Chief of staff Reince Priebus? Some Donald Trump loyalists still dubious
When President-elect Donald Trump tapped Reince Priebus as his chief of staff, Republican leaders cheered the prospect of a close ally having a top White House job. But as Priebus tries to wield his influence and bring more structure to the president-elect’s freewheeling political organization, he’s frustrating some longtime Trump allies who see him as too conventional a pick for an unconventional president. Others fear being left behind as Priebus fills out West Wing jobs. The dismay over Priebus stems in part from a belief among some Trump loyalists that the outgoing Republican National Committee chairman expected Trump to lose the election. They resent the president-elect “rewarding people who thought he wasn’t going to win,” according to one top adviser. Still, Priebus appears to have Trump’s trust. He’s been given wide authority to name senior White House staff, according to people involved in the transition, and in shaping the decision on who will succeed him at the RNC, though deliberations over that post continue. “Reince Priebus has done an outstanding job,” Trump said in a statement to The Associated Press. “All you have to do is look at all of the Republican victories and one in particular.” If Trump runs his White House like past presidents — and that’s hardly a sure thing — Priebus, 44, could hold enormous sway over what issues reach the Oval Office. Chiefs of staff also typically control who has access to the president — no easy task given Trump’s penchant for consulting a wide network of associates before making key decisions. Priebus, a Wisconsin native and father of two young children, comes to the White House with no significant experience in foreign and domestic policy. He has close ties with House Speaker Paul Ryan and other GOP congressional leaders. And he’s seen by those who have worked with him previously as a well-organized manager with little appetite for drama. “One of the things he’ll bring to the White House is an ability to work well with people, to be inclusive, not to get in to intrastaff squabbles,” said Henry Barbour, an RNC member and Priebus ally. Yet internal squabbling and competing factions are a hallmark of Trump’s political and business organizations. He cycled through three campaign managers during his White House run, with the feuds that led up to each shake-up playing out messily in the media. In tapping Priebus as chief of staff, Trump appeared to be setting up another rivalry. He put Steve Bannon, the controversial conservative media executive, at the White House as a senior adviser and called him an equal partner with Priebus. Trump’s influential son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is also weighing a White House role, but will remain a personal power center even without a formal position. Transition officials say Priebus and Bannon have a respectful relationship, and there’s no outright control struggle underway. But Trump’s deliberation over whom to name as secretary of state is seen as an indicator of a tug-of-war, with Bannon among those said to be against Mitt Romney. Priebus is seen as an advocate for Romney and was notably the only adviser who joined Trump for a private dinner with the 2012 GOP presidential nominee. Several Trump advisers described Priebus’ role only on the condition of anonymity in order to speak candidly about the chief of staff. Josh Bolten, who served as President George W. Bush‘s final chief of staff, said he was concerned by the description of Bannon as Priebus’ equal. While presidents usually have multiple influential advisers, Bolten said, it’s imperative for the lines of authority to be clear. “If that were to mean that there’s more than one chief of staff, that’s a recipe for disaster,” Bolten said. Bolten is among several former chiefs of staff Priebus has consulted since the election. He’s spoken at least twice with Denis McDonough, President Barack Obama‘s chief of staff, as recently as last week. Priebus was frequently by Trump’s side in the final weeks of the campaign. After the release of a videotape in which the businessman was heard bragging about predatory behavior with women, Priebus stood by Trump and made clear the RNC would not abandon the party’s nominee. But some Trump advisers contend Priebus and the RNC believed he would lose the election. Indeed, on the Friday before Election Day, top party officials told reporters their data showed Trump falling short by about 30 electoral votes. Some Trump advisers have also blamed Priebus for the messy spectacle around the president-elect’s interview with The New York Times. Trump accused the Times of changing the terms of the interview and tweeted that he would cancel. Then the Times said the terms had not changed, and the interview was back on. One person involved in the situation said it was Priebus who incorrectly led Trump to believe the Times had changed the terms of the interview. “No matter how loyal the overall collection of personalities is to the president, there are always internal rivalries and tugging and pulling,” said John Sununu, who served as chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush and has spoken with Priebus in recent weeks. “It’s up to the chief of staff to deal with all of that.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama Senate Minority Leader gives Jeff Sessions thumbs up as AG
