Democrat slow learners wake up to EPA power grab
A few weeks ago, I noted that a trio of House Democrats proposed legislation to curtail the EPA’s war on carbon.
Now, Senate Democrats are jumping on the bandwagon. Amazing what an election year, double-digit unemployment, and the Climategate-induced collapse of the global warming cult can do to turn the eco-hysteria tide:
Eight Democratic senators from industrial states are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate pollution blamed for global warming.
In a letter written by Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, the lawmakers said the agency lacks the power to restrict greenhouse gases from stationary sources such as power plants, factories and mines. The lawmakers said Congress – not the EPA – should address an issue with big implications for thousands of U.S. jobs and businesses.
…Opposition to EPA regulations by Democrats could pose a serious blow to the Obama administration’s effort to restrict heat-trapping greenhouse gases. While the administration is still pushing for Congress to pass a comprehensive climate bill this year, officials have not ruled out controlling greenhouse gases through regulation.
The letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson was signed by Democrats Mark Begich of Alaska, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Carl Levin of Michigan and Max Baucus of Montana.
The Democrats said they did not object to EPA regulation of emissions from cars and light trucks, but questioned the agency’s ability to do anything further under the Clean Air Act. The letter asked Jackson to clarify the EPA’s timetable and suspend any regulations for coal-fired utilities and other industrial facilities until Congress acts on climate and energy legislation.
Better late than never, I guess.
Related: Watch out for this – Senate compromise climate bill proposal expected this week…
A last-ditch attempt to kick-start stalled US climate legislation is expected to get underway this week with the long-awaited release of a compromise version of the controversial climate change bill that is currently facing stiff opposition in the Senate.
A bipartisan group of senators – Democrat John Kerry, independent Joe Lieberman and Republican Lindsey Graham – have been working for the past few months on a new draft of the legislation designed to secure support from moderate Republicans and Democrats from coal-rich states concerned about the impact the bill’s proposed emission cap-and-trade scheme will have on the economy.
According to Reuters reports, the senators are poised to present a range of compromise proposals this week. “We will present senators with a number of options when they get back from recess,” one Senate aide told the news agency.
Related: Exclusive Hot Air interview: Inhofe to release report blasting IPCC on Climategate.
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Categories: Enviro-nitwits
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Wonder where Mass. Senator Brown sits on this issue? He’s already failed his first test.
We will see how “principled” these Senators are when Harry takes them to the woodshed in anticipation of a Cap and Trade Cloture vote.
After Ben Nelson, I am not pinning our chances on any “enlightened Democrat.” (oxymoron)
We had better have Plan B ready to go.
Here! Here! Our most august deliberative body, the US Senate, the smartest leaders in the free world, just found religion. Who’d a thunk it?
Yes, but these Dems are not jumping on the climate gate bandwagon.
They still believe in Climate-Gate… as long as it cost someone else a lot of money.
It’s imperative that we reduce heat-trapping gases. We need a cold planet so we can grow more food. Every liberal idiot knows that the prime growing season is the middle of winter when the ground is frozen over.
Yes, my MINUS 10 degree temp this morning is definitely a sign of gorebull warming. They need to do something about all this heat.
/sarc?
The tyranny of the EPA is unbelievable. Their decisions on what warrants an EIS is purely political, also.
The EPA assisted special interest groups here in the People’s Republic of Hawaii kill the Hawaii Superferry. We no longer have interisland ferry service due to the EPA and the state Supreme Court.
Several of these Dems come from coal/oil states; this is not so much about climate-gate as protecting your state’s own interests. But I’m still glad they are cracking the Dem Party’s all-treehugger facade.
Where? Where?
I just can’t find a justification for the EPA in my Constitution, can You?
You ever notice the GOP never seems to end any programs of dubious constitutional authority, when they are in power?
They held the House and Senate from 1995-2007, and the Presidency from 2001-2009.
We “Reformed” Welfare, and voted on every item in the “Contract With America,” yet little was enacted.
During this time, more programs were implemented, more agencies added, bigger deficits, larger National Debt, less freedom, less liberty.
In fact, welfare should have been ended, there is no provision in the Constitution, for individual welfare. They could have suggested a Constitutional amendment, or returned it to the States.
It’s hard to see why someone in Kansas, has to pay for someone in Vermont, to be on welfare.
No matter which of these Parties are in power, Government spending and power grows, your Liberty shrinks.
Each State has it’s own version of the EPA. Let the People, and the once Sovereign States decide what is best for it’s citizens.
Thank you Senator Inhofe for speaking up. I read someplace that state governors are also blasting the climatgate thing. Our gov. Perry was one of the governors.
It is hard for me to believe the SC gave the epa as much power as they did!
L
Gee, don’t go all Constitution on us now, we might have a collective stroke!
[sniff, sniff]
You smell that? Try again.
[sniff, sniff]
Smells like Kabuki Theater to me…
Wake me up when Greenland is green again. Then I will start being concerned with climate trends.
The compromise for a lie …
How about we destroy the Democrats myth of energy independence and just drill baby drill. They have been running this scam for over 30 years, while we waste hundreds of billions on paying the middle east to suppress their citizens.
It’s truly past time we stop the lies.
China is building coal fired power plants at a rate faster than we will ever to be able to reduce our emissions.
Talk about an inconvenient truth.
But the Dems here are now proposing a PUBLIC ferry after running out the privately run one.
Those idiots just don’t understand the meaning of NO.
The EPA is one of those government agencies that has outlived its mission and usefulness. I am amazed at the arrogance of the EPA leadership threatening the Congress from whence comes their budget. If I had my way, the EPA, along with the DoE and DoEd, would be eliminated as counterproductive. And, I would not phase them out as the left would surely resurrect them in the next Congressional cycle.
Passing along some good news via Climate Depot.
http://www.climategate.com/worlds-biggest-coal-company-brings-us-government-to-court-in-climate-fraud
Here is some bad news. It seems Glenn Beck does believe in Glo(Bull) Warming according to this interview with USA Today.
The EPA has stolen more property and done more to make businesses leave the U.S. than any agency I can think of. They should be called the Hugo Chavez agency, as they seem determined to put all business out of business, and all people onto welfare jobs. From the snail darder to the wild horses to the emission controls, THESE PEOPLE ARE COMMUNIST CRAZY PEOPLE.
blizzard #21
I read about Beck’s epiphany on AGW this morning too and was struck dumb. With all of the data that’s made it’s way into press denouncing the theory of Gorebull warming how do you justify supporting it? ‘Bambi no more believes this nonsense than he does in democracy. It’s simply a means to more power for him and bureaucrats. But, Beck?
Want to know all about the “green” effect? Read this article. “Green” is just the new Red and Black.
I welcome any opposition to the EPA, even if its from Democrats. Some of them at least are smart enough to see when their own ox is being Gored!
where did these black robes get the authority not to mention the background in science matters to determine CO2 to be a toxin?
There has to be an explanation why Glenn Beck said that! There HAS to be!! He blasts globull warming every chance he gets. I don’t believe he is a hypocrite. He needs to clarify that article!!
You would too if you had to smell Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s breath…toxic!
They’re still in recess? Funny, my calendar says “President’s Day”, not “President’s Month”. Not that I’m complaining. I wish they’d take the rest of the year off. The economy would improve a lot sooner if they did.
It’s a start, now can we get ring of the EPA? They overstepped their bounds a long time ago along with most government agencies.