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The US Senate finally halted an effort by the Republican party to eliminate the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to limit greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and large stationary polluters. The bill’s main target was the EPA’s most recent effort to limit emissions from large culprits like power plants and refineries — which the state of Texas also has its arguments against. The GOP fighters believed that a curb on emissions would mean reductions in jobs across the country, a hike in prices and a serious loss for the economy. They’ve been defeated in the Senate and it looks like their message just didn’t stick.
The effort by the GOP was meant to stop a move by the EPA which was sanctioned by a Supreme Court decision in 2007 to decide whether carbon dioxide and other emissions were considered polluters under the Clean Air Act and if they were, to start putting limits on them. After the Senate vote was tallied the numbers came to 50 for and 50 against, effectively killing the bill’s future by eliminating the prospect of a filibuster — which you need 60 votes for. The EPA is moving forward with their efforts by starting with the largest emitters this year — and with vehicle emissions — and in a long term plan moving down the chain to smaller emitters in the future when the emissions technology has progressed. The GOP has been trying to position the EPA as a job killer, saying these limits would impose financial burdens on businesses forcing them to cut jobs.
For just a moment, we’re triumphant in the knowledge that even if they can’t make a comprehensive climate bill, Congress can keep some environmental laws intact — although if they can’t pass a budget by tomorrow, we’re all in a lot of trouble. The White House, for one, was happy about the vote’s 50-50 outcome. “By rejecting efforts to rollback EPA’s common-sense steps to safeguard Americans from harmful pollution, the Senate also rejected an approach that would have increased the nation’s dependence on oil, contradicted the scientific consensus on global warming, and jeopardized America’s ability to lead the world in the clean energy economy,” said Jay Carney — White House press secretary — in a written statement.
Via The Los Angeles Times
The EPA’s regulations were outside of its jurisdiction and circumvented the rights of the Legislature to decide the rules. The Democrats blatantly support this maneuver, since they could not pass the rules even when they had super majority. And now the EPA has illegally instituted these harmful rules, the Democrats are happy to sit back and block attempts to stop the illegal actions.
See? I can get political, too.
This site is great for factual stuff about the environment, but if the editors are just going to be mouth pieces for the liberals, change the name of the site and put a disclaimer at the top of each article: We are liberals and this article is biased as such.
well said caeman, well said.
I guess you missed the part about the Supreme Court ruling that the EPA has the authority to regulate green house gases and can not side step its mandate unless a SCIENTIFIC basis for refusing to regulate them can be found. Since almost all major scientific organizations in the world have issued statements supporting that climate change is happening, and is predominantly caused by anthropogenic emissions, I don’t think they are going to find that reason. Since the GOP has rejected science they have made it a POLITICAL issue, and they’ve chosen to side with big business instead of the American people.
well said akwintermute, well said.