WRAP UP

Tamar Hallerman
GHG Monitor
12/7/12

IN CONGRESS

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), one of the Senate’s most prominent climate change skeptics, said he will continue to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) in the new Congress to kill Environmental Protection Agency regulations primarily aimed at cutting emissions the nation’s coal fleet. In remarks on the Dec. 2 episode of “Platts Energy Week,” Inhofe said he expects that Republicans—and even some Democrat senators facing reelection in 2014—would support his efforts under the mechanism, which allows Congress to invalidate federal rulemakings pending they receive a simple majority in both chambers and the signature of the President. “There are a lot of Democrats coming up for reelection in 2014 who are not going to want to fall on the sword of Obama on this overregulation once the people at home find out what it’s costing them,” Inhofe said. Over the last two years, attempts to use the CRA to defeat EPA mercury and good neighbor provisions failed on the Senate floor. Even if a measure censuring one of EPA’s rulemakings did pass both chambers of Congress, it is unlikely President Obama would sign legislation censuring his own Administration’s regulations.