CEI Daily Update
Issues in the News
1. LEGAL
Several states prepare to sue the federal government over regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Marlo Lewis on last round of lawsuits over greenhouse gases:
“In April 2007, in Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. EPA, the Supreme Court, by a 5-4 majority, held that the Clean Air Act authorizes the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) as an ‘air pollutant.’ The Court also basically told the EPA to promulgate CO2 emission standards for new cars and trucks. This was a major political victory for the plaintiffs — a gaggle of state attorney generals, and green pressure groups. The majority’s ruling is a flagrant example of legislating from the bench. Unless Congress intervenes to overturn Mass v. EPA or negate its regulatory consequences, non-elected bureaucrats and litigators will end up dictating how Americans produce and use energy.”
2. INTERNATIONAL
European authorities crack down on sales of smokeless tobacco.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Special Projects Counsel Hans Bader on the hypocrisy of the anti-snuff campaign:
“The European Commission is taking Finland to court to try to force it to ban the sale of snus, a form of smokeless tobacco. The snus is being sold on a couple of remote Finnish islands. “The Commission has ‘no tolerance’ for the sale of oral tobacco ‘given the health risks,’ said EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou in a statement.” This is an utterly absurd position, given that the Commission tolerates the sale of cigarettes, which are infinitely riskier to your health (and lungs) than smokeless tobacco, as the New York Times and health experts have noted.”
3. CONGRESS
The children’s health insurance program known as “SCHIP” comes up for another vote following President Bush’s veto.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Policy Analyst Michelle Minton on health insurance and immigration:
“One of the main justifications for SCHIP, is that it presumably saves states money by mitigating the need for emergency care. But the additional restrictions on immigrants make it that much more likely that ER visits will increase, costing states more money in the long-term. With tightening restrictions on hiring illegal workers, immigrants have decreasing access to private health care supplied by employers. According to studies, immigrants are more likely to be living in poverty in the US, making up a large proportion of the impoverished population (roughly one in four persons living in poverty is an immigrant).”
Blog feature: For more news and analysis, updated throughout the day, visit CEI’s blog, Open Market.
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