Legislative efforts to stop EPA greenhouse gas regulations
Farm and Ranch January 20, 2010 Which would you prefer, Congressional legislation on cap and trade or EPA going on its own to regulate greenhouse gases? Neither is not an option as the EPA is already moving ahead, however there are efforts in both the U.S. House and Senate to try and stop the EPA. In the House, Democrat Representative Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota has introduced the Save Our Energy Jobs Act. He says the regulatory route is not the way this should work. Pomeroy: “Let’s have a full floor debate and legislate in due course with the elected representatives across the country exercising their responsibilities in Congress, the legislative branch. This isn‘t for a bureaucrat at his desk in the executive branch.” Pomeroy believes some supporters of cap and trade legislation will have qualms about the EPA going forward on its own. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski also wants to stop the EPA and Senate leaders are allowing a floor vote as part of the debate on the debt ceiling bill which could come up today. Iowa Senator Charles Grassley, a co-sponsor of Murkowski’s effort, isn’t optimistic. Grassley: “As a practical I think it is difficult to get 51 votes when you have 60 Democrats and they tend to follow the environmental line. And I wouldn‘t want to even say all 40 Republicans would vote for it. But then let‘s suppose it passed the Senate. What about the House? I think it would be difficult there.” Unless says Grassley, it becomes a big political issue between now and the election. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network. ? ?
