When the EPA acts, it gets hauled into court, says Whitman. Congress needs to take responsibility, as effective regulation can only come after effective legislation.

Christine Todd Whitman: The EPA today has been given some authority, but frankly the best way to address the issue of climate change is not through the regulatory process. It’s through the legislative process.

Congress is the one that really has to act. They have to set the standard. They have to set out the cap and trade program as they did in the clean air act amendments of 1990. Because when Congress acts, that’s the law, and you don’t get hold on the court.

When EPA acts, every time it does anything with the regulation, it gets into court and if we’re serious about solving a problem, we put it off another 10, 15 years because that’s how long it takes to work its way through the courts on these very high profile, very important decisions.

Recorded on: September 15, 2008