Obama Admin Readies Another Costly EPA Regulation As Census Report Shows 'Economic Stagnation'

Today in Washington, D.C. - Sept 29, 2015
The House reconvened at 10 M today.
Bills which may be considered today:
H.R. 3495 - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to allow for greater State flexibility with respect to excluding providers who are involved in abortions, and waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules."

Yesterday the House passed:
H.R. 1624 (Voice Vote) — "To amend title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to revise the definition of small employer."
H.R. 2061 (Voice Vote) — "To amend section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide an additional religious exemption from the individual health coverage mandate, and for other purposes."
H.R. 2617 (Voice Vote) — "To amend the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 to postpone a scheduled increase in the minimum wage applicable to American Samoa."
H.R. 2786 (412-0) — "To require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to submit a report on cross-border rail security, and for other purposes."
H.R. 2835(410-0) — "To actively recruit members of the Armed Forces who are separating from military service to serve as Customs and Border Protection Officers."
H.R. 3089 (Voice Vote) — "To close out expired grants, and for other purposes."
H.R. 313 (Voice Vote) — "To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide leave to any new Federal employee who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rated at 30 percent or more for purposes of undergoing medical treatment for such disability, and for other purposes."
H.R. 3594 (Voice Vote) — "To extend temporarily the Federal Perkins Loan program, and for other purposes."
H.R. 3614 (Voice Vote) — "To amend title 49, United States Code, to extend authorizations for the airport improvement program, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, and for other purposes."
S. 136 (Voice Vote) — "To amend chapter 21 of title 5, United States Code, to provide that fathers of certain permanently disabled or deceased veterans shall be included with mothers of such veterans as preference eligibles for treatment in the civil service."
S. 139 (Voice Vote) — "To permanently allow an exclusion under the Supplemental Security Income program and the Medicaid program for compensation provided to individuals who participate in clinical trials for rare diseases or conditions."
S. 565 (Voice Vote) — "To reduce the operation and maintenance costs associated with the Federal fleet by encouraging the use of remanufactured parts, and for other purposes."

The Senate reconvened at 10 AM today and resumed post-cloture consideration of the House message to accompany H.R. 719, which is the vehicle for the continuing resolution (CR).

Later today, a vote is expected on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 719, with a further amendment containing the CR. That vote would pass the CR and send it to the House. The CR would fund the government through mid-December.

Yesterday, the Senate voted 77-19 to invoke cloture (cut off debate and move towards passage) of the vehicle for the CR.

The AP reports today that “the Obama administration is preparing to finalize stricter emissions limits on” ozone, another regulatory action by the president’s overreaching EPA.

The AP writes, “The move fulfills a long-delayed campaign promise by President Barack Obama, but sets up a fresh confrontation with Republicans already angry about the administration's plans to curb carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants and to regulate small streams and wetlands.

“Business groups panned the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed ozone rules as unnecessary when they were announced last fall, calling them the costliest regulation in history and warning they could jeopardize a resurgence in American manufacturing. . . .

“The rules are causing a ruckus on Capitol Hill even before the final plan is announced. The EPA is expected to act by Thursday to set a new ozone limit of 70 parts per billion or less in the atmosphere, down from the existing standard of 75.

“Janet McCabe, the EPA's top air regulator, will defend the rule on Tuesday at a Senate hearing called by Republicans who have vowed to ‘rein in’ an agency they say has run amok.

“Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said the ozone proposal will have negligible environmental benefits and comes with huge economic costs. Instead of creating a job-killing mandate, the EPA should focus on helping counties across the nation that have not yet met the current standards, he said. ‘A new standard at this time is not only irresponsible, but also impractical and economically destructive,’ Inhofe added. . . .

“Cutting ozone emissions to 70 parts per billion would cost industry about $3.9 billion in 2025, the EPA estimated, while a stricter limit of 65 would push the cost up to $15 billion. A price tag that high would exceed that of any previous environmental regulation in U.S. history.”

This newest regulation comes on top of the administration’s other costly and legally questionable regulations such as the EPA’s “Water of the United States” rule that will bring even the smallest bodies of water under the purview of the agency and the costly and damaging Clean Power Plan. Both of these rules are already being challenged in court.

When the Obama administration published its power plant rule in August, the AP noted that among “the losers” would be “your power bill.” And “The National Association of Manufacturers, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, the National Mining Association, the American Energy Alliance and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association all predicted the rule would drive electricity bills up.”

National Journal noted that the power plant rule is “likely to trigger even more coal-plant shutdowns” and “the rule could deal a major blow to the industry.” And according to the AP, “The Obama administration estimated the emissions limits will cost $8.4 billion annually by 2030.”

Thus, in addition to the expensive excessive environmental regulations the Obama administration has already tried to implement (without the approval of Congress, of course), the Obama EPA is now adding another costly regulation.

The backdrop for all this is an economy that continues to limp along. Earlier this month The New York Times wrote that a new Census Bureau report found “that for ordinary Americans, especially the poor, the economic recovery — now into its seventh year — has yet to deliver measurable benefits.” Indeed, The Times noted, “Many households have still not regained the purchasing power they had before the recession that began in December 2007. Median household income was 6.5 percent lower in 2014 than in 2007, the bureau said.” And “the poverty rate — 14.8 percent — also saw no improvement. About 46.7 million people were in poverty in 2014, the bureau said, the fourth consecutive year in which the number of people in poverty was not statistically different from the official estimate for the prior year.”

The Wall Street Journal editorialized, “The report is a portrait of economic stagnation. Real median household income—the exact halfway point of the earnings distribution—was statistically identical to the 2013 median. The $53,657 for 2014 follows two consecutive years of decline in 2011 and 2012 and remains 6.5% lower than the median in 2007.”

The Journal editors concluded, “The White House didn’t put out an official statement on the Census release, and perhaps commenting was too embarrassing politically. No President has done worse by the middle class in modern times . . . . No wonder so many Americans are anxious or angry.”

And yet the Obama administration is plowing ahead with ever more costly environmental regulations that could cost more jobs and increase power bills for families.

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