Senior Republican: Obama’s smog reversal was campaign gambit

A top House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican alleged Thursday that President Obama had the 2012 election in mind when he recently scuttled upcoming smog regulations.

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) said Obama’s early September decision to overrule EPA and delay ozone regulations came after Obama realized that “issuing such a rule would cause him severe electoral problems in the next election.”

Stearns, chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, made the claim at a hearing on EPA rules.

The administration intends to reconsider Bush-era smog rules — which were weaker than the EPA’s formal science advisers had recommended — during the next scheduled review in 2013.

White House officials have strongly denied that their decision not to finalize tougher ozone rules, which followed immense pressure from major business groups, was political.

Obama — citing the need to reduce regulatory uncertainty during the economic recovery — said Sept. 2 that he did not want to implement a new standard that will be reconsidered so soon.

“Work is already underway to update a 2006 review of the science that will result in the reconsideration of the ozone standard in 2013,” Obama said three weeks ago. “Ultimately, I did not support asking state and local governments to begin implementing a new standard that will soon be reconsidered.”