Obama meets with black caucus; administration insists on GOP proposals on environment

[Bluebear]

Obama met Wednesday with members of the Congressional Black Caucus to discuss the level of spending cuts that House Democrats might be willing to accept.

A Democratic lawmaker familiar with discussions between members of Congress and administration officials said the administration has made it clear that some House GOP proposals restricting the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory powers would have to make it into the final bill. In order to characterize the administration’s position, the lawmaker insisted on anonymity because the discussions have been private.

It’s not clear which proposals, known as “riders,” the White House might accept, but those backed by Republicans would block the government from carrying out regulations on greenhouse gases, putting in place a plan to clean up the Chesapeake Bay and from shutting down mountaintop mines it believes will cause too much water pollution.

“There are certain things we’re just not going to do on riders, even if we agree on everything else we’re just not going to do it,” Biden said. In that category, Democrats insist, is the greenhouse gas measure and riders crippling implementation of Obama’s health care law, cutting Planned Parenthood off of federal support.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/despite-angry-rhetoric-good-progress-on-budget-talks-to-avert-federal-shutdown-next-week/2011/03/30/AFAxzD3B_story.html

[hatrack]

1. " . . . made it clear that some House GOP proposals restricting the EPA's regulatory powers . . .

. . . would have to make it into the final bill."

Yes, let's have some more of that good old-fashioned "bipartisanship".

Stay tuned - up next - "Reaching Out", followed by that crowd-pleaser "Building Consensus".

[Bluebear]

2. Who needs to regulate the environment? Damn clean air freaks!!!

:cry:

[roguevalley]

6. Nixon created it and Obama is killing it. what is wrong with this

picture. I hope his kids get to drink cyanide in their water too. Oh wait. They won't.

[Zorra]

7. Yes. Perfect example of how far to the right the Democratic Party has shifted. nt

[robinlynne]

4. yep. and yep.

[Forkboy]

12. Bipartisanship doesn't even get us a reach around anymore.

[Bluebear]

3. .

[TheKentuckian]

5. Ahh...the daily dosage of putrid.

[Bluebear]

9. +

[QC]

8. Surely *this* will, at long last, make the Republicans love him! n/t

[TomCADem]

10. Duh! Of course "some" GOP Proposals Will Be In Congressional Bills

The House has a huge majority in the house. How can anything coming out of Congress not have some GOP support?

If we don't like it, then we need to elect more Democrats, rather than articulate the obvious.

[Bluebear]

11. We elected more Democrats, the last session of the House.

And all this change! :silly:

[Karmadillo]

17. Good point. As soon as we help the Democrats take back the White House & the Congress,

things should get better.

[upi402]

13. Just like Bush needed a meeting with the world's 1st socialist - Jesus

Obama needs a meeting with Dr King.

[Bluebear]

14. I'd love to hear that conversation!

[hatrack]

15. Kicking for the Morning Nausea Patrol

God forbid we clean up the Chesapeake, or maybe someday think about the possibility of theoretically (at some undefined point in the future) may considering limiting the leveling of West Virginia.

[Bluebear]

16. indeed