The minority leader of the Alabama State Senate has come forward in support of Republican U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions’ nomination as Attorney General. Montgomery Sen. Quinton Ross said he has been in close contact with Sessions since he was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump and that he looks forward to working with Sessions if he is confirmed as the next Attorney General. “We cannot ignore the fact that he is on the winning team. No matter what side of the political spectrum you are on,” Ross said. Ross was high school student in Pontiac, Mich., when Sessions failed to be confirmed to a federal judgeship in the 1980s due to allegations of racism, though as an education administrator and an elected official Ross said he has had a positive working relationship with Sessions over the past 20 years. “I have worked with Sen. Sessions on education policy and securing federal funding for our schools,” Ross said. “Additionally, I have spent time with him at the Magic City Classic and at Heritage Barbershop in Montgomery. I know him personally and all of my encounters with him have been for the greater good of Alabama.” Ross added that he didn’t think Sessions’ application of the law would be biased and that he sees value in having a person in Washington who will be accessible to his constituents. “We’ve spoken about everything from Civil Rights to race relations and we agree that as Christian men our hearts and minds are focused on doing right by all people,” Sen. Ross said. “We both acknowledge that there are no perfect men, but we continue to work daily to do the right thing for all people.”
Montgomery makes the short list for F-35s stealth fighter jets
The U.S. Air Force announced Wednesday Montgomery-based 187th Fighter Wing at Dannelly Field Air Guard Station could be the future home to roughly 18 F-35s. The airfield is one of five installations still under consideration. Before the Air Force makes its final decision there will be an Environmental Impact Study along with a public comment period. The entire decision process could take up to two years. If selected, the F-35s might not arrive at Dannelly Field until 2021 or 2022. Alabama 7th District. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell has been among those in Alabama advocating the 187th and Dannelly Field for the F-35 assignment. “I am excited that the 187th Fighter Wing, located at Dannelly Field, has made it through the first round of cuts by the Air Force to receive the coveted new Joint Strike Fighters,” said Sewell. “The 187th Fighter Wing has an unparalleled legacy of excellence worthy of praise and our continued investment.” Sewell continued, “I continue to be a strong advocate for the 187th National Guard unit in my district. As a Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I have a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities that confront our nation. As such, I understand the importance of the 187th being awarded these new fighter jets to our mission of maintaining air-superiority and providing effective air-cover for our men and women deployed in combat zones.” Sewell’s not the only Alabama politician fighting for the the F-35s. 2nd District. U.S. Rep. Martha Roby is also dedicated to bringing the jet fighters to the Yellowhammer State. “Alabama’s 187th Fighter Wing is an excellent candidate for the F-35 program, which is evident by its placement on this short list,” Roby opined. “The F-35’s next-generation capabilities will give American aviators unquestioned air superiority in combat situations around the globe, and I have no doubt the men and women of the 187th will excel in their mission if selected for this program. The 187th Fighter Wing has long been a point of pride for our state, from its impressive combat track record in recent conflicts to its proud history as the legacy unit of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen.” According to Sewell, beyond being a point of pride for the state, the selection of the Dannelly Field would make a positive economic impact on River Region’s economy. “It is also imperative that the 187th remains a viable installation as an economic driver for the River Region,” Sewell explained. “State estimates show that the military footprint in Alabama provides 177,000 direct and indirect jobs and an economic impact totaling $17 billion, 12% of the State’s GDP. Consequently, changes to the force or structure of the military in Alabama are felt across the State, and particularly in areas where installations are located, such as Montgomery, Alabama.” The F-35 is the military’s most cutting-edge war machine that will eventually replace many Cold War-era fighters like the F-16 currently flown by the 187th. The other bases being considered are Jacksonville Air Guard Station in Florida, Gowen Field in Idaho, Truax Field Air Guard Station in Wisconsin and Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan.
