With President Donald Trump publicly backing Scott Pruitt amid increased calls for his head, liberal outlets have changed their focus from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator’s scandals to his “lack of regulatory rollbacks.”
Pruitt’s biggest deregulatory actions are in the proposal stage, and target rules already held up by the courts, the argument goes. Liberal writers are trying to change Pruitt’s perception on the right as a champion of deregulation.
“The truth is that Scott Pruitt has done a lot less to dismantle the EPA than he — or his critics — would have you believe,” Politico columnist Michael Grunwald wrote in an article published Saturday.
“While Pruitt is often hailed (or attacked) as Trump’s most effective (or destructive) deregulatory warrior, the recent spotlight on his ethics—allegations of a sweetheart housing deal; pay raises for favored aides; lavish spending on travel, furniture and security; and retaliation against underlings who questioned him—has arguably overshadowed his lack of regulatory rollbacks during his first 15 months in Washington,” Grunwald wrote.
Democratic lawmakers and environmentalists want Pruitt to step down as EPA head in the wake of reporting he frequently flew first-class, circumvented the White House to gets staffers raises and rented a room in a condo from the wife of a D.C. energy lobbyist.
Conservatives have come to Pruitt’s defense, arguing the former Oklahoma attorney general’s successes in rolling back Obama-era policies make his vital to the Trump administration. Environmentalists have attacked Pruitt for months over rolling back regulations, labeling him “Polluting Pruitt.”
Now, liberal writers are trying to change the popular perception of Pruitt’s accomplishments.
The New Republic’s Emily Atkin noted that “most of Pruitt’s actions are in the proposal stage, and many are years away from being finalized,” though she did admit Pruitt had been “prolific” at tackling Obama-era policies.
“But so far, Pruitt’s biggest achievement is that he appears successful. That explains his good standing with Trump, who values appearances more than anything else,” she wrote.
The New York Times published an article on Saturday on how “legal experts and White House officials say that in Mr. Pruitt’s haste to undo government rules and in his eagerness to hold high-profile political events promoting his agenda, he has often been less than rigorous in following important procedures, leading to poorly crafted legal efforts that risk being struck down in court.”
The Times, mostly quoting Pruitt critics, reported that [s]ix of Mr. Pruitt’s efforts to delay or roll back Obama-era regulations … have been struck down by the courts” and “backed down on a proposal to delay implementing smog regulations and another to withdraw a regulation on mercury pollution.”
To some extent, it’s true Pruitt’s major deregulatory efforts are still in early stages. The Clean Power Plan repeal, for example, is in its proposal stage, and EPA has yet to formally revise Obama-era fuel economy standards. Pruitt also lost court battles over repealing some Obama regulations.
And Grunwald was correct when he wrote, “major federal regulations are extremely difficult and time-consuming to enact, and just as difficult and time-consuming to reverse.” The Obama administration had eight years to impose its agenda, but Pruitt’s been around for about a year.
However, that doesn’t mean Pruitt’s not rolled back a significant number of rules. An EPA report released in March claimed 22 deregulatory actions in 2017, which could save $1 billion in regulatory costs.
EPA has another 44 deregulatory actions underway, meaning 2018 could see billions more dollars worth of regulations repealed.
Either way, Trump seems happy with Pruitt’s progress on rolling back regulations.
While Security spending was somewhat more than his predecessor, Scott Pruitt has received death threats because of his bold actions at EPA. Record clean Air & Water while saving USA Billions of Dollars. Rent was about market rate, travel expenses OK. Scott is doing a great job!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018
Read more at Daily Caller
Earth Day is coming in a few weeks that time of the year when the weirdos come out of hiding and parade around being the usial idiots they are
Mueller should be fired for the massive conflict of interests he and his Democrat witch hunters have . No Russian collusion except for the well documented Clinton Foundation and DNC yet not a peep .
Mr . Magoo immediately claimed he couldn’t do his job and hasn’t .
Mr Pruitt at least has the backbone to take on swamp creatures .
Mr . Magoo is one .
The Greens had it pretty easy under Clinton and Obama but under Trump he is refusing to play by their rules thats why them the New York Pravda and the Democ-Rats want Pruit out he wont play the rules of the Eco-Nazis/Watermelons
What we’ve been hearing since the Democrats lost is a cacophony of lies, a tantrum.
