Reason: The Obama administration has set the stage for GHG rules that don’t need Congressional approval.

EPA’s recent finding that GHGs pose a danger to people and the planet would allow the agency to enact control rules under the Clean Air Act, according to the Obama administration.

Meanwhile, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has introduced legislation to block EPA from using that tactic.

The measure has 35 Republican and 3 Democrat cosponsors, not enough to stop EPA action.

And even if it passed the Senate, Murkowski’s measure would also have to be approved by the House.

Not all Republicans in the Senate are totally against cap-and-trade legislation to regulate GHGs.  Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tried to broker a cap-and-trade deal, but so far he hasn’t been successful.

EPA’s recent statement that greenhouse gases threaten public health and the environment wasn’t made just to make the global warming crowd happy.

It’s the administration’s first step toward regulating the gases blamed for climate change without Congressional approval by using the Clear Air Act.

That law has already been used to successfully control smog and soot.

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) summed up the EPA action best. “The message to Congress is crystal clear: Get moving.”

But even the Democrats aren’t unified on this matter. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) said, “I strongly urge EPA to wait for Congress to find a solution.”

If it comes down to EPA action, the agency may not have the last word. Congress could withhold funding for any program to control greenhouse gases, and industry groups have threatened to hold up any such regulations in the courts through lawsuits.