The Biden administration has withdrawn the nomination of Ann Carlson to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Despite this, she remains with the agency as Chief Advisor and Acting Director General. Joe Biden has been in the Senate for 36 years, but now that he’s president, it seems he doesn’t care at all about the Senate, especially its role of adviser and consent to radical climate change activists. Carlson should be removed from NHTSA immediately. (Related: Daniel Turner: Radical Green Groups Underlying US Energy Independence)
Carlson, who was nominated in February, immediately faced bipartisan opposition because his professional background is climate change policy and activist, not highway safety. Those who criticize her in the bipartisan Senate say she sees NHTSA as an institution that aims to “educate, research, ensure safety standards, save road lives, prevent injuries and reduce the economic costs of road accidents.” Instead, he claimed that he was appointed to turn it into a climate change regulator. The agency’s mission statement refers to “enforcement activities.”
Carlson’s allegations of bipartisan opposition are not a figment of their imagination.Carlson herself revealed her purpose in her administration, which hired her to NHTSA as her general counsel in a series of emails and records:
- “This government agency is responsible for climate standards for cars and trucks, and that’s why they hired me for the position.”
- “I, along with the Deputy Director, are appointed as the first appointees in NHTSA history with serious climate expertise.”
- “I see my appointment (and many others) as evidence that the Biden administration is truly committed to a ‘whole of government’ approach to tackling climate change.”
Carlson also faces allegations of failing to disclose ethics, in addition to expressing his intention to ignore NHTSA’s mandate to advance congressional-mandated climate policymaking. Carlson helped coordinate climate change lawsuits in 2017 and 2018. The lawsuit is a frivolous lawsuit that seeks to blame individual companies for vaguely alleged harm to the world’s climate.
These are ideological attacks and abuses of the legal system aimed at damaging an industry that activists hate.carlson did not mention this legal act She is listed on the Department of Transportation’s ethics withdrawal form, and the industries she collaborated with in the attacks are some of those affected by NHTSA regulations. Her desire to bring climate action to NHTSA makes this omission even more troubling.
Given all of this, the fact that Ms. Carlson remains in NHTSA is a slap in the face for the bipartisan group of senators who opposed her nomination and ultimately led to her resignation. It was clear that the U.S. Senate would reject Carlson’s appointment under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution. Nonetheless, she is in a position to redirect NHTSA away from its road safety mandate and toward her priority climate change.
Having an agency headed by someone who doesn’t support the agency’s mission isn’t just a matter of chairmanship. produces real results. For example, the Inspector General of the Ministry of Transport. It recently accused NHTSA of failing to complete its airbag safety analysis in a timely manner..
This is the kind of thing that can happen when a government agency strays from its core mission and instead tackles the issue of climate change.
It’s great news that Carlson’s nomination for NHTSA director isn’t moving forward, but she still leads the job. The Senate should insist on her immediate removal from government agency. If President Biden refuses to do so, Congress should use the power of the purse to coerce him.
Thomas Pyle is CEO of the American Energy Alliance and co-host of The Unregulated Podcast.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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