Senate Majority Leader Grills EPA Chief On Climate Rules | Seeks To Thwart Obama's Climate Agenda

Today in Washington, D.C. - April 30, 2015:
The House reconvened at 10 AM today.
The House is today may take up:
H.R. 1732 - "To preserve existing rights and responsibilities with respect to waters of the United States, and for other purposes."
The conference report to accompany the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 11) setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2016 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2017 through 2025.
H.J. Res. 43 - Joint resolution disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014."
H.R. 2029 — "Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes."

The Senate reconvened at 9:30 AM today and resumed consideration of H.R. 1191, the vehicle for the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015.

At noon, the Senate began consideration of the president’s veto message of S.J. Res. 8, a congressional resolution disapproving of the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) new rule allowing ambush union elections.

Yesterday, the Senate voted 45-54 to reject an amendment to the bill from Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) which would have required the president to certify that Iran hasn’t directly supported terrorism against the US in the last 90 days, or else legislation reinstating sanctions would be expedited.


The Hill reports, “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) took advantage of a rare opportunity Wednesday to attack the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over her agency's main climate change rule.

“McConnell grilled Gina McCarthy during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations subpanel in charge of the EPA’s budget. McConnell is one of the Senate's most vocal opponents of the EPA’s carbon limits for power plants. He argues the rules would destroy Kentucky’s coal sector

“My constituents want their dignity restored, they want to be able to work, they want to be able to provide for their families,” McConnell said after Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the panel’s chairwoman, let him have the first round of questions. ‘You cannot guarantee your carbon regulations won’t cost my constituents jobs,’ he said. ‘You cannot guarantee your carbon regulations won’t raise their utility bills.’

“The EPA’s climate rule has been one of McConnell’s top targets as leader of the Senate. He pledged the day after last year’s election that he would make it a top priority to ‘get the EPA reined in.’”

At the hearing, Leader McConnell told McCarthy, “Administrator McCarthy, as you know, things are not well in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We have a depression in eastern Kentucky. Your agency’s proposed budget request, if approved, would facilitate the EPA’s plan to shutter coal plants in my state and put countless more of my constituents out of work—all at the service of a regulatory agenda. The actual benefits of which neither you or anyone else can seem to explain. My constituents want their dignity restored. They want to be able to work and they want to be able to provide for their families. You cannot guarantee your carbon regulations won’t cost my constituents jobs. You cannot guarantee your carbon regulations won’t raise their utility bills. You refused my multiple invitations to come to our state and discuss these regulations with my constituents…”

National Journal adds, “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell launched a new push to thwart President Obama's climate agenda on Wednesday, suggesting that Congress may be able to block regulations to curb power-plant emissions using an obscure provision of the Clean Air Act. So far, McConnell's most high-profile effort to sink the regulatory regime that stands as the centerpiece of the president's climate agenda has been a campaign urging states not to comply with the rule.

“But during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy on Wednesday, McConnell suggested that section 102(c) of the Clean Air Act could allow Congress to check the administration's authority to enact the regulation. The provision applies to multi-state pacts that derive from the Clean Air Act.

“‘The law reads: 'No such agreement or compact shall be binding or obligatory upon any state unless and until it has been approved by Congress, . . . Doesn't seem ambivalent to me.’ McConnell continued: ‘I can assure you that as long as I'm majority leader of the Senate, this body is not going to be signing off on any backdoor energy tax.’”

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