-------------
LATE EDITION - Today in Washington, D.C. - Nov. 16, 2011:
Today, the Senate resumed consideration of H.R. 2354, the Fiscal Year 2012 Energy-Water appropriations bill.
Last night, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) tried to add via unanimous consent the FY 2012 Financial Services and State-Foreign Operations appropriations bills to H.R. 2354, but failed after objections from Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) over spending levels and Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) over Cuba trade policies.
Reid then filled the amendment tree on the Energy-Water bill, blocking amendments unless an agreement is reached on a number of amendment votes.
The House delayed voting yesterday on H.R. 822, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act. This critically important legislation, sponsored by Rep Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and Heath Shuler (D-NC) and cosponsored by more than 240 of their colleagues, would enable millions of permit holders to exercise their right to self-defense while traveling outside their home states. Only Illinois and the US capital Washington do not allow concealed firearms. They are expected to do so today.
Later this week, the House is expected to vote on the conference report for the first minibus bill, H.R. 2112, which includes the FY 2012 Agriculture, Transportation-Housing and Urban Development, and Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bills. The conference report also includes a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through Dec. 16th, since the current CR expires on Friday. If the House approves the H.R. 2112 conference report, the Senate is expected to take up the bill Thursday or Friday.
Yesterday, the Senate voted 87-8 to confirm Sharon Gleason as District Judge for the District of Alaska and 89-6 to confirm Yvonne Rogers as District Judge for the Northern District of California.
With respect to the Joint Select "SUPER" Committee and the democrats throwing up road blocks, the news sources have noted the following:
- The New York Times details that Democrats “Less United and Struggling to Come Up with a Counteroffer.” "The Republicans in both chambers embraced a plan devised by Senator Patrick J. Toomey, one of their party’s representatives on the panel. Democrats appeared to be less united and struggling to come up with a counteroffer.”
- The Wall Street Journal: “Republicans expressed frustration that Democrats hadn't made a detailed response to their proposal, which would cut the deficit by $1.2 trillion and include $250 billion in tax increases, a deal they offered as a major retreat from their no-new-taxes pledge.”
- National Journal: "Supercommittee Member James Clyburn (D-SC): “Democrats Have Not Coalesced Around a Plan.” “But Clyburn also acknowledged that even the six Democrats on the committee aren’t in agreement with each other. ‘The fact of the matter is democrats have not coalesced around a plan,’ admitted Clyburn.”
- The Washington Post: “Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), who sits on the panel, said Sunday that the supercommittee’s six Democrats have not been unified on those ideas. That notion was reinforced Tuesday by Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), another supercommittee member. ‘Is there a plan that has actually been presented to the Republicans as the six members on the Democratic side? There’s still conversations going on. So it would be premature to try to end those conversations — bipartisan conversations — when they may still influence what package the Democrats ultimately believe can get a bipartisan vote,’ Becerra said.”
- Roll Call: “It was Unclear Whether a Formal Proposal from Democrats was Imminent.” “When asked about the possibility of a new proposal, Van Hollen said, ‘As you can see, we’re continuing to have discussions.’ However, it was unclear whether a formal proposal from Democrats was imminent.”
One of the most problematic new regulations being imposed by the Obama administration is new EPA standards on industrial boilers. The National Association of Manufacturers has warned that this new rule “will put 230,000 jobs at risk, according to the Council of Industrial Boiler Owners. The Boiler MACT rule will cost manufacturers more than $14 billion in valuable capital that could be spent on investments to create jobs.”
Over 300 jobs groups wrote in a letter that “the final Boiler MACT rules will have serious economic impacts on a vast array of facilities across the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors. These rules place at risk tens of thousands of high-paying manufacturing jobs that our nation cannot afford to lose.”
In fact, 200 jobs at a paper mill in Ohio are already at risk thanks to this EPA regulation. According to a report in The Cincinnati Enquirer last month, “Smart Papers, the Hamilton-based paper maker, said Thursday it has begun winding down operations . . . . The company, which is the last North American manufacturer of premium coated printing papers used for everything from packaging to corporate reports, employs about 200. Competition from Asia, rising costs of raw materials and uncertainty surrounding new federal pollution rules contributed to the decision, said Tim Needham, Smart Papers’ chairman.”
The Enquirer reported, “‘I feel terrible,’ [Needham] said. ‘I’ve put my heart, sweat and money into this business. This is a sad day for the Hamilton mill.’ . . . [A]s written today, Needham said the rules would require his company to essentially replace its existing boilers. . . . Beyond the cost of new boilers, Needham said, current boiler technology doesn’t exist to comply with the EPA standards. ‘When I talk to prospective purchasers, they say, “Can you guarantee us that we won’t end up spending twice what it costs to buy the business to comply with the rules?” No, I can’t,’ he said.’”
To try to alleviate some of the economic harm from this rule, House Republicans have passed a bill to reform this rule. This morning, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell explained, “First, it provides more time for the EPA to issue new regulations for industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers, process heaters, and incinerators. This is time that the EPA itself has indicated that it needs in order to collect more data and analysis, and to finalize the rules. So it gives the EPA what it says it needs. More specifically, it would provide the EPA 15 months from the date of the bill’s enactment to re-propose and finalize the new boiler rules — which, I want to emphasize, the EPA has already requested. This bill would also extend the compliance deadlines from three to five years, which would allow companies adequate time to comply with the new standards and install the required equipment. Crucially, this bill would also direct the EPA to ensure that the new rules are achievable and realistic.”
The bill has bipartisan support. It passed the House with 41 Democrat votes. In the Senate, it is sponsored by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and 12 Senate Democrat cosponsors. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) said, “EPA itself has admitted that its boiler rules need to be fixed… This legislation directs the EPA to go back to the drawing board and craft boiler rules that are more in line with what is realistic for mills and factories...” Sen. Mary Landrieu said, “With manufacturing being one of the bright spots in our economic recovery, we cannot afford to jeopardize the industry's health and the high-paying jobs it supplies to this country.” Even progressive Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) said, “The pulp and timber industry in Arkansas want certainty so it can plan for the future, something that continuous litigation and unpredictable regulations currently do not provide… This legislation provides the EPA adequate time to work with industry and establish sensible and achievable regulations, once and for all.”
McConnell said, “Too many jobs are at stake for the Senate not to act on this legislation that’s already passed the House. I’ve previously mentioned an Ohio paper mill where 200 jobs are at stake as a result of this rule. The American Forest and Paper Association says 70,000 jobs in the paper industry alone are also at risk. The Republican-House has done its job. Now it’s time for the Senate to act. “Let’s take up The EPA Regulatory Relief Act, pass it, and send it on down to the President for a signature. If Democrat leaders can’t agree to take up and pass legislation that the two parties agree on, then what will they agree to pass?”
Tags: Washington, D.C.< US Senate, US House, Concealed weapons permit, EPA, industrial boiler rules, killing jobs, government regulations To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
0 comments:
Post a Comment