December 2009 Archives

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) released the following statement today after President Barack Obama addressed the United Nation’s Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

“While I disagreed strongly with many things President Obama said today in Copenhagen, I do agree with him about one thing – we can’t waste time. We can’t waste time getting our economy back on track and creating good jobs right here in Kentucky. Eliminating coal from our energy portfolio by setting unreasonable emission standards is a direct threat to both of these goals. We can protect our planet for future generations without altogether eliminating the use of coal, a vital Kentucky resource. By investing in clean coal technologies such as carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), we have the ability to use coal in new and innovative ways that will reduce our carbon emissions. Now is the time to harness America’s rich natural resources, not render them useless.”

WASHINGTON – Citing concerns over increased government spending at a time of unprecedented deficits, U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) opposed legislation today to increase the national debt ceiling by $290 billion.

“Instead of reining in excessive government spending to bring down our soaring national debt, Speaker Pelosi has her own solution to our budget problems – ‘just borrow more,’ ” Whitfield said. “With the national debt sitting at a record high of $12 trillion, the last thing we need to do is give Congress a license to spend more. Now is the time for Congress to curb its runaway spending habits before our national debt becomes an insurmountable burden for future generations.”

The House passed, and Whitfield opposed, H.R. 4314, a bill which increases the national debt limit from $12.104 trillion to $12.394 trillion. The national debt limit sets a ceiling for how much money the federal government can borrow. According to the Department of Treasury, the current national debt is $12.071 trillion, $33 billion away from reaching the current limit. The national debt was extended last February from $11.315 trillion to $12.104 trillion when the House passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Whitfield also opposed. With Speaker Pelosi and her leadership team in Congress continuing to spend more money than the government has available, experts anticipate that the debt limit will have to be raised again before March 2010.

Whitfield has been an outspoken critic of excessive government spending and has voiced concerns over the impact the high national debt will have on the nation. He introduced legislation earlier this year which would require Congress to have a means to pay for any legislation passed in the House of Representatives.

The debt limit bill now awaits consideration in the Senate.

WASHINGTON – Working to ensure the American people have the facts and accurate information they need to make informed decisions about the true impacts of climate change, U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield criticized former Vice-President Al Gore today for exaggerating scientific findings on the world stage at the United Nation’s Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen yesterday.

“While sound science may be an ‘inconvenient truth’ for Al Gore, it is not for the American people who will feel the real effects of capping carbon emissions through job losses and higher electricity rates,” Whitfield said. “Misrepresenting scientific research to support one’s own personal beliefs, particularly on an international stage, is dangerous, disingenuous and simply unacceptable. I call on Mr. Gore to come clean about the real science surrounding climate change and let the American people come to their own conclusions on global warming.”

Leaders from around the world are currently meeting to discuss the cause and impact of climate change at the U.N. Climate Change Conference. Yesterday, Gore gave a speech at the Conference where he said that new science suggests there is a 75 percent chance that the Arctic Ocean might be nearly ice-free in the summertime as early as 2014. However, the scientist who Gore claims made this prediction denies such a timetable and says he is unsure how Gore arrived at this conclusion.

Gore has been a longtime advocate for curbing carbon emissions and has been warning of the dangers of global warming for several years. Critics have accused Gore of fear mongering and misrepresenting scientific findings in the past. They have also noted that Gore has large investments in green energy companies.

This news comes on the heels of recent findings that some scientists have been suppressing important scientific information regarding climate change. Email messages and documents were discovered from climate change researchers at a British university last month which seem to many to indicate that some in the scientific community may have been overstating the human influence on climate change. In light of these findings, Whitfield has called for additional research to be done and for the U.S. Congress to reevaluate climate change legislation which could have a devastating impact on the economy and increase electricity rates in Kentucky by as much as 65 percent.

Whitfield has long been concerned about the impact a cap and trade program would have on citizens across the country, and in Kentucky in particular. Such a proposal could force Kentuckians to pay sky high energy costs during an economic crunch while crippling the Commonwealth’s coal industry. While climate change legislation, which Whitfield opposed, passed in the House this past summer, further action is awaiting in the Senate.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) released the following statement today after the Kentucky Division for Air Quality issued a draft air permit for Kentucky NewGas, a state-of-the-art coal-to-natural-gas facility near Central City in Muhlenberg County.

“Once again, western Kentucky is leading the charge in energy innovation. This new coal-to-gas facility will help advance the next wave of clean coal technologies while promoting the use of a vital Kentucky resource. It will also provide a much needed jolt to the western Kentucky economy by creating an estimated 1,200 construction jobs, 500 long-term jobs and generating $100 million a year in economic benefits. This project is truly a win-win for Kentucky and I will continue to do whatever I can to see this project through.”  

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) voted against sweeping financial reform legislation today which would greatly expand government involvement in the financial industry and allow the federal government to continue to use taxpayer funds to bail out certain financial institutions.

