Talking Points: The Battle Over Environmental Regulations
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The defeat of the GOP health care bill and the growing battle over Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch have emboldened Democrats in Washington who say they plan to work on efforts to oppose President Donald Trump's agenda.
One of those areas that is top priority for the president's opponents is Trump's plan to scale back environmental and EPA regulations.
This past week the president signed a bill rolling back almost all of President Barack Obama's initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. It's just the latest move by Trump, who campaigned promising to loosen regulations that environmentalist say are vital.
The president maintains the rollbacks will stimulate jobs, especially in economically depressed areas of the Midwest, including Minnesota's Iron Range.
But Democratic members of Congress, including Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum, are fighting back.
"If we care about clean, safe drinking water, if we want to make sure we are not going to let the Great Lakes catch on fire again, if we are going to make sure that the air that we breathe doesn't contribute to early death, the EPA all has a role in that," she said on WCCO Sunday Morning.
The president's policy is also drawing fire from a number of Democratic governors, incuding Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton.
Dayton is promising Minnesota will continue to implement bipartisan plans to reduce harmful emissions and protect the environment.
