Originally published in DailyKos
Dave Brat voted for HR 5538, the Department of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act 2017. This bill may also be referred to as the “Pulling All the EPA’s Teeth Act.”
The House Appropriations Committee description of the bills effect on EPA is:
“Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – The bill funds the EPA at $7.98 billion, a reduction of $164 million below the fiscal year 2016 enacted level and $291 million below the President’s budget request. Within this total, the EPA’s regulatory programs are reduced by $43 million (6 percent) below the current level and $187 million (21 percent) below the President’s request.
The legislation also rejects the President’s proposed increase in staffing, holding the EPA to the current capacity of 15,000 positions, the lowest since 1989.
To stop the EPA’s anti-growth agenda that includes various harmful, costly, and potentially job-killing regulations, the bill contains a number of legislative provisions. Some of these include:
- A prohibition on the EPA from implementing new greenhouse gas regulations for new and existing power plants, and the elimination of funding for greenhouse gas “New Source Performance Standards”;
- A prohibition on the EPA from making changes to the definition of “navigable waters” under the Clean Water Act;
- A prohibition on the EPA from making changes to the definition of “fill material”;
- A prohibition on the EPA from imposing duplicative financial assurance requirements;
- A reporting requirement on the backlog of mining permits awaiting approval;
- A prohibition on new methane requirements; and
- A prohibition on the regulation of the lead content of ammunition and fishing tackle.”
This bill is even worse in being anti-clean air, anti-clean water, and preventing government attempts to ameliorate the effects of climate change than was last year’s bill, which the president threatened to veto.
On his website, Dave Brat says,
“I understand the importance of preserving our environment. There is no doubt we must be good stewards of the environmental treasures with which we have been blessed. The welfare of future generations depends on it.”
Unfortunately his action in voting for this bill speaks louder than his words.
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We can’t afford two more years of Dave Brat.
Vote for Eileen Bedell in the Virginia 7th District.
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