House moves to quash Obama coal, gas rules
Source: Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans voted Friday to cramp President Barack Obama's environmental policies in favor of increased coal production, in a parting jab before returning home to campaign. The bill would bar the Environmental Protection Agency from restricting greenhouse gases, quash stricter fuel efficiency standards for cars and give states control over disposal of harmful coal byproducts.
The "Stop the War on Coal Act," passed on a mainly party-line vote, is a companion to GOP campaign ads accusing Obama and Democrats of costing the U.S. hundreds of thousands of jobs while driving up energy prices. Democrats dismissed the legislation as political theatrics, pointing out that almost all the provisions had already passed in the House.
Nineteen Democrats — mostly from coal-producing and conservative-leaning states — broke ranks to join Republicans in the 233-175 vote. The legislation is dead on arrival in the Democratic-led Senate, and Obama has already threatened a veto should it ever reach his desk.
Republicans and conservative groups are working to saddle down-ballot Democrats with Obama's environmental policies, which are unpopular in energy-producing battleground states such as Virginia and Ohio. They argue that no source of jobs or affordable energy can be spared amid a still-weak economy, with unemployment at 8.1 percent, and reliance on oil from the tumultuous Middle East.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/House-moves-to-quash-Obama-coal-gas-rules-3883605.php
= new reply since forum marked as read
The EPA is considering historic new standards for air pollution, but billionaires like the Koch brothers are spending big money on D.C. lobbyists to block these reforms.
These new standards, supported by President Obama, would place limits on industrial carbon pollution from power plants. But the Koch brothers and their billionaire buddies are trying to block these vital new public health safeguards in order to keep dumping unlimited amounts of industrial carbon pollution into our air.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
President Obama & the EPA need you to voice your support for new standards. Enacting these standards would help level the playing field for clean energy, and hold industrial polluters accountable. Show big polluters that their multi-million dollar lobbying campaign can't buy them the right to pollute our air.
The EPA is accepting public comments before deciding whether to close the loopholes that allow companies to pollute the air we breathe.
This is your chance to make your voice heard.
You can sign on to the statement below, or leave your own comment, by filling out the following form. The Sierra Club will deliver your message to the EPA.
http://sierra.stopbigpolluters.org/pgb/CKGGEBINLLP1BP1
The Koch-fueled, GOP Tea Party is making their move to stop this. It couldn't be more apparent by this bill being passed that they are doing the will of their Masters. They have decided that is more important to them than representing the people they are pledged to work for, our children and grandchildren who are affected by pollution.
