that is almost uniformly anti-environment, the president is throwing his lot in with clean air and water regulations. He's making a trip to EPA headquarters this afternoon to thank employees for their work, notably the new mercury standards.
The visit marks Obama’s latest push to show support for the agency in the aftermath of the White House’s decision last year to scuttle EPA’s planned smog regulations amid constant and aggressive attacks from Republicans.
Obama will travel to EPA headquarters “to address the men and women of the agency, and thank them for their hard work protecting the air our children breathe and the water we drink,” the president’s daily schedule says.
Of course, some people are already spinning this as Obama and Lisa P. Jackson having a champagne jam while burning oil company execs in effigy and dancing on the backs of unemployed people specially hired for the occasion:
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who shepherded bills through the House last year to block the EPA rules, claimed over Twitter that Obama would visit EPA to “tout its job-destroying agenda.”
The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, an industry group, similarly claimed that Obama and EPA will “celebrate job-destroying regulations.”
But, you know, whatever. The man is just showing some appreciation for the agency that made America look a little less like this.