Donald Trump’s choice for top China diplomat has long ties to Xi
It may seem odd for the governor of a lightly populated agricultural state to be chosen as U.S. ambassador to China, especially amid escalating talk of a trade war with the major U.S. trading partner. But Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad boasts a 30-year relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the most powerful Chinese leader in decades. “Given Xi’s penchant to keeping things close-hold, it is important for the U.S. to have a reliable and direct communication channel to him,” said Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Branstad has met Xi periodically since 1985 and has a personal relationship with him that could be very useful.” This relationship, begun when both men were political upstarts, could be put to the test in coming months if Branstad is confirmed. President-elect Donald Trump, who announced his choice of Branstad on Wednesday, said during the campaign that his administration would make closing the U.S. trade deficit with China a top priority. Through the first 10 months of the year, government figures show the United States is running a $288.8 billion deficit with China on the trade of goods, a sharp decline from the same time a year ago. But Trump has suggested imposing 45 percent tariffs on Chinese products and has labeled the country a “currency manipulator.” Chinese officials have warned that the U.S. is bound by World Trade Organization rules, which restrain countries from imposing sanctions without making a persuasive case. In that way, Trump’s selection of Branstad appears to be savvy. Patrick Cronin, senior director of the Asia-Pacific security program at the Center for a New American Security, said that by selecting an ambassador who has forged commercial ties between his state and China, Trump was signaling to Xi that as leaders they will have the same fundamental priority in seeking economic growth. In 1985, Branstad was nearing the end of his first term as governor, then the nation’s youngest at age 39. Xi was a rising leader seeking ideas in Iowa for crop and livestock techniques to help his own agriculturally rich region. In 2013, he returned to Iowa as China’s incoming president and met with Branstad for a formal dinner in Des Moines between meetings in Washington with President Barack Obama and a trip to California. If Trump’s threats suggest the U.S.-China relationship could be bumpy, Branstad’s longtime relationship with Xi could help smooth things. His personal touch could go a long way in avoiding conflict caused by miscommunication or misinterpretation. Trump angered China by speaking to Taiwan’s president last week in a breach of diplomatic protocol. China still regards the island as part of its territory and would consider it unacceptable for the U.S. to recognize Taiwan’s leader as a head of state. China’s state-run news agency Xinhua said in a Thursday commentary that Branstad’s appointment is a “positive signal sent amid a mixture of messages from Trump,” a reference to Trump’s call with Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen and his criticism of China on trade and geopolitical issues. At a daily news briefing on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China considered the position of U.S. ambassador to Beijing to be “an important bridge” and that “Governor Branstad is an old friend of the Chinese people.” Cronin said he wouldn’t overstate the importance of the role of an ambassador in the modern era or the depth of Branstad’s personal ties with Xi. “I don’t think anyone is a drinking buddy of Xi Jinping, but familiarity is useful and could advance U.S. diplomacy,” he said. Branstad’s rapport with Xi could also outweigh the courtly, 70-year-old Midwesterner’s lack of formal diplomatic experience, though he has made multiple trips to China to pitch Iowa’s robust harvests, as recently as last month. Knowing the Chinese leader personally is even more important than it might have been in the past. Previous Chinese leaders ruled by consensus, but Xi has consolidated power in his hands, ousting rivals in an anti-corruption campaign and taking on responsibility for economic policy, typically the purview of the government’s No. 2 official, now Li Keqiang. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio appeared to criticize the choice Wednesday, calling for the Trump administration to press China’s government and ruling Communist Party to respect human rights and uphold the rule of law. “It is my hope that this new administration will appoint an ambassador to China that reflects these priorities, not simply someone who is going there to catch up with old friends,” Rubio said without mentioning Branstad by name. Trump, who met with Branstad Tuesday in New York, travels Thursday to Iowa. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
You’re Hired? Inside the interviews as Donald Trump picks Cabinet
