On the recordMarch 29, 2011
I wish to talk a little bit about the McConnell amendment that I think we will vote on on the floor of the Senate this week. This is the amendment that really clarifies whether Congress ever intended to give the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to regulate greenhouse gases. They have a finding that gives them that authority, but the people who were involved in passing that law initially say that wasn't the intention of the law; that if it is the intention of the law, the Congress should step up and clarify that. I think this amendment clearly expresses the view of the American people that the Congress should do its job, not leave it to the regulators to do the job. Senator McConnell has brought that amendment to the floor. It is an amendment that Senator Inhofe has worked on regarding this topic for a long time. Senator Barrasso has also worked on this topic. I am convinced that as the ballots are cast and the votes are made this week on this bill and on this amendment, Senators from both parties are going to say: No, that is not the job of the EPA. It is not what the Congress intended EPA to do. This is a great example of the Congress trying to step up and make the point that the regulators should not be able to do by regulation what the legislators are unwilling to do by legislation. This issue was discussed last year--the cap-and-trade law that passed the House in the last Congress.…
