Articles Summary: Congress vs EPA

Articles Summary: Congress vs. EPA Name: Course: Instructor: Date: Articles Summary: Congress vs. EPA The conflict between the Environmental Protection Agency and Congress has elicited mixed reactions from the political class and environmental professionals. Conflict began almost immediately after the inception of the Environmental Protection Agency and carries on until today. Recently, an article posted on the National Journal epitomized the depth of the conflict on grounds of environmental health. The article by Amy Harder delved into the disapproval resolution introduced at the congress by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), which sought to impede the EPA from controlling greenhouse gas discharge as stated in the Clean Air Act. Republicans and Democrats have different approaches to environmental health, which is why conflict of political powers affects the services of the EPA. The White house exercises direct authority over the EPA and develops enforcement based on the political party of the day. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican leader sitting on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee argued that Congress, and not the EPA has authority to determine the federal climate change policy. The author of the article looks into various possibilities of the commitment of the political class toward addressing environmental health, especially carbon emissions and greenhouse emissions (Harder, 2010). Another article by Ronald Claveloux looks into the conflict between executive privileges and congressional oversight. The article highlights the intrusion of the executive on matters of environmental health, specifically funding of the EPA. The EPA must be adequately funded to carry out its duties. However, the article presents a case where Congress held Anne Gorsuch in contempt for refusing to comply with a subpoena directive on the implementation of the superfund program for management and treatment of hazardous waste (Claveloux, 2011). Anne Gorsuch was a former executive administrator of the EPA who refused to comply with a report of inquiry by the House of Representatives pertaining to the treatment of waste. Lack of proper waste management is harmful to the environment, and proper funding is necessary to ensure effective waste management. However, the interference by the executive and congress has seen EPA’s top officials sum...