When Robert Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, arrived to a recent meeting with Donald Trump, the president-elect greeted him with a blunt question. “Did you think I was going to win?” Trump asked. The entertainment mogul, who has known Trump socially for years, offered an honest and candid response: “No,” he said, drawing a smile from Trump. Johnson is one of dozens of people who have paraded into Trump’s properties in New York and New Jersey in recent weeks for job interviews and other consultations. Several described the meetings as serious, yet conversational, with the president-elect leading the discussion and asking questions extemporaneously, with few notes in front of him. Senior adviser Steve Bannon and incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus sit in on most of the interviews, occasionally jumping in with their own questions. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, has also participated in some of the discussions. The meetings, which run up to an hour, are bare-bones affairs, with glasses of water the only refreshment offered. “It wasn’t a cookies and cream kind of deal,” said Sonny Perdue, the former Georgia governor who is in the mix for Trump’s Agriculture secretary. “It was a business meeting, with a CEO interviewing an applicant for a job.” In the month since his victory, Trump has announced picks for about half of the Cabinet, assembling an eclectic group of political insiders, wealthy financiers and campaign loyalists. He’s moving at a faster clip than President Barack Obama, who ran a more traditional and secretive selection process, assigning teams of lawyers to pour through potential nominees’ backgrounds and carefully guarding the names of those being interviewed. Trump, a one-time reality television star, is carrying out his process with a showman’s touch, at times even deliberating about his choices publicly. Interviewees walk past a gaggle of journalists assembled in the lobby of Manhattan’s Trump Tower or on the driveway of his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club before being whisked into their meetings. The Manhattan meetings take place in the president-elect’s business office, which features an expansive view of Central Park. Trump sits behind his desk, surrounded by memorabilia and stacks of reading material, the walls dotted with magazine covers and other photos of the real estate mogul. John Allison, the former chairman of BB&T Corp. who was invited to interview for Treasury secretary, said he was not asked to submit any personal or financial information to Trump’s team ahead of the interviews. Still, he said Trump and his senior team had “obviously researched my background.” Others who described their interview process to The Associated Press said they, too, were not asked by Trump’s team to provide vetting information, raising questions about how the candidates’ background and financial ties are being scrutinized. Trump advisers did not respond to inquiries about the extent of the vetting process. Perdue, who was also not asked to submit any personal information, said it appears Trump is interested in the public’s reaction to his potential picks and the issues that surface in the media after their meetings. “I think they kind of slowly let this stuff out to see what bubbles up,” Perdue said. “That’s part of the process.” Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who is running Trump’s transition, has helped arrange some of the meetings, but is not sitting in on all of them. Those who are invited to meet Trump arrange their own transportation, including secretary of state candidate Mitt Romney, who was spotted waiting in a taxi line at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport. While most of Trump’s meetings have been held in Manhattan, Romney’s first meeting with the president-elect took place at the Bedminster golf club. Johnson, the BET founder, also met Trump there, huddling with his longtime acquaintance in a conference room on the property. Johnson said Trump quickly cut to the chase, asking if he would be interested in joining the Cabinet. Johnson said he didn’t have any interest in working in government but did want to offer his views on issues related to black voters. “It ended with me telling him, ‘I want to be helpful to you if I’ve got an open door to make my case that I think are in the best interests of African-Americans,’ Johnson said. Allison said his interview focused on economic policy, including taxes and regulation and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform bill, which Trump vowed to dismantle during the campaign. However, Allison said Trump now appears more focused on a major restructuring of the legislation during their hour-long discussions. “We agreed that while it would be good to repeal Dodd-Frank, it would be difficult politically,” Allison said. Following his meeting with Trump, Allison said he spent about 20 minutes with Steve Mnuchin, who ran the Trump campaign’s finance operations. Trump ultimately picked Mnuchin for the Treasury job, the one Allison had come in to discuss. Allison also learned he’d been passed over for the job from Mnuchin. He left him a message with the news. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Union president Chuck Jones challenges Donald Trump on Carrier
