Washington, D.C.--Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson and a band of fellow bureaucrats stormed the U.S. Capitol Building and demanded that Congress pass stringent limits on carbon emissions and energy use, or else she and her other EPA colleagues would impose even more draconian restrictions through the regulatory process, which does not involve action by Congress.Speaking through a megaphone on a Capitol balcony, Jackson said "With popular opinion and elected representatives turning against the need to dramatically increase energy costs, it's up to unelected bureaucrats like us to force action."
Business representatives could be seen squatting behind Jackson with their hands behind their heads.
"I want to see a bill signed into law by the President, or you can kiss millions of jobs goodbye," Jackson told negotiators, opening the vest she was wearing to reveal thousands of pages of regulations she said she would promulgate if her demands were not met.
Negotiators tried to impress upon Jackson that any resources wasted on increased energy costs meant less could be spent on solving other problems, but Jackson remained unmoved while police continued to monitor what some observers are calling a "separation of powers standoff."
Associated articles: Wall Street Journal 1;Wall Street Journal 2; Wall Street Journal 3
