Posted on 01/09/2010 10:16:47 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) is floating legislation to block what he calls “boneheaded” EPA proposals to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under its current Clean Air Act powers.
Pomeroy said his plan is aimed at shielding North Dakota residents from electricity rate hikes and protecting coal-related jobs in the state. The bill joins several GOP efforts to block the agency’s planned emissions rules.
Pomeroy, who is in his ninth term, introduced the bill in mid-December but touted the measure in a Friday press release.
It comes at an unsettled time politically in the conservative state following Sen. Byron Dorgan’s (D-N.D.) surprise announcement Tuesday that he will not seek reelection this year.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report lists Pomeroy’s at-large House as likely to remain Democratic. But Dorgan’s retirement and the possibility that popular GOP Governor John Hoeven will run for Dorgan’s seat could boost Republican turnout in the midterm election.
Pomeroy’s brief legislation amends the air law to specifically exclude carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the definition of pollutant, which would prevent the agency from regulating heat-trapping emissions from cars, power plants and other sources.
It also includes a “sense of Congress” that comprehensive climate change regulations must only be enacted at the direction of Congress.
“Regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under the current provisions of the Clean Air Act is dangerous, irresponsible and just plain wrong. That is why I introduced the Save Our Energy Jobs Act which would stop the EPA from moving forward with its boneheaded proposal,” Pomeroy said in a press release to North Dakota media outlets Friday.
“I am not about to let some Washington bureaucrat, who does not know squat about North Dakota’s energy sector, dictate new public policy that will raise our electricity rates and put at risk the thousands of coal-related jobs in our state,” he added.
(In the version of the press release on Pomeroy’s House website, the word “boneheaded” has been cut from the quote above. So has the phrase “who does not know squat about North Dakota’s energy sector.”)
Pomeroy will begin seeking co-sponsors for the measure when the House returns next week, an aide said.
The Obama administration is seeking a comprehensive emissions law from Congress but warns that EPA will move ahead with regulations in the absence of a new statute.
The House approved a sweeping climate and energy bill in June, centered on an economy-wide “cap-and-trade” system to limit U.S. greenhouse gas output. Pomeroy was among the 44 House Democrats to vote against the bill.
Go FoR It , Earl!
...As if 0bama would sign it. The only way this will become law is if they can get enough votes to overrule a veto. I can’t imagine 0bama signing a law that undermines his EPA.
Of course, it would be nice to get Congress on record, either supporting the EPA rules or being against them.
Another Dementocrat preparing to abandon ship.
He MIGHT be able to get this passed. Notice that it very cleverly reserves to congress the right to pass new carbon taxes in the future, if they choose to do so. It simply denies the EPA bureaucrats the right to twist the current regulations into something never intended by congress.
Also, good luck to Obama if he puts himself forward and vetoes this bill. Not too many people are going to want to see their fuel bills doubled. And not too many workers in swing states are going to want to see their coal mines shut down.
And what happens if the EPA manages to kill the Alaska-Canada gas pipeline that Exxon agreed to build? That will pit Obama directly against Sarah Palin, who enabled that deal.
Boneheaded is the reight word to use.
I don’t think the average consumer understands what a carbon tax would do to their electric bill. The current Co2 capture technology takes 30% of a coal plant’s output to run. That would be like putting a CO2 capture unit on the exhaust pipe of your car with it taking one of every three gallons of gas to run the unit. Wouldn’t sit too well. What the utilities need to do is tell the consumers if they don’t want their electic bills to go up by 50%-100% take it up with the government they elected. It’s not the fault of the utilities - they are trying to meet mandates set by the government the consumers elected. If I were a utility that’s what I would tell the consumer, and in no uncertain terms.
The problem is that utilities are regulated by government, subject to bureaucratic and legislative whim. They can be -- and are -- punished if they step out of line.
That's the reason why most businesses that have been impacted by this administration -- banks, autos, insurance companies, etc. -- are remaining silent, even compliant. They are fearful of facing retribution by a government they are, at least to some degree, beholden to.
If an enterprise is regulated, it can be tyrannized.
If the utility gets that kind of pressure then tell that to the consumer too. The consumer/voter/slave is the one who has to do the DC house cleaning. That will never happen though if they remain too ignorant to understand the real reasons why their electric bill is going up.
North Dakota has had enough of Obama, so Nancy lets this guy talk about putting up a bill with absolutely zero chance of doing anything except helping him look better to voters back home.
Many business executives are, by nature, Republicans. That means they're scared to challenge big government liberals.
It also means the media will ridicule anything they might say that is critical of big government liberals. And P.R. is a very big deal -- especially to utilities, in their highly regulated quasi-monopoly position.
Let there be no mistake, to use a figure of speech, there is a sense of fear in the air about this administration. It's going to take people with guts and resolve to defeat them.
If he bails out and joins the GOP, all I can say is “welcome aboard.”
One problem is that Obama will also threaten businesses who try to tell consumers what is going on. (In fact, he will threaten anyone when he thinks he can get away with it.) The Tea parties are an encouraging sign, but there are still to many Americans who don't care.
More Dem Censorship on Healthcare Debate (George Orwell call your office. Again. )
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