The union president slammed by Donald Trump on Twitter challenged the president-elect Thursday to back up his claim that a deal to discourage Carrier Corp. from closing an Indiana factory would save 1,100 American jobs. “He overreacted, President-elect Trump did,” United Steelworkers 1999 President Chuck Jones told CNN. “He should have come out and tried to justify his numbers.” Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence – governor of Indiana – visited Carrier’s Indianapolis factory Dec. 1 to celebrate the deal. Trump suggested then that the number of jobs saved could top 1,100. Jones says the total is much less because more than 400 jobs will still be lost from the Indianapolis plant. “A lot of the people thought at that time thought that they were going to have a job” who might not, Jones said Thursday. Late Wednesday, Trump tweeted: “Chuck Jones, who is President of United Steelworkers 1999, has done a terrible job representing workers.” That local union branch represents workers at Carrier’s Indianapolis plant. In a second tweet, Trump suggested Jones should “Spend more time working – less time talking” and the union should “Reduce dues.” About 30 minutes after Trump tweeted about Jones, the union leader started getting harassing phone calls, he told MSNBC. He said one caller asked: “What kind of car do you drive?” Another said: “We’re coming for you.” He told the cable news outlet he wasn’t sure how the callers found his number. “Nothing that says they’re going to kill me, but, you know, you better keep your eye on your kids,” Jones told MSNBC. “I’ve been doing this job for 30 years, and I’ve heard everything from people who want to burn my house down or shoot me … I can deal with people that make stupid statements and move on.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Donald Trump’s new tone on immigrant kids divides GOP
Donald Trump‘s promise to “work something out” for immigrants brought here illegally as kids is dividing fellow Republicans, underscoring how difficult it will be for Congress to take any action on immigration, whether it’s building a wall or dealing with immigrant youths. Complicating matters, the president-elect’s advisers worked to walk back his comments almost as soon as they were published, with one transition aide demanding anonymity to deny that Trump intended to set any new policy. Trump’s remarks about the young immigrants, known to their supporters as “Dreamers,” came in a Time magazine interview in connection with his designation as “Person of the Year.” During the campaign Trump pledged to “immediately terminate” President Barack Obama‘s executive actions on immigration, including the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA, which has extended work permits and temporary deportation relief to more than 700,000 immigrants brought illegally to this country as youths. But in the interview published Wednesday he adopted a far more sympathetic tone. “We’re going to work something out that’s going to make people happy and proud,” Trump said. “They got brought here at a very young age, they’ve worked here, they’ve gone to school here. Some were good students. Some have wonderful jobs. And they’re in never-never land because they don’t know what’s going to happen.” Trump did not offer details, and Time said that he did not back off his pledge to undo Obama’s executive actions. But Republicans who’ve supported congressional action to help immigrant youths welcomed Trump’s new tone. “I can tell you I’m very relieved at his comments today and I think folks back home in my district and across the country are going to be very relieved as well,” said Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo. “Obviously Dreamers is one part of the equation, I clearly hope we do more. But I think that’s got to be the top priority to do.” Trump’s comments were also welcomed by some Democrats. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada cited them in an interview Thursday on NPR as evidence that Trump is “not as bad as I thought he would be.” For immigration hard-liners, on the other hand, Trump’s comments set off alarm bells. “We have an obligation to restore the rule of law and you can’t do that while you’re rewarding people who break it,” said Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. “It’s the principle of the rule of law that’s at stake and I’m hopeful that prudent heads will prevail.” Because immigrants must reapply for DACA and work permits every two years, even if he doesn’t proactively undo DACA Trump could effectively cancel out the program over time by taking no action to renew it. But a transition aide, demanding anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record, downplayed Trump’s comments and said his original promise to roll back Obama’s executive actions stood. Obama announced the DACA program after Congress failed to pass legislation giving a path to legal status for Dreamers. Subsequently, a comprehensive, bipartisan bill passed the Senate in 2013, but it stalled in the GOP-controlled House. Obama ultimately took another, broader, executive action, aimed mostly at protecting adult immigrants with U.S. citizen children, but that one got blocked in court. Lawmakers’ repeated failures during the Obama administration to come together on immigration overhaul legislation leaves it uncertain whether Congress will be able to pass anything at all on the divisive topic with Trump in the White House, despite his tough campaign rhetoric about building a border wall and ousting criminal immigrants. Trump could take some steps on his own, but would need Congress for major policy changes, including any permanent protections for Dreamers. Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., planned to introduce a bill Thursday to address status for Dreamers. House Republicans want to pass a border security bill to make good on Trump’s repeated campaign promises to build a wall on the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border, but key lawmakers and Trump himself have already suggested that it could end up including fencing or a “virtual” wall that falls short of the big wall Trump promised Mexico would pay for. And even if a border security bill does pass the House, Senate Democrats are likely to balk at passing it without also taking steps to offer legal status to the 11 million immigrants living in this country illegally, something that House Republicans could reject in turn. The opposing views suggest that, despite the prominence of immigration as an issue in the presidential campaign, inaction may be the likeliest end result on Capitol Hill. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Donald Trump settles on Oklahoma’s AG Scott Pruitt to lead EPA
