President Barack Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia look in on Mac, one of two turkeys spared this year from the Thanksgiving dinner table by presidential pardon, in the East Room of the White House prior to the annual National Thanksgiving Turkey pardon ceremony, Nov. 26, 2014. (Photo: Pete Souza)
While President Obama pardoned two turkeys — “Mac” and “Cheese” — for the Thanksgiving holiday, he had no such good-will for American workers, families, and economy. The White House has a different Thanksgiving message to these three elements to society — “choke on it.”
In accordance with Obama’s federal “Unified Agenda,” the White House quietly released some 3,415 new rules, marking the fifth time the Obama administration dumped the regulatory road map using a major holiday as cover. New regulations cover everything from further expanding EPA overreach to directing the Federal Communications Commission to begin regulating the Internet like it does radio, utilities and television.
The president’s “Net Neutrality” plan to “Fix the Internet” is widely opposed by the American people. According to a new survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports, just 26 percent of American adults agree the Federal Communications Commission should regulate the Internet, and 68 percent are concerned that if the FCC does gain regulatory control over the Internet, then the government will abuse the power and attempt to control online content, or promote a political agenda.
A whole 44 percent plurality are “very concerned.”
Public opinion has consistently shown Americans oppose unilateral regulations from the White House that harm the economy in the name of global warming or climate change. If the mainstream media public opinion polls that show the opposite, which are the outliers to Gallup and others, then the White House wouldn’t have dumped the regulations in such a secretive manner.
“The president said his policies were on the ballot, and the American people spoke up against them,” said incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican. “It’s time for more listening, and less job-destroying red tape. Easing the burden already created by EPA regulations will continue to be a priority for me in the new Congress.”
The EPA rule set to be finalized is the so-called coal ash rule for coal-fired power plants, which will actually be issued by Dec. 19, and will cost $20.3 billion in compliance costs. However, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce study that focused on the overall coal agenda found the rules will kill 224,000 jobs every year through the year 2030, and will impose $50 billion in annual costs.
Among the states that will be severely affected by the regulation are Kansas, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Another EPA rule change to the Clean Water Act, which PPD previously reported on in March, would create granted authority over temporary wetlands and waterways. The new proposal will translate into new EPA regulations that extend into seasonal ponds, streams and ditches, including those on private property.
“The ‘waters of the U.S.’ rule may be one of the most significant private property grabs in U.S. history,” said Louisiana Republican Sen. David Vitter. “They want to take another step toward outright permitting authority over virtually any wet area in the country, while at the same time providing a new tool for environmental groups to sue private property owners.”
The Supreme Court already struck down Obama EPA regulations this year, but did not address the aforementioned rule.
Other regulations handed down involve some of the roughly 20,000 encompassing ObamaCare, or the Affordable Care Act. For instance, every restaurant and food supplier, not just fast food restaurants, must calculate exactly how many calories are in each of their meals and make that information available to government inspectors and clients.
Happy Thanksgiving, America!
jebrayshaw / November 28, 2014
The Congress has to stop runaway regulation. Make law that new regulations be posted on internet. Congress has to OK by a majority of both House and Senate within a 3 month period before regs go into effect.
/