it is a histor totoric day in t fight against climate change. if speaker boehner and mitch mcconnell don t like the president s proposal, they should put their on plan on the table but they ve been awol when it comes to any solution to the challenge. isn t the real aty that any measure that stands any chance of reversing climate change will come with some at least short term economic downsides? in certain areas, you re going to have a transition. so for example, in those areas that you use intense coal production, you re going to have to see a phase down. they have to transition to other fuels or use coal much more efficiently. the benefit of the approach the president has laid out here is he provides flexibility to states. so if they don t want to switch from coal to natural gas, they ve got to make the coal operations much more efficient or they ve got to make sure that in that state, people use energy