President-elect Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday that he will nominate Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a global warming skeptic, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, which he has repeatedly sued and derided for pursuing an “activist agenda.” “My administration strongly believes in environmental protection, and Scott Pruitt will be a powerful advocate for that mission while promoting jobs, safety and opportunity,” Trump said in an early morning statement. Trump said Pruitt, 48, will restore the EPA’s “essential mission of keeping our air and our water clean and safe” while ensuring that the agency doesn’t spend tax money on an “out of control, anti-energy agenda.” Pruitt, in a statement released by Trump’s transition team, said Americans “are tired of seeing billions of dollars drained from our economy due to unnecessary EPA regulations, and I intend to run this agency in a way that fosters both responsible protection of the environment and freedom for American businesses.” After word broke Wednesday of the expected pick, environmental groups took a strong stand against Pruitt, describing him as a puppet of polluters. The Sierra Club said it was like “putting an arsonist in charge of fighting fires.” Representatives of mining and oil interests cheered Trump’s choice. “Scott Pruitt is a businessman and public servant and understands the impact regulation and legislation have in the business world,” said Jeffrey McDougall, an oilman who serves as chairman of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association. “His appointment will put rational and reasonable regulation at the forefront.” Though his academic degrees are in political science and law, Pruitt has been a vocal denier of the science showing that the planet is warming and that man-made carbon emissions are to blame. In an opinion article published this year by National Review, Pruitt suggested that the debate over global warming “is far from settled” and claimed “scientists continue to disagree about the degree and extent of global warming and its connection to the actions of mankind.” According to NASA, 97 percent of the world’s climate scientists agree that the planet is getting hotter and that burning fossil fuels is the primary cause. Ten of the warmest years in history have occurred in the past 12, with 2016 on pace to be the hottest recorded. Studies show the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass, while the world’s oceans have risen on average nearly 7 inches in the last century. New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, set to become the Senate Democratic leader, said his party plans to press Pruitt with “tough questions” in his confirmation hearing. “Attorney General Pruitt’s reluctance to accept the facts or science on climate change couldn’t make him any more out of touch with the American people – and with reality,” Schumer said. Schumer said Trump “promised to break the special interests’ grip on Washington, but his nomination of Mr. Pruitt – who has a troubling history of advocating on behalf of big oil at the expense of public health – only tightens it.” GOP Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, who shares Pruitt’s skepticism of climate science, praised Pruitt’s record of fighting back “against unconstitutional and overzealous environmental regulations.” As attorney general since 2011, Pruitt has repeatedly sued the EPA. He joined with other Republican attorneys general in opposing the Clean Power Plan, which seeks to limit planet-warming carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. Pruitt has argued that curbing carbon emissions would trample the rights of states, drive up electricity rates, threaten the reliability of the nation’s power grid and “create economic havoc.” He filed court briefs in support of the Keystone XL pipeline, blocked by the Obama administration. The project runs through his state. Pruitt also sued the EPA over the agency’s recent expansion of water bodies regulated under the federal Clean Water Act, which has been opposed by industries that would be forced to clean up polluted wastewater. “Respect for private property rights have allowed our nation to thrive, but with the recently finalized rule, farmers, ranchers, developers, industry and individual property owners will now be subject to the unpredictable, unsound and often byzantine regulatory regime of the EPA,” Pruitt said last year. Though Pruitt ran unopposed for a second term in 2014, campaign finance reports show he raised more than $700,000, with many of his top donors hailing from the energy and utility