Rand Paul to force showdown next week over new EPA clean air regulations

[jct74]

A little more background info on what that TV ad (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?327813-Video-Environmentals-target-Rand-Paul-in-new-TV-ad) I posted earlier is all about. Looks like Rand is making use of some rarely used senate procedures once again.


Sen. Paul seeks Dem backing in EPA floor battle

By Ben Geman and Andrew Restuccia - 11/03/11 06:43 PM ET

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) plans to force a vote on his resolution to nix a recently finalized Environmental Protection Agency rule that mandates cuts in power plant air pollution that blows across state lines.

He told reporters that the vote is expected Tuesday or Wednesday. Paul is reaching out to Democrats as he seeks 51 votes to overturn EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule.

“I think there will be some Democrats supporting us on it,” Paul told reporters in the Capitol Thursday.

...

The Cross-State rule seeks to curb smog and particulate-forming pollution from power plants in 27 states in the eastern half of the country. The House voted to scuttle the rule in September as part of a broader bill taking aim at EPA regulations.

Paul is using the Congressional Review Act — a mid-1990s law that was part of then-Speaker Newt Gingrich’s (R-Ga.) “Contract with America” — which allows Congress to overturn agency regulations.

Resolutions under the Act have an easy path to the Senate floor and cannot be filibustered, but it’s also a rarely used tool that has been wielded successfully just once.


Read more:
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/191717-overnight-energy

[jct74]

New York Times comes out against Rand's resolution


Editorial
Bad Theory, Bad Legislation

Published: November 7, 2011

The House’s campaign to undercut environmental laws has now migrated to the Senate. Rand Paul, a Republican of Kentucky, is expected to offer a resolution this week to block a new federal regulation requiring cuts in soot- and smog-forming gases from power plants east of the Mississippi River. Joe Manchin III, a Democrat of West Virginia, and Dan Coats, an Indiana Republican, are then expected to try to delay all new rules governing power-plant pollution.

These are bad bills, and Senate leaders should stop them from going forward. Weakening clean-air rules would harm public health. And the fundamental premise, that environmental regulation destroys jobs, is simply wrong.

...

Mr. Obama should be prepared to veto any of these bills, while his administration moves forward with its commitments to issue a final rule on mercury emissions and a preliminary proposal to regulate greenhouse gases from power plants. The Republicans won’t drop their posturing and complaining about regulation, but the White House has the facts on its side.


Read entire article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/opinion/bad-theory-bad-legislation.html

[jct74]

Lamar Alexander splits from Rand and his Republican colleagues on this
http://www.rollcall.com/news/lamar_alexander_bucks_gop_by_supporting_epa_rule_o n_clean_air-210113-1.html
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_56/Alexander-Breaks-Ranks-on-Clean-Air-210146-1.html

[AuH20]

Lamar Alexander splits from Rand and his Republican colleagues on this
http://www.rollcall.com/news/lamar_alexander_bucks_gop_by_supporting_epa_rule_o n_clean_air-210113-1.html

One of the worst senators in the country. I hate that guy.

[jct74]

Senators Snowe, Collins, and Ayotte have also come out against it, so doesn't look very good for it passing.
http://www.pressherald.com/blogs/maine_washington_politics/133461688.html
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/192477-sen-ayotte-to-vote-against-paul-resolution-overturning-epa-rules

White House is threatening to veto of course.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/192345-white-house-threatens

[jct74]

//

[jct74]

The resolution failed 41-56.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00201

Here is some coverage of the debate and vote:
http://hotair.com/archives/2011/11/11/senate-votes-down-rand-paul-move-to-curb-epa-regs/
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/192879-senate-preserves-epa-pollution-rule-but-more-battles-await

[GeorgiaAvenger]

Noticed two Democrats voted in favor of Rand's resolution, Nelson and Manchin. I believe they are the two most moderate Senate Demcrats, correct?

[jct74]

Here's some tubes of Rand speaking in favor of his resolution, this is most of it:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56UHuXzpLvo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rkle_cWGcc

or you can watch the whole debate over the resolution starting here (http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/SenateSession4948/start/931/stop/29010).


Here is some coverage of Rand's remarks on the senate floor, which Barbara Boxer was quite outraged/offended by:
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/192867-sen-rand-paul-radicals-have-taken-over-the-white-house-
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/10/rand-paul-mocks-drowning-_n_1086309.html?1320946152

Boxer also said the resolution was "one of the worst things" brought before the Senate, LOL.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/192941-boxer-calls-paul-cross-winds-resolution-one-of-the-worst-things-brought-before-senate

[ZanZibar]

Noticed two Democrats voted in favor of Rand's resolution, Nelson and Manchin. I believe they are the two most moderate Senate Demcrats, correct?http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00201


Looks like Nelson voted against it?