Grateful Deadlock

Congressional paralysis dooms environmental legislation

Partisan bickering and electioneering in Washington, D.C., have led to an impasse on nearly all environmental legislation in Congress the past two years -- bills that enviros love as well as ones they hate. Other than the "Healthy Forests" initiative and a piece of brownfields funding, Congress has been deadlocked on environment-related measures. Bush's Clear Skies legislation, renewal of the industry tax for Superfund site cleanup, limits on carbon-dioxide emissions, changes to the Endangered Species Act -- all are stuck in limbo. The top dogs on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.), won't even meet in the same room. Perhaps because Jeffords says Bush is "killing people" with pollution and Inhofe says environmentalists are "all strong pro-abortionists, they're all pro-gun control people, flying under the flag of environmentalism." Sounds like somebody needs some cookies and milk and a nice long nap!