Posted on 07/10/2014 8:45:42 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
The Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to quietly assume power to garnishing paychecks of accused polluters ran into firm opposition Thursday from top Senate Republicans.
The senators objected to the new rule proposed by EPA, saying it would put too much power in the hands of “an agency prone to regulatory abuses.”
“While we recognize the government’s legitimate interest in efficiently and effectively pursuing delinquent debt, EPA’s new wage garnishment procedures provide an agency prone to regulatory abuses with even more power over individual Americans,” wrote Sen. David Vitter, Louisiana Republican and ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, in a comment letter opposing the proposed rule.
The letter also was signed by Sen. John Barrasso, a senior member of the committee, and Sen. Mike Enzi, both Wyoming Republicans.
The EPA attempted to fast-track the rule, announcing it as a “direct final rule” that would take effect automatically Sept. 2, unless the EPA receives adverse public comments by Aug. 1.
In light of their adverse comment, the senators demanded “that the EPA withdraw its direct final rule on administrative wage garnishment immediately.”
The backlash is occurring as the EPA flexes its regulatory muscle under President Obama, collecting more fines each year and hitting individuals with costly penalties for violating environmental rules — including recently slapping fines of as much as $187,500 per day on Wyoming homeowner Andy Johnson for building a pond on his rural property.
The senators objected to the new rule giving EPA too much control over the hearing process, including giving the agency power to decide whether and how accused debtors could challenge the fines.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Someone posted this on WT blog.
Whether one support this outcome or not, Congress gave federal agencies the power to garnish wages without court order in a 1996 law (called the Debt Collection Improvement
Act of 1996, Public Law 104-134) that
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was voted for by Senator Mitch McConnell and 87 other Senators (including 40 Republicans), and now-Speaker John Boehner & 398
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other U.S. Representatives (including 214 Republicans). See that law here: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/P...
(search “garnish,” in Section 3720D). Here is the official record listing how Senators voted (http://www.senate.gov/legislat... and how U.S. Representatives in the House voted (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/199....
RINOs:
* Just stop whining and assign the entire EPA to a US House Committee!
* Then you RINOs re-write all the EPA Regulations, downsize the staff, and jail whoever you want.
* Grow a pair!
I copied and pasted here the addresses for the gov voting records. When I try pulling it up from FR it says error. When I pull it up from WT comment it comes up?
Soon after that, I will eat lunch. BTW, you are all invited. Subjects of discussion will be other overbearing agencies, and what order to repeal them, by executive order of course. Works for Obunghole, why not for me.
Go after the bird killing windmills. The dead birds are polluting the water tables and blowing dead and diseased birds into towns, which can harm thousands of minorities and women and children.
Killing migratory birds is already a crime. We will take a page from the leftists and fine them for all the birds we think they might kill over their useful lifetimes. The criminal penalties will follow actual killings.
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