GOP Pushes Back on EPA Carbon Regulation

[TomCADem]

Source: US News and World Report

At her fourth congressional hearing in two weeks, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson appeared on Capitol Hill again this morning to defend the president's 2012 budget requests for the agency. House Republicans grilled her on the cost of the agency's regulations, as they attempt make drastic cuts to the EPA's funding in the current budget debate.

Jackson told the members at today's hearing that while she and rest of the Obama administration support cutting the agency's budget to help alleviate the nation's fiscal problems, the Republican plan goes too far. Though it failed in the Senate this week, the House Republicans' funding proposal, H.R. 1, would cut the EPA's budget by nearly a third. In contrast, according to Jackson, the president's 2012 budget request represents a 13 percent reduction from 2010. She argued that the agency's goal of protecting Americans' health would be stifled if the GOP's appropriations cuts were enacted. "You can have both economic growth, and clean air and public health," said Jackson.

California Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman and other Democrats on the Energy and Commerce subcommittees backed her up. "The Republican budget would decimate the agency and its public health mission," said Waxman.

Jackson claimed that the EPA's regulations help to decrease the nation's oil dependence. However, Republicans criticized the agency's regulatory policy, blaming it, in part, for rising costs of energy in the country. "I think every Republican on these joint subcommittees supports a strong EPA and we support strong enforcement of our environmental laws," said Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton. "What we don't support is an EPA that goes beyond its core mission for what I consider to be political purposes or pursues strategies that cost extremely much more than they in benefits."


Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/03/11/gop-pushes-back-on-epa-carbon-regulation

[defendandprotect]

1. Why not just change it to the EDA -- "Environmental Destruction Agency" ... ???

[SpiralHawk]

2. "What could possibly go wrong? Smirk." - Republicons Against America

"Hell, let's trash the EPA and the environment. We can always fall back on clean, safe nuclear power. Smirk."

- Republicons Against America

[AC_Mem]

3. Let's watch the GOP

work to de fund environmental protection next week. If the democrats don't go after this like crazy with the current multi-pronged ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER that we have been witnessing all weekend - then I swear, I'm gonna look at moving to Canada (not really but gosh!)

On another note - does anyone else notice that when the GOP tries to destroy one of our fundamental rights, something major happens that destroys their argument?

Shine on,
Annette