Does anyone think it’s a good campaign strategy for the mid term election?
This reminds me of the situation where alarmists alter data to support the climate change movement. The only possible motivation would be they know the unaltered data doesn’t support their cause.
Now liberals are actively going after Pruitt with muck raking. If Pruitt was ineffective as some are now claiming, they wouldn’t care. The only reason he is such a target is the left perceives him as getting things done, either now or in the future.
There is certainly a double standard here. Where was the media outrage when it was revealed the EPA violated its own procedures to rush a flawed report to influence the 2015 COP meeting? Where was the outrage when it was revealed radical environmental organizations had been the true authors of some Obama err regulations?
It might take awhile for Pruitt to unravel the knots of eco-activist regulation, but we gain confidence knowing that things are going our way. I’d like to see an economist acknowledge it.
The Mueller Russia Collusion Delusion costs tax payers over $30,000 per day , finds absolutely nothing on Donald Trump yet
the MSM lights it’s hair on fire because Scott Pruitt spent $50 for a few months on a room in a building owned by a wife of a lobbyist . Under his watch he has already cut a $Billion dollars in regulation and other EPA inefficiencies .
If the DNC had a hit taken out on Seth Rich for leaking to Wikileaks it seems a safe bet Mr. Pruitt’s extra security is highly warranted . After all this was the party with the arrogance to threaten coal workers .
Mr . Pruitt is simply carrying out what the American people expect
in reversing the eco -anarchist Obama administration agenda .
The more threats and negative MSM coverage the more certain he and his team are doing a fabulous job .
Meanwhile , Mueller and his conflicted pack of witch hunters will dine at the public trough as long as they can shake down tax payers all under the sleepy eye of buying time Mr. Magoo .
Any investigation of Bob Mueller
will reveal his own criminal misconduct and
disbarable conflict of interest.
You must have slept through the last 40 or 50 years , Rip Van Winkle. Moralizing will cost you votes these days. But go ahead, hand control back to the socialist pagans.
While I love the ONE pick Trump got right and so far Trump is standing ‘by his man’ #ScrewHillarysWynette – we also can’t have a corruptocrat at ANY level or we lose the moral ground and it is the moral ground which created the two party separation and also why today it’s nearly gone. The right’s flagrant disobedience to this cornerstone of our side is obscene and is part of the Trump narrative which how the #NeverTrump movement was created for the right. With so-called religious leaders openly and vocally willing to ignore Trump’s multiple marriages and his infidelity, forget it, it’s over for the “GOP” right and it is time to #ReplaceTheGOP!
With Pruitt, I don’t think the lefts evidence reaches a threshold of dismissal… YET, daily, Trump provides rationale to their narrative and if we are to be honest, enough narrative for impeachment based on his infidelity to our Conservative cause which he’s mostly turned his back on. If it ever does, despite our one #winning appointment in the Trump era, we must be ready and willing to do the virtuous thing and can his butt. Then take control of the chaos and get someone just as effective at dismantling the secular religion of the left.
President Trump
has his own style and strategy.
Maybe in the future, more people will appreciate
and be amazed by its effectiveness.
It is only because there is a
Lying Propaganda Machine ( The MSM )
of the
American Communist Party ( Democrats )
That we are even subjected to these twisted
Lies of the extremist left.
Without stupid, ignorant people the
democrat party would not exist
and their ” My Party Right or Wrong ” voter base
would disappear.
This is precisely why the Demorats are seeking
any means possible to
Stuff the Ballot Box
This is the most convenient excuse ever. I will ask you what I ask all the MSM troll virtue signalers like you, Rush, Shamnity, Levine, et al – why don’t you ignore them? They speak for you? They set your narrative? Why waste your damn time worrying about what they are saying? Something this president is obsessed about and how does that help advance our cause?
Did the left give a DAMN about our Tea Party movement? HELL NO! They took over 1/6th of the US economy with and illegal HC mandate!
Right, Phaedrus.
You say I’m parroting others
rather than attacking the
truth of my argument.
Is it because you can’t ?