Posted on 07/07/2012 1:00:23 PM PDT by EBH
The House Appropriations Committee on Thursday sent a bill slashing funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the House floor for consideration on a 26-19 vote.
The bill would cut the EPA budget by $1.4 billion.
The overall Interior, Environment bill would cut spending by $1.2 billion and it contains 31 riders, most of which limit the ability of the EPA to issue regulations.
House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers said “this bill wisely places a limit on big-government excess — cutting funding for programs and agencies that stifle economic growth rather than encourage it — including reducing the EPA’s budget by 17 percent.”
The bill coming out of subcommittee included riders that limit EPA's power to expand the scope of Clean Water Act oversight, and prevent the Interior Department from toughening regulation of mountaintop-removal coal mining.
During a lengthy markup spread over two days, committee Republicans added 11 riders to the bill.
One, inserted by Rep. Steve Austria (R-Ohio) would prohibit EPA from finalizing greenhouse regulations on cars for model years after 2017.
Another, by Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) prohibits the EPA from imposing greenhouse gas regulations on electric utility plants that use fossil fuels.
Last year the GOP tried to insert 39 environmental riders into law but largely failed. The new riders will be the subject of negotiations, likely in the fall after the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.
President Obama has threatened to veto the 12 annual spending bills that the House is producing this year because they conform to a lower spending cap than the $1.047 trillion cap in last August’s debt-ceiling deal.
An even better bill is H.R. 750 (Defending America’s Affordable Energy and Jobs Act)
It strips the regulating authority away from the EPA and gives it to congress and by extension to the people. Its got more than 100 cosponsors but more are always welcome. Its been sitting idle for more than a year but is picking up steam again.
http://www.theorator.com/bills/text/hr750.html
Hey Republicans, we’re happy with the token swipes at the Democrats, but maybe you guys should go for the neck.
INDITE, PROSECUTE, IMPEACH, REPEAL, AND GIVE ME MY COUNTRY BACK.
It’s on “the floor”??? THAT’S LITTERING! FINE ‘EM!!!;)
Thanks very much.
“The bill would cut the EPA budget by $1.4 billion. “
In other news, Obama’s real BC might have been found.
One way or another ....
Well...since they don't have to read them before they vote on them, it was decided that an identifying number was no longer needed.
We need to get these bills all collected and lean on the house and senate as a unified front.
For every dollar slashed from the Defense budget, two dollars should be slashed from the EPA and HHS budgets. The federal government is given the duty to defend the country by the Constitution. The EPA and HHS have no such mandate, and according to the Tenth Amendment, are unconstitutional.
The EPA is a rogue, evil agency and with just a little preparation our guys could explain how it deprives Americans of their liberty.
Disagree very much. If the EPA’s budget could be cut; along with other agencies; it would be a huge step to getting a smaller less intrusive government.
Not just talking about it, but doing it.
The EPA is a huge unholy monster.
Since when does Congress have a say in how money is spent at the federal level? For that matter, does anyone think that Congress has any say at all in how many nuke weapons we have?
Cut funding needs to be accompanied by cutting # of EPA employees, too.
Otherwise, they lay dormant till next favorable season (D-Congress), like some kind of worms.
Why cut the budget by only 17%? Why not cut it by 90% to start? They should be consulting if they’re going to be anything.
They should be limited to monitoring the vehicles of National Park Rangers. and have to beg for crumbs from that budget.
But ideally, the EPA would no longer exist and nothing changed to meet the need of that agency.
And the FBI limited to monitoring federal agencies to make sure they don’t step out of their bounds, as well as the elected members of the federal government. Maybe the head of the FBI should also be elected...
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi- bin/bdquery/D?d112:1:./temp/~bdLrK7:@@@D&summ2=m&|/home/LegislativeData.php|
Defending America's Affordable Energy and Jobs Act - Prohibits the President or any federal agency head from promulgating regulations providing for the control of emissions of a greenhouse gas (GHG), enforcing or implementing any law enacted as of the date of enactment of this Act that provides for the control of GHG emissions, taking action relating to or taking into consideration the climate effects of GHG emissions, considering climate effects in implementing or enforcing laws, or conditioning or denying any approval based on climate effects, unless the law, action, or consideration is: (1) determined to be necessary to protect the public health from imminent and substantial harm caused by direct human exposure to the relevant GHG in a concentration that is substantially greater than current and projected future average concentrations of that GHG gas in the global atmosphere; and (2) based solely on effects other than effects relating to atmospheric concentrations of GHG, including climate change. Excepts: (1) regulation of, action with respect to, or consideration of a GHG under the Clean Air Act (CAA) with respect to stratospheric ozone protection other than for the potential or actual effect of the GHG on climate change; or (2) voluntary incentive programs to promote the development or deployment of technologies that reduce GHG emissions.
Plus defending the Jobs Act???? ( Please read the bill). Legal language always needs some explaining if you are not trained in legalese....ask yourself Do I trust my government? This is a huge bill, why would I need it?
I agree, but I like the imagery of the top EPA administrators reduced to maintenance mechanics for the park service...
Mr. Ranger: "Hey Bub, could you come monitor my tire pressure and evaluate my crankcase oil?"
States need to work in harmony with the House Republicans and pass laws to prosecute and imprison these Nazis at the EPA.
The EPA is dirty as hell and is involved in shaking down businesses for cash. It’s also involved in extortion, trespass, violation of the 4th amendment and plain, old treason. Nearly every Nazi at the EPA should be swinging from a rope.
See Rapanos v US.
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