Obama, Republicans Set for Climate Showdown

President Obama is enlisting conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch in his fight to combat climate change, with companies News Corporation and 21st Century Fox signing onto a White House pledge to cut emissions and support the president’s push for a global climate deal in Paris.

Republicans are targeting new Obama administration rules aimed at cutting carbon emissions from power plants, and are working to block federal dollars from supporting global climate efforts.

The House is set to vote today on two measures to repeal Environmental Protection Agency power plant regulations, a centerpiece of Obama’s climate agenda that the Senate voted to repeal earlier this month. He hopes the deal will become the framework to tackle climate change long into the future. “I am confident in the wisdom of the American people on that front”.

Obama listed several criteria for a potential agreement, including an “ambitious target” to reduce carbon output, a slate of tools to measure countries’ progress and a “legally binding” mechanism to ensure countries adhere to their carbon reduction commitments.

Twenty-five mostly Republican states, led by Texas and West Virginia, are contesting the plan in court, calling it an unlawful power grab that will kill jobs and drive up electricity costs.

GOP lawmakers challenged the administration’s action under the little-used Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to block executive actions with simple majority votes.

House Republican Whip Steve Scalise maintained that the President’s focus on the issue was misplaced, “while the president continues to talk about the national security threat posed by global warming, the American people want more focus put on the strategy to defeat ISIS”.

In Copenhagen in 2009, leaders managed only to produce a broad-strokes agreement that fell far short of intended goals. The maneuver is subject to a presidential veto and has rarely been successful.

President Obama is copping to the U.S.’ role in creating climate change.