2017 Koch Freedom Partners: A “Roadmap” for the Trump Administration to Repeal Environmental Rules

This 2017 document titled “A Roadmap to Repeal: Removing Regulatory Barriers to Opportunity” was created by Freedom Partners, a donor group Politico has called the “secret bank” of the Koch Brothers.

This memo from Charles Koch’s network to its funders details changes in the law sought by what was then called the Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, which was controlled by Koch and his operatives.

That group is now operating under the name “Stand Together.” Whatever the name, the concept is the same: this is the political agenda of the Koch empire in coordination with the CEOs and corporations that help fund Charles Koch’s agenda through a non-profit trade group–organized under 501(c)(5) of the IRS Code–which has operated under different brand names.

This kind of memo is one of the organizing tools deployed by Koch to get his billionaire and millionaire funder allies, who are part of what is also sometimes called the “Koch Network,” on the same page about the agenda for the year ahead. Koch’s political hq circulates these kinds of memos to attendees of the semi-annual retreats Charles Koch has been hosting for years to advance his personal and corporate agenda.

This particular memo is focused on Koch’s agenda to have the Trump Administration changes the laws to suit his goals. This “Roadmap” includes a list of “what can be repealed in the first 100 days” of the Trump administration such as:

  • “Executive order putting a moratorium on new federal coal leases;”
  • “Paris climate agreement requiring greenhouse gas emission reductions;”
  • “Proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs incidental to the Clean Power Plan;”
  • “Final Stream Protection Rule regarding coal mine permitting;”
  • “Bureau of Land Management (BLM) federal lands Methane Rule;”
  • “Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): 2017 and 2018 obligations;”
  • “EPA Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards: Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles.”

It also lists “longer-term opportunities” such as the:

  • EPA Rule defining The Waters of the United States;
  • Reversing the EPA’s Clean Power Plan.