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While Browner's tenacity kept Administration opponents from watering down her original proposals significantly, victory wasn't assured until after Vice President Gore concluded two weeks ago that the Administration had no political alternative to backing her and Clinton endorsed that view. Gore's public silence during the deliberations had struck environmentalists as ominous: not only is the environment Gore's personal portfolio, it's also an issue he's expected to flog during his presidential bid. Beyond that, Gore has personal ties to Browner: she worked on his Senate staff during the early 1980s, helping write some of the environmental laws she now administers.
The President's decision to support Browner is a major victory for the EPA chief, but the new regulations still face a challenge by Congress. Many Republicans and some Democrats have vowed to pass a law overturning them. Support for the EPA crosses party lines: Republican Senator Alfonse D'Amato of New York announced last week that he'd fight any attempt to weaken the rules. And even if Congress passes legislation to overturn the rules, opponents would probably be unable to muster enough votes to override a presidential veto.
--Reported by J.F.O. McAllister and Dick Thompson/Washington