Lamar Smith: “I thank the gentleman from Arizona for yielding me this time. H.R. 4012, the Secret Science Reform Act, is a short…”

“I thank the gentleman from Arizona for yielding me this time. H.R. 4012, the Secret Science Reform Act, is a short, commonsense bill. It requires the Environmental Protection Agency to base its regulations on public information. I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Schweikert), the chairman of the Environment Subcommittee, for introducing this bill. Costly environmental regulations should only be based upon data that is available to independent scientists and the public. However, the EPA does not adhere to this practice. In fact, nearly every major air- quality regulation from this administration has been justified by data that it has kept secret. This means the Agency's claims about the benefits of its rules cannot be verified by independent scientists. This includes the recent plan to regulate our entire electric system. This proposal will kill thousands of jobs and increase electricity costs, all for no discernible effect on global temperatures. This also includes upcoming ozone regulations, which even the administration admits will be the most expensive in history. Unachievable standards will result in economic hardship, stalled new road projects, and burdened local governments. Unfortunately, EPA clearly sees transparency and accountability as a threat.…”