industries. Among those who gave the maximum contribution of $5,000 to Pruitt’s campaign was Continental Resources Chairman and CEO Harold Hamm, an Oklahoma oil tycoon who has been advising Trump. Trump has called global warming a “hoax” and said he plans to abandon the U.S. commitment to reduce carbon emissions as part of the international agreement signed last year in Paris. During the campaign, the New York billionaire said he would like to abolish the EPA, or at least gut regulations he says impede corporate profits. Environmental groups say they are girding up to defend the Obama administration’s environmental legacy in court. “Scott Pruitt has built his political career by trying to undermine EPA’s mission of environmental protection,” said Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund. “He is a deeply troubling choice to head the agency that protects the clean air all Americans breathe and the clean water we drink.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Rollback of truck safety rules may be just the beginning
The trucking industry scored a victory this week when Republican lawmakers effectively blocked Obama administration safety rules aimed at keeping tired truckers off the highway. But there’s more coming down the road. The American Trucking Associations is pledging to come back next month, when Republicans will control the White House and Congress, and try to block state laws that require additional rest breaks for truckers beyond what federal rules require. The group says there should be one uniform national rule on work hours for interstate truckers. The trucking industry’s latest triumph has caused concern among safety advocates that it may signal the start of a broad rollback of transportation safety regulations once there’s no longer a Democratic president to check the tendency of Republican lawmakers to side with industry. “Unfortunately, it’s going to be an open season on safety in this coming Congress,” said Jim Hall, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board during the Clinton administration. Shippers and some segments of the trucking industry probably will also push for long-sought goals of increasing the weight limit on trucks to more than 90,000 pounds and increasing the length of individual trailers in double-trailer combinations from 28 feet to 33 feet, safety advocates said. “It’s going to be very tough because the companies really care about the cost. They don’t care about the safety no matter what they say,” said safety advocate Joan Claybrook. The provision Republicans added to a must-pass government spending bill this week suspends regulations issued by the Obama administration requiring truckers to take two nights off to rest after a work week of up to 75 hours. Truckers are required to take a 35-hour break after at the end of a work week. But the trucking industry objected to requirements that the 35 hours include two periods from 1 am to 5 am. Sleep scientists say rest during the early morning hours is critical for people to feel refreshed. The suspension means truckers can head out on the road again during those hours if the 35-hour break has elapsed. Another regulation that prevents truckers from working 75 hours, followed by a 35-hour break, and then resume driving again in the same week was also suspended. Truck driver Bill Varnado, 66, of Dallas, Georgia, said he likes the sleep requirement because it ensures that drivers are well-rested. He said it’s hard to find places to sleep in one’s rig on the road, so drivers sometimes keep going. “Sometimes you’re forced to drive fatigued because you can’t find anywhere to park,” said Varnado, who drives for Pro Trucking Inc. of Acworth, Georgia, during a truck-stop break along Interstate 81 here. But self-employed trucker George Lafferty, 61, of Henry, Illinois, said Congress should repeal the rule. “I don’t see how the government can tell you when to sleep and when not to,” Lafferty said during a truck-stop interview along Interstate 81 after dropping off a load of yeast at a livestock-feed plant. “A driver should know when he’s fatigued or not,” he said. “If you’re fatigued, take a half-hour, hour nap.” Besides truck safety, Congress is also likely to be asked to deal with a wide range of other transportation safety concerns. The auto and technology industries, for example, are telling Congress that they fear a “patchwork” of state safety laws will hinder the deployment of self-driving cars. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials have developed voluntary guidelines for the safe design, development, testing and deployment self-driving cars that they want automakers to follow. But California’s Department of Motor Vehicles wants to make the guidelines mandatory. Some industry officials have complained the guidelines go too far and may stifle innovation. Safety advocates say they don’t go far enough. “We think it would be completely inappropriate for Congress to pre-empt the states without strong federal safety standards in place for automated vehicles,” said William Wallace, a policy analyst for Consumers Union, the policy and mobilization arm of Consumer Reports. “States are the ones that make the final call on whether automated vehicles should be allowed on the roads,” he said. “We think citizens of those states have the right to take action to keep their roads safe.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
