As a Washington Post takes pain to point out…
While Donald Trump makes sure his act eats up ALL the media headlines…
His gnomes ARE working quietly to cement in Republican policy across the nation…
Judges…
Immigration …
Environment …
Healthcare….
Etc…
And Donald Trump isn’t listening or cares about norms or just about anybody else….
It’s so easy to get distracted by political theatrics, but it’s so important not to lose sight of the forest for the trees. Tectonic changes in public policy under the Trump administration will have a vastly greater impact on the lives of everyday Americans than anything he tweets or any stunt his former campaign manager pulls on Capitol Hill. A flurry of mostly under-the-radar stories over the past 24 hours put in stark relief why it’s more important to pay attention to what the president and his appointees do than what they say. Let’s look at three specific topic areas:
— On the environment: The Trump administration plans to formally revoke California’s long-standing right to set stricter air pollution standards for cars and light trucks. This is the latest step in a broad campaign to undermine Obama-era policies aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change.
“The move threatens to set in motion a massive legal battle between California and the federal government, plunge automakers into a prolonged period of uncertainty and create turmoil in the nation’s auto market,” Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis report. “Already, 13 states and the District of Columbia have vowed to adopt California’s standards if they diverge from the federal government’s, as have several major automakers. California leaders on Tuesday said they will fight any challenge to their autonomy.”
So much for federalism.
The official announcement was scheduled for today, during Trump’s swing through California, but the administration has decided to postpone the policy rollout by at least a day. Juliet and Brady explain why that might be: “Trump’s move is likely to be unpopular nationwide and in California, with Americans widely supportive of stricter fuel efficiency standards. A Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll released Friday found 66 percent of Americans oppose Trump’s plan to freeze fuel efficiency standards rather than enforce the Obama administration’s targets for 2025. A nearly identical 67 percent majority says they support state governments setting stricter fuel efficiency targets than the federal government.”
— Meanwhile, an internal National Park Service report obtained by The Washington Post reveals that the bulldozers and excavators rushing to install Trump’s border barrier could damage or destroy up to 22 archaeological sites within Arizona’s Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in the coming months….
image…The Atlantic