Beam me to Planet Gore !
Posted on 01/13/2010 5:02:36 AM PST by thackney
A battle is brewing in the Senate over the power of the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is poised to move forward with a proposal that would block the EPA--at least temporarily-- from imposing new regulations to limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. She could force a vote on the issue as early as Jan. 20, as part of the Senate's debate of unrelated legislation to raise the nation's debt ceiling.
In December, the EPA formally issued an "endangerment declaration" that greenhouse gases threaten the public health and welfare. With that declaration, the agency is prepared to move forward with new limits on emissions from vehicles in March.
Democratic leaders last month agreed to allow Murkowski to offer an EPA-related amendment during the debt ceiling debate. But it is unclear what the final proposal may be, or whether Murkowski would pursue another avenue for blocking EPA regulations.
Democrats on the Environment and Public Works Committee, led by Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., are urging their Senate colleagues to reject any regulation-blocking proposal from Murkowski.
In a "dear colleague" letter sent late Monday, the panel Democrats said it would not be appropriate to repeal "the endangerment finding based upon years of work by America's scientists and public health experts."
"The Senate will continue to evaluate the best tools for addressing greenhouse gas emissions," the group said.
The Senate is set as early as spring to debate broad climate change and energy legislation, though there are major hurdles to passage.
The internal lobbying on the Hill reflects the Democrats' awareness that a move to restrict the EPA could pass in the Senate and jeopardize future work on climate change.
Meanwhile, Murkowski is facing new criticism...
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.chron.com ...
So why don't they propose taxing water vapor?
The EPA should be limited to a budget of $200,000 per year and a 20 x 40 strip mall space.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.