When the Clean Air Act first became law in 1970, the Senate passed it without a single nay vote. Only one representative had voted against the bill. …
Republicans — and conservative Democrats — have been hesitant to take up the issues on environmentalists’ minds for years, thanks to an American apathy, a changing ethos in the Republican Party and the powerful discontent of many who work in energy, especially those in the coal industry. …
In a Pew Research Center survey from January 2014, 46 percent of Republicans and those leaning Republican said there was no evidence that the earth is warming. Seventy percent of tea party Republicans think the same. Pew also asked Americans to rank whether issues were top priorities of Congress and the White House. Climate change fell near the bottom, coming in 18th place out of 20. CONT.
Jaime Fuller, Washington Post