Democrats Pushing Back Against Carbon Regulations From The EPA--( Is Frank One Of Them??)

Three House Democrats are now pushing legislation that would stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating carbon emissions—a decision the agency announced in December -- without express permission from the Congress.

Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) introduced a bill on Tuesday that would amend the Clean Air Act to exclude regulations based on global warming effects, while Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) has a bill that would keep the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases at all unless approved by Congress.

In April 2009 the EPA proposed an “endangerment finding” for greenhouse gases, claiming that they “endanger the public health and welfare of current and future generations.” An endangerment finding is necessary to regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act. On Dec. 7, the EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson officially signed the finding, opening the way to regulate emissions of gases like carbon dioxide and methane.

By complying with the rules of the Clean Air Act, the EPA claims it can begin regulating things directly, such as automobiles, without any new law from Congress. But some Democrats, contrary to the administration’s views of the issue, are not satisfied with the EPA’s new regulatory direction.

“I'm proud to help sponsor this bill because if Congress doesn't do something soon, the EPA is going to cram these regulations through all on their own,” Rep. Peterson said in a statement.

More