Newt Gingrich calls for replacing the EPA

Newt Gingrich photo by Larry Downing from Reuters

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Former House speaker Newt Gingrich called for replacing the Environmental Protection Agency with an "environmental solutions agency" as part of a broader re-assessment of American energy policy in his address to the Conservative Political Action Conference today in Washington.

"It's time we passed an aggressively pro-American energy policy," said Gingrich to a crowded room of conservative activists who greeted his proposals warmly if not with great fervor. "What you have from Obama Administration is a war against American energy."

Gingrich proposed eliminating the EPA, which he described as "top down" and "bureaucratic." He also advocated what he argued was a centrist agenda that includes things like the repeal of President Obama's health care, repeal of the estate tax and a "10th amendment implementation act".

Gingrich, the former speaker of the House who is widely considered to be a candidate for president, was in classic form -- delivering what felt at times like a college lecture weaving together topics as seemingly disparate as the German purchase of the New York Stock Exchange and flexfuel vehicles in Brazil.

Gingrich also dropped a handful of the rhetorical bombs for which he has long been known.

On New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's reaction to the attempted Times Square bombing, Gingrich said: "This would be a psychological problem if it were not a public official."

Gingrich also jabbed President Obama several times during his speech. "Barack Obama is no Ronald Reagan," Gingrich said to huge applause in the room; later he joked that Obama's message on tort reform was clouded because "the TelePrompter wasn't working at that moment."

Gingrich made no mention of his 2012 plans, however.