Boxer blasts Bush administration on global warming

07/22/2008

By Deborah Barfield Berry
The Desert Sun

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Barbara Boxer blasted the Bush administration Tuesday for ignoring warnings about the dangers of global warming and not stepping up to address the problem.

“Despite the scientific consensus, despite the danger, the Bush administration has failed to take any meaningful action,’’ said Boxer, D-Ca., chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

The committee held an oversight hearing on the science of global warning and its implications. Several witnesses, including a former official with the Environmental Protection Agency, testified about the impact of global warming, including more flooding and wildfires.

Boxer, who lives in Rancho Mirage, also accused the administration of covering up the threat.

“They have censored documents…They have muzzled scientists,’’ Boxer said. “And they have ignored unanimous recommendations from agency experts to act.’’

Boxer has criticized the administration for denying California a waiver to regulate its own greenhouse gas emissions.

Republican lawmakers, however, said the hearing had little to do with addressing global warming and more to do with political grandstanding. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., called the hearing “political theater with a predetermined outcome.’’
Inhofe said if Democrats were serious about addressing global warming they would focus on drafting measures such as one to improve technology to reduce emissions. “Instead," he said, "we are here to politicize the internal deliberative process of the administration.’’

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