Published: February 20, 2011
House Budget Legislation Falls Prey to Anti-Environmental Extremism
House Republicans fell prey to anti-environmental extremism on 19th of February, passing a 2011 spending plan loaded with attacks on public health standards and conservation that have little to do with reducing the nation's debt, Republicans for Environmental Protection, a national grassroots organization of stewardship-minded Republicans, said.
"The continuing resolution (CR) that the House passed fulfills many items on the wish list of anti-environmental radicals. The resolution includes non-budgetary policy mandates that would prevent EPA from limiting carbon pollution and protecting water quality, bar the Interior Department from protecting wilderness-quality lands, and decree, without regard to scientific evidence, that northern gray wolves are no longer endangered," David Jenkins, REP vice president for government and political affairs, said.
An example of the extreme provisions in the legislation include Rep. Ted Poe's (R-TX) amendment that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from using its Clean Air Act authority to limit any greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources for any reason.
Another example is Rep. David McKinley's (R-WV) amendment barring EPA from using its Clean Water Act authority to protect streams from the damage caused by the odious practice of mountaintop removal coal mining.
The continuing resolution also would slash energy efficiency and renewable energy programs that help American households and businesses save money.
"It is really hard to understand why so many in our party seem so hell-bent on wasting energy. The same conservative values that compel us as conservatives to fiscally live within our means also compel us to do the same when it comes to our energy resources," Jim DiPeso, REP vice president for policy and communications, said.
In addition, the proposal would nearly wipe out the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) with an 82 percent cut. "Raiding the LWCF Trust Fund for other priorities would break a longstanding promise with the American people to spend a portion of offshore oil production revenues on land and water protection. Breaking that promise does not represent fiscal discipline," DiPeso said.
"Fortunately, an amendment that would have zeroed out the Land and Water Conservation Fund entirely was defeated," Jenkins said. "Another that would have cut off all funding to the National Landscape Conservation System, which protects scenic and archaeological treasures throughout the West, was withdrawn."
"We are also grateful that the House turned back a terrible amendment that in effect would have repealed the Antiquities Act, the outstanding conservation law that presidents from Theodore Roosevelt to George W. Bush have used to protect such national treasures as the Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, and the Statue of Liberty," DiPeso said.
"Republicans were not elected to gut environmental protections, and this legislation's attempt to do so is at odds with the stewardship values espoused by Americans of all political stripes. They were elected to practice fiscal responsibility. Unfortunately, they are doing the former and weaseling on the latter. This duplicity brings with it the risk of serious political consequences for our party in 2012 and beyond," Jenkins said.
"We call on the Senate to reject the House's extremism and settle on a rational plan to correct the nation's fiscal imbalances that avoids radical crusades to tear down public health protection and conservation," DiPeso said.
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