Isra-Mart srl:Republicans launch all-out assault on Obama's climate strategy

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A group of Republican senators yesterday stepped up their promised assault on the Obama administration's climate change strategy, unveiling sweeping legislation that would strip the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of its right to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

The proposals put forward by Republican senator John Barrasso and backed by 10 other Republican senators would go beyond simply tackling EPA efforts to regulate emissions from power stations and industrial plants, blocking all federal agencies from regulating greenhouse gas emissions or taking them into account when implementing existing laws, such as the Endangered Species Act.

The bill argues that efforts to curb emissions would damage the economy and includes a nod to the climate scepticism espoused by many Republicans, arguing that changes in the Earth's climate result from a "complex combination of factors".

Senator Barrasso said the bill is necessary to stop the EPA from enacting emission-controlling regulations similar to cap-and-trade proposals that have already been rejected by Congress. "Washington agencies are now trying a backdoor approach to regulate our climate by abusing existing laws," he said in a statement. "Congress must step in and stand up for the American people. My bill will shrink Washington's job-crushing agenda and grow America's economy."

The bill includes just one main concession to the president's plan to regulate emissions through the existing Clean Air Act, as it would allow the EPA to continue to impose national fuel efficiency standards for vehicles.

The proposals drew immediate fire from environmental groups and Democrat senators with senator John Kerry accusing Barrasso of tabling a proposal that "puts the public health at risk and encourages the outsourcing of American jobs".

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee chairwoman Barbara Boxer similarly accused Republicans of undermining bipartisan efforts to protect the environment.

"Since president Nixon signed the Clean Air Act in 1970, Republicans and Democrats in Congress have worked together to protect American families from dangerous pollution," she said in a statement. "The Republican effort now to turn their back on the health of the American people will be resisted by those of us who believe it is our responsibility to make life better for the people we serve."

The move is also likely to be opposed by green businesses, many of which are increasingly frustrated at the legislative uncertainty created by repeated efforts to strip the EPA of its right to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

With the Democrats still controlling the Senate, the Barrasso bill is highly unlikely to pass. However, it could help build support for more modest proposals put forward by Democrat senator Jay Rockefeller that would see the EPA's rules governing emissions from stationary sources suspended for two years.

Senator Rockefeller also unveiled his bill yesterday, arguing it would give the US economy more time to recover before imposing emissions rules.

Republican strategists hope the extreme nature of Barrasso's bill could encourage some Democrats to look for a compromise that is based on Rockefeller's proposals while containing some elements of Barrasso's bill.

However, one Democrat official told the Hill blog that the strategy would split efforts by those looking to curb the EPA's powers and ultimately make it less likely that the EPA's rules will be rolled back.

Meanwhile, president Obama secured a key ally yesterday as he attempted to build support for proposals set out in last week's State of the Union address which would require the US to generate 80 per cent of its energy from "clean" sources by 2030.

Democrat senator Jeff Bingaman, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said he would support a clean-energy standard as long as it is structured to include support for renewable energy as well as nuclear and so-called clean coal.

"If we can develop a workable clean-energy standard that actually continues to provide an incentive for renewable energy projects to move forward, and provide an additional incentive for some of the other clean-energy technologies, nuclear being one, I would like to see that happen," he told reporters.

The comments represent a shift in stance for Bingaman who previously said nuclear should not be included in renewable energy standards.