Reining in the EPA

My Republican colleagues and I introduced a measure, H.J. 77, in the House of Representatives that would rein in the aggressive power-grab of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Last December the EPA released an endangerment finding which stated that gases such as methane and carbon dioxide were a threat to public health and should be regulated under the Clean Air Act.  This endangerment finding is really just an underhanded way of imposing cap and tax regulations on the American people.

With this finding, the Obama administration is essentially telling members of Congress – those who are elected to serve the American people – to either pass cap and tax legislation or the EPA will regulate.

This finding represents a danger to our economy and to all of our efforts to spur job growth because it would allow a massive expansion of the EPA to regulate major sectors of the U.S. economy such as agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and transportation.

We know that cap and tax legislation would destroy American agriculture.  It would put us at a competitive disadvantage around the world and would impact rural America disproportionately.  We also know that the EPA has never been a friend to our farmers and ranchers. 

Congress must stop the regulatory expansion of the EPA.  This resolution of disapproval that I co-sponsored would block the agency from imposing terrifying standards that would cripple American agriculture and stifle economic growth in our country.