Rob Portman: “I rise today to urge my colleagues to oppose the rule on the EPA bill when it comes up this afternoon. It bars…”

“I rise today to urge my colleagues to oppose the rule on the EPA bill when it comes up this afternoon. It bars consideration of a number of crucially important amendments including the Mica-Thurman amendment on risk assessment. Environmental concerns are increasingly important to our Nation and the Federal Government, through the EPA, must be fully prepared to meet these challenges. That is why I support the George Bush initiative to elevate the EPA to Cabinet-level status. However, I strongly oppose the rule. In particular, the House should not be precluded from voting on the Mica-Thurman amendment. It is a simple idea: The amendment requires the EPA to analyze the relative costs and benefits of its proposals. Billions are spent annually to comply with EPA regulations. State and local governments alone are forced to spend $30 to $40 billion per year. These are the detrimental unfunded mandates Governor George Voinovich of Ohio and other Governors on a bipartisan basis have rightly highlighted this week. It seems only appropriate to require the Agency promulgating these mandates to consider their economic impact. It is proposal, I might add, which the other body adopted by a vote of 95-3. Yet, we cannot even get a vote on it. That is just wrong. I urge my colleagues to do the right thing and defeat the rule.”