Though he’s heading out of office, President Obama isn’t slowing down or slacking off. Obama has signed eight executive orders since Election Day, and his latest might be his farthest-reaching.
Executive Order 13689 barred oil exploration in the 40,300 square miles of Alaska’s Norton Basin, an expanse about the size of Virginia. He also created the first ever Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area. There, federal regulators and local tribes will tailor their own environmental protections governing 112,000 square miles, an area almost as big as Arizona.
Alaska’s all-Republican congressional delegation is furious.
Sen. Dan Sullivan belittled the order as a hurtful unilateral action, while Sen. Lisa Murkowski slammed it as a “marine monument.” And their House colleague Rep. Don Young described it as Obama’s effort “to solidify his legacy as an extreme environmentalist.”
And each promised to work with the new president to overturn the order. Young even described divine gratitude, thanking God that “the Obama administration only has 42 days left in office.” But the group should begin praying for presidential resolve for the next executive if they want to see the executive order reversed.
Before exiting the White House, Obama will undoubtedly place trip wires throughout the Oval Office to stumble his successor. The Artic executive order is just the latest example. Of course, Trump could overturn it after he takes office, but not without significant political cost.
It won’t matter that he’s exercising his presidential prerogative or that a supermajority of all elected officials in Alaska oppose increased regulations. The incoming executive risks charges of being an anti-environmentalist if he erases the order. During his first 100 days, Trump will have to tread lightly.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
