By Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
It is extremely doubtful whether President Trump could have beaten former President Obama in a presidential election if he had been his party’s nominee in the 2012 presidential election. It is something that annoyed the current president since the beginning of his presidency.
Unfortunately, it seems that the current occupant of the White House has deep disdain for President Obama, who warned him about the dangers presented by North Korea. President Trump ignored the advice. Now, North Korea has President Trump in a dangerous political dilemma.
One of his very first legislative efforts when he became the nation’s leader was an attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Obama, allowing millions of Americans, previously without health insurance, to protect themselves and their families. Had it not been for the late Senator John McCain, ever a sensible legislator, President Trump would have gotten his wish. Senator voted against repealing the healthcare legislation.
Now, just like clockwork, President Trump and those he appointed to help him run the executive branch, has taken aim at eliminating efforts that President Obama made to protect the environment, preventing dangerous pollutants from killing Americans, and improving the nation’s air quality.
Under a plan being considered by Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency, the government would put in place a new method of calculating the impact of polluted air on deaths that have here-to-fore been blamed on polluted air.
The proposed plan is consistent with President Trump’s assertion that bad air has little to do with deaths, something that many experts believe to be related to environmental pollution. During the 2016 election candidate Trump promised coal miners that he would protect them and their industry. And now he intends to do just that by pushing back sensible regulations that will lead to countless deaths according to air quality experts.
President Obama promulgated what was known as the Clean Power Plan, designed to combat a dangerous warming climate, and to lessen the amount of pollutants in the environment. The plan encouraged industries to cease their use of coal and turn to more environmentally sensitive methods of power such as natural gas and wind power.
Of course, President Trump could not stomach that, having told his supporters that he was a champion of coal-based industries. Adding that the Clean Power Plan was not his cup of tea, and that he would eliminate it. A number of environmental experts have predicted that if the Trump plan becomes reality, nearly 1500 additional Americans will die annually due to poor air quality. So much for compassion, and seeking the best interests of the American public.
Congresswoman Johnson represents the 30th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. She also chairs the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.
