WASHINGTON, DC - The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power, chaired by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), today held a hearing with EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Gina McCarthy to discuss EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations. The hearing comes on the heels of Tuesday’s ruling by a federal appeals court upholding EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases, a decision members fear will expand EPA’s overreach to affect thousands of small businesses. “The end result of the court’s ruling is that Obama EPA’s backdoor carbon tax remains in effect. So now we have an Obama health care tax and a carbon tax," said Whitfield.
Last week, the subcommittee heard testimony from affected stakeholders about the threats posed by EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations to jobs and the economy. Today, members had the opportunity to directly raise these economic consequences with Assistant Administrator McCarthy, and gauge just how far the agency plans to go with its economically destructive agenda.
Whitfield pressed McCarthy about the factors affecting coal’s competitiveness, and the Obama EPA official openly admitted that EPA’s regulations are contributing to the decline of coal electricity generation. Watch their exchange here.
Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO) pressed McCarthy about the uncertainty created by EPA’s tailoring rule, seeking answers on how widely it would apply to smaller sources. McCarthy refused to limit the scope of EPA’s rules, not ruling out enforcement of sources including marine engines, ATVs, lawnmowers, and leaf blowers. Watch their exchange here.
Last month, Energy and Commerce leaders wrote to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, requesting information about the scope of EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations.
