Senate Republicans Ready to Fight Obama, EPA Power Grab Through Regulations

This just in from the folks over at HotAir:

When Republicans took control of the House in the midterms, they gained a powerful tool in combating regulatory excess with the power of the purse. Senate Republicans may use a different tool in their minority efforts to contain the EPA’s efforts to impose climate-change regulation by fiat, a rarely-used law called the Congressional Review Act. Created in 1996, the law essentially allows Congress to veto regulatory changes created by executive branch agencies, and may become a sledgehammer in battling the Obama administration’s regulatory innovations:
GOP lawmakers say they want to upend a host of Environmental Protection Agency rules by whatever means possible, including the Congressional Review Act, a rarely used legislative tool that allows Congress to essentially veto recently completed agency regulations.
The law lets sponsors skip Senate filibusters, meaning Republicans don’t have to negotiate with Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for a floor vote or secure the tricky 60 votes typically needed to do anything in the Senate.
The House doesn’t have the same expedited procedures, but it’s assumed the GOP majority would have little trouble mustering the votes needed to pass disapproval resolutions.
A spate of contentious EPA rules that are soon to be finalized could be prime targets, including the national air quality standard for ozone, toxic emission limits for industrial boilers and a pending decision about whether to regulate coal ash as hazardous waste.
“We’re not going to let EPA regulate what they’ve been unable to legislate. And if I’m chairman, we’re going to have a very aggressive, proactive schedule,” Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), the likely incoming chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, told POLITICO.

And they say there may even be enough Dem Support in the Senate to get these reviews passed. As my friend Tom Blumer says, "BOO-YAH!"

REVIEW: "I Will Not Be Broken" by Jerry White

I Will Not Be Broken starts with the horrific tale of how author Jerry White lost his leg while in Israel. But the book is not an auto-biography, but rather a collection of stories from people from all walks of life who faced some of the grimmest challenges life has to offer and survived. Not only have these people survived their ordeals, they have thrived and chosen to share their insights with others in hopes of reaching out to to help those in pain heal themselves.



Here are the Five Steps to Overcoming a Life Crisis:

1. Face Facts. One must first accept the harsh reality about suffering and loss, however brutal. “This terrible thing has happened. It can’t be changed. I can’t rewind the clock. My family still needs me. So now what?”

2. Choose Life. That is, “I want to say yes to the future. I want my life to go on in a positive way.” Seizing life, not surrendering to death or stagnation, requires letting go of resentments and looking forward, not back. It can be a daily decision.

3. Reach Out. One must find peers, friends, and family to break the isolation and loneliness that come in the aftermath of crisis. Seek empathy, not pity, from people who have been through something similar. Let the people in your life into your life. “It’s up to me to reach for someone’s hand.”

4. Get Moving. Sitting back gets you nowhere. One must get out of bed and out of the house to generate momentum. We have to take responsibility for our actions. “How do I want to live the rest of my life? What steps can I take today?”

5. Give Back. Thriving, not just surviving, requires the capacity to give again, through service and acts of kindness. “How can I be an asset to those around me, and not a drain? Will I ever feel grateful again?” Yes, and by sharing your experience and talents, you will inspire others to do the same.

Of the five, the last step is really the innovation to Jerry's approach and really, I think this step is the most crucial in the recovery process. Contrary to what some have said, I don't think the book answers the question of why bad things happen to good people, but it does provide insight in to how those good people can recover from bad things happening.

The strength of the book is the collection of stories that provide many perspectives on overcoming life's challenges. Jerry has done a fine job of presenting these accounts and weaving them into a strong narrative of perseverance and hope. The reason why I encourage WMD readers to pick up this book is that everybody will have a situation which advice dispensed in this primer will be useful. Nothing will make these dilemmas easy to deal with, but the approach advocated in I Will Not Be Broken is tried and proven to assist in recovery.



Be sure to check out a number of interviews with the author on SurviorCorps' YouTube page. And don't forget to come back to WMD because I know that Doug the Producer is also planning to review the book.