ABSTRACT
The Democrats had increased their majorities in Congress, advocates of cap-and-trade legislation had taken over the helm of key congressional committees, and public support for government action to address climate change appeared high. Legislation requiring cuts in greenhouse gas emissions passed the House of Representatives in June 2009, but died when the Senate failed to take action on its version of the bill before the midterm elections of 2010. The results of the November 2010 elections ended any prospect of climate change legislation, and allowed opponents of regulatory action to challenge Obama's early achievements. Environmental groups certainly believed this to be the case and greeted his election with euphoria and heightened expectations of action. Reaction to the announcement, however, revealed familiar fault-lines. President Obama supplemented the rule-making triggered by the two presidential memoranda issued in January 2009 with other initiatives requiring action within the federal government.
