Posted on 07/23/2014 12:25:46 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Senate Republicans on Wednesday accused Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy of trying to run America by proposing new rules to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants.
McCarthy is the public face of the agency's new carbon rules, which are a central pillar of President Obama's second-term climate change agenda. Republicans say the rules threaten to bring the economy to its knees, and on Wednesday, accused the EPA of staging a massive power grab.
"The American people run this country — you don't run this country," Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) told McCarthy during a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing.
Republicans sought to poke holes in the proposal, which mandates states cut carbon dioxide emissions 30 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels, by tethering it to environmentalists and alleging that the EPA did not seek input from the coal industry or utilities that would be impacted the most.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) pressed the administrator on a New York Times report that credited the green group Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) for providing the blueprint the EPA used to craft its carbon emissions standards.
Additional reports have found comparisons between the NRDC's plan to cut pollution from the nation's fleet of power plants and the one proposed by the EPA. The agency says it met with thousands of stakeholders to develop the rules.
Barrasso wasn't convinced.
"For those of you who don't know, the NRDC is a $120 million-a-year lobbying machine backed by Hollywood elites," Barrasso said.
"It is absolutely shameful to me that the EPA under the direction of this administrator would allow a group of lawyers and lobbyists to draft their regulations," he said. "If I'm wrong than NRDC and EPA administrator should provide all documents requested by this committee on how these new regulations on coal-fired power plants were crafted, because right now, it sure looks like the EPA let a trio of high powered of Washington lobbyists write their regulations for them."
Following the Times report, McCarthy sent out a staff memo mocking the newspaper, calling the story "preposterous."
"I will guarantee you that I have met many more times with utilities than NRDC," McCarthy said in response to Barrasso. She said EPA staff got little sleep during the process, and dismissed the notion that the rule was designed "miraculously" months ago and that the EPA has had it in its pocket since then.
McCarthy stressed that the rules allow states a great amount of flexibility to find the best method for meeting reduction targets.
"It is designed to be moderate in its ask," McCarthy said.
"We are setting a course on climate change that is long term and flexible; we are sending a tremendous investment signal. This is not about a scrubber at the end of a smokestack; it is about investing in things that we care about," McCarthy said.
Senate Democrats praised McCarthy for the rules, which the agency says would protect public health and prevent up to 150,000 asthma attacks.
The EPA is currently in the midst of its 120-day comment period to allow stakeholders time to submit feedback on the new standards.
The agency has said it would finalize the regulations by the summer of 2015, but a number of industry groups are weighing legal action, and nine states have already sued the EPA over its proposal.
Exactly ! Instead of passing new laws to control the bureaucrats and their agencies and budgeting, they would rather grandstand and then throw up their hands in faux disgust!
Right... but lashing out at good conservatives is pointless. work on getting some conservative senators in your own state rather than trashing Jeff Sessions. We’re doing our part over here. :-).
You should respect your betters and Jeff Sessions is your better. Make no mistake about that
Sorry, Sessions is a good guy but is DOING LITTLE MEANINGFUL. He is also WRONG. The EPA does run part of the country and it has happened on his watch. What is he doing about it? (crickets again) BTW, I do write my Congress critters and Senators.
excuse me, no body is “better”. What he said is just silly and whiny. Do something brave Mr. Sessions....
Well just flailing out at good senators is meaningless. Have a nice afternoon.
Money quote. McCarthy is a hard-core, enviro-wacko.
Good luck with fighting this power grab with the courts. It usually goes to the DC circuit court. Thanks to the “Nuclear Option” it is now packed with Obama stooges.
Until many 3-letter agencies are slashed NOTHING will change.
2 DOEs? Start there. Neither are worth the $.
“No Jeff Sessions, you freakin butthead”
Hey, don’t knock Jeff Sessions. He’s one of the good guys, and doesn’t deserve your rant. Pick on someone who does. Geez.
Jeff Sessions is a prince.
A treasure, really.
The EPA, IRS, HHS, DHS, . . . all exert tyrannical powers because the Uniparty wants it that way.
Correct, Sir. People and organizations do only what other people or organizations allow them to do. The middle class is being run over in the gold rush for American fortune (jobs) and what jobs are left are being smothered by regulations and nonsensical oversight. Why? Because they can and because they are essentially unmitigated by the opposition. Children do not spoil themselves.
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