CHRIS JANSING (HOST): Another thing that we have heard that has frustrated the president: He doesn’t feel he gets enough credit for the things that he has been doing to keep promises to his base. Case in point: President Obama’s signature policy to curb carbon gas emissions that contribute to global warming -- now on chopping block. … Since EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said Monday before a crowd of coal miners that he would sign off on this proposed rule, he is effectively killing the Clean Power Plan, although environmental groups and some states will challenge the move in court.
Laura Kellogg was among the families who joined President Barack Obama back in 2015 when he unveiled the plan initially. Her three children suffer from severe asthma at the time, something she attributes in part to air pollution from power plant emissions. She is now a volunteer with the American Lung Association. It’s so good of you to take the time to talk to us. What’s your reaction when you hear about the plan to roll back what President Obama did?
LAURA KELLOGG: Well, first for the viewers who have never experienced an asthma attack, I would just like to take a minute to have them imagine how they would feel to watch their child struggle to stay afloat in the deep end of a swimming pool knowing you cannot jump in to save him. And that's how helpless us parents feel who have children with asthma every time they have an asthma attack. As you can imagine, there is no greater love than the love that you have for your children, and so I know firsthand what it's like to live in an area with dirty air. And I have seen my children, after our relocation, thrive and lead wonderful qualities of life. And so this news makes me sad. It makes me angry. And it makes me even more inspired to do what I can to make it better for all children with asthma in our country.
JANSING: You stood with the former president, actually. You were there. You stood there when he announced this Clean Power Plan. And you mentioned that you had a relocation. But for families like yours -- and I hope you can speak to this as a volunteer with the American Lung Association -- have you seen changes? What has it meant for families like yours?
KELLOGG: For families like mine, we were fortunate that we were able to relocate. But there are many families that do not have that option. And so the Clean Power Plan is a way to make it better for those families that do not have the option to relocate. Any time that we can reduce pollution from power plants, those benefits are real. Any time we can prevent even one asthma attack for one family, for one child, that's one less trip to the emergency room. It's one less missed day of school. And it's a wonderful, wonderful policy that's in place to protect our air. The bottom line is, pollution from power plants kills. And the Clean Power Plan is going to save lives. Period.
