Eugene, Oregon -- In a critical step to combat global warming, the U.S. EPA today granted to California a long-delayed waiver for California's greenhouse gas reduction law for new vehicles.  Today’s action reverses President Bush’s denials of the waiver request in 2007 and 2008. 

The new waiver decision pursuant to Sec. 209 of the federal Clean Air Act means that California is able to enforce its own regulations to restrict greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from news cars and light trucks.  It also means that, pursuant to Sec. 177 of the Clean Air Act, other states can enforce their own rules if identical in substance to California’s tailpipe emission restrictions.   States with such tailpipe GHG restrictions include Washington, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Maine, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.  Such standards have also been adopted by the District of Columbia.  Florida, Colorado, Utah, and Montana are poised to adopt the same standards.

Attorneys General from California, 13 other states, and several environmental organizations, have worked together for over two years to secure this victory.  Western Environmental Law Center attorney’s Dan Galpern and Matt Kenna represented Friends of the Earth, Center for Biological Diversity, Washington Environmental Council, Environment Washington, 3E Strategies, Oregon Environmental Council, Oregon Wild, and Angus Duncan in litigation over this matter in three federal courts. 

Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, issued the following statement regarding the projected federal budget deficit for Fiscal Year 2009:

"My July 29 news release, Bush White House Hides True Scope of Federal Deficit, had a serious error that I must correct.

"The real budget deficit, which I accused the Bush White House of understating by $307 Billion, is even worse than I said!

"President Bush's team left out of their 2009 budget shortfall projection the additional $36.6 Billion from the Housing Boondoggle, er, Bill, which was passed just last weekend.

"This reminds us all, Congress is still in session, so the budget deficit could still increase and taxpayers' wallets may be picked even more.

"Here are the numbers:

"Bush's 2009 budget projection: $482 Billion Deficit

"My July 29 correction of Bush's budget: $789 Billion ($80 Billion war cost + $227 Billion borrowed from the Social Security Trust Fund)

"My July 31 correction: $825 Billion ($36 Billion Housing Bill)

"Therefore, the actual deficit is about 73% greater than Bush's very misleading number.

"Americans feel that politicians regularly lie and mislead them. However, it's sad and dangerous for the country when the President of the United States starts acting like another politician - parsing, dissembling, misleading - even lying.

"President Bush owes the American people an apology for deliberately giving them wrong deficit numbers.

"With most of our country's major institutions facing major scandals and loss of respect by Americans--9% approve of Congress--President Bush should set an example and tell us the truth regardless of how it reflects on his Administration."

Richard Viguerie's July 29 statement is online at
http://ultimatejohnmccain.com/blog_post/show/51

Viguerie was never a Bush fan. But even the most ardent of W. fanatics has to admit that their boy is leaving a bigger fiscal mess than he inherited.