On the recordSeptember 23, 2011
I appreciate the gentlelady's courtesy, and I appreciate your offering this amendment. My friends on the other side of the aisle can't have it both ways. There has been a lot of study. For heaven's sake, EPA has already estimated cost of compliance, less than $1 billion, and the savings to Americans from lives saved, health care costs avoided and days of work and school not missed between $120 billion and $280 billion. This is a part of the study effort that has been going on for 20 years. We had hoped that on the 25th anniversary of the Clean Air Act in 2015 we would probably have full compliance. Yet we are quibbling here about things that EPA has been unable to monetize like a birth defect-- but for Heaven's sake, it's serious--in addition to the hundreds of billions that they can monetize. It is, I think, unfortunate that if this approach is approved, it will enable the Chinese to get ahead of us again. Remember, I put in the Record last night the front page of the Chinese Daily where they are moving ahead to reduce emissions. They are willing to incur the costs because of the health benefits, but it's not enough for my friends on the other side of the aisle to go ahead after 25 years. I thank the gentlelady.