“While we are all committed to increasing transparency on Wall Street and preventing another financial meltdown, which ended up forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for the bad business decisions of a few on Wall Street, the last thing we should be doing is furthering government interference in the free market,” Whitfield said. “If the last year has taught us anything, it is that we need to show fiscal restraint with our spending and that government intervention is not always the best policy. With so many Americans struggling to find jobs and make ends meet, we need to be doing everything we can to spur economic growth, not hinder it.”

The House passed, and Whitfield opposed, H.R. 4173, the Wall Street Reform and Protection Act of 2009. The legislation expands the role of the federal government in the financial sector under the guise of preventing another collapse of the financial market. The Wall Street Reform and Protection Act grants the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve permanent authority to bail out certain financial institutions; creates a ‘Credit Czar’ with the authority to restrict access to credit and impose taxes on consumers and small businesses; expands the power of the Federal Reserve; imposes a massive tax hike; and empowers federal regulators to impose wage controls on workers.

The bill passed today would make the policies used to bail out AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, GM, Chrysler and other failing firms permanent, extending the “too big to fail” policy. To pay for this permanent bailout authority, the legislation imposes a $150 billion business tax which some say could lead to many businesses cutting jobs to save on costs. Furthermore, the legislation would give federal financial regulators the authority to determine wages for all employees at covered financial institutions, not just executives and officers.

Whitfield opposed the $700 billion bailout of the financial industry which was passed by Congress last fall, citing concerns over government involvement in the financial sector and the effectiveness of the legislation. The bill established the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) to bail out struggling financial institutions. At the time, Whitfield expressed concerns over the bailout and over setting unprecedented regulations on our financial institutions and markets that many leading economists believed might do more to hinder our economy than help it.

Whitfield supported an alternative bill today which would have ended bailouts, restored market discipline, strengthened shareholder rights on executive compensation and protected consumers, small businesses and taxpayers.

WASHINGTON – Citing concerns over Washington’s continual assault on the use of coal, U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) cautioned against the overregulation of coal ash which could have a devastating impact on a critical Kentucky industry. While there is no evidence that, when properly managed and monitored, coal ash cannot be utilized for a variety of purposes, movements are underway to classify the substance as a “hazardous material,” rendering the byproduct essentially useless and presenting a challenge as to how to dispose of the material.

“Coal is a vital resource in my home state of Kentucky and anything that seeks to harm coal production, such as a ruling by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifying coal ash as a hazardous material, would cause electricity rates to rise and put many people out of work at a time in our nation’s history when we can least afford to lose jobs,” Whitfield said. “While we are all committed to protecting our nation’s water supply and safeguarding the health of the public, we must be mindful of the impact further assault on the use of coal will have on our economy.”

The House Energy and Environment Subcommittee, on which Whitfield serves, held a hearing today entitled “Drinking Water and Public Health Impacts of Coal Combustion Waste Disposal.” The hearing examined current practices for the disposal of coal fly ash and its impact on drinking water and public health. During the hearing, Whitfield cautioned against classifying coal ash as a hazardous material.

Coal fly ash, the byproduct generated from the combustion of coal, is currently used in building materials and as a structural fill for building sites. In many cases coal ash is cheaper to use, makes cement more structurally sound and actually releases fewer carbon emissions than raw materials. There is no evidence that when properly managed and monitored, coal ash cannot be safely used as a substitute for raw materials.

Utilizing coal ash in building materials provides a means for disposing of the byproduct in a manner that is both environmentally and economically sound. Whitfield expressed concerns today that a designation of coal ash as a hazardous material would cause many companies to stop using the ash in building materials and, therefore, drive up costs for electric utility companies that would trickle down to consumers. Furthermore, such a ruling would present the problem of deciding how to dispose of this material for the long term.

EPA has examined the classification of coal ash as a hazardous material repeatedly over the years. In 1993, 1999 and 2000, the EPA looked at this issue and decided the material did not warrant such a classification. Currently, states regulate coal ash. Whitfield said that if standards for dealing with coal ash need to be strengthened, Congress should discuss ways to do this that will allow the material to continue to be used in a beneficial manner, without classifying it as hazardous.

WASHINGTON – Continuing his efforts to combat diabetes, a disease from which 24 million Americans suffer, U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) helped usher through the House of Representatives today a Resolution which calls for Congress to increase Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, research funding.

“Type 1 diabetes continues to affect millions of children and families across the country,” Whitfield said. “Finding a cure will help those suffering from the disease live long and healthy lives and go a long way in bringing down healthcare costs. I urge Congress to increase funding for diabetes research so that we may finally find a cure for this disease.”

The House passed H. Res. 35, which expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should increase federal funding for continued Type 1 diabetes research. Whitfield is a cosponsor of this legislation which calls for an increase in research funding to meet the goals of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) so that a cure for Type 1 diabetes can be found.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which a person's pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. The disease typically strikes in childhood, but lasts a lifetime. Individuals suffering from Type 1 diabetes must take multiple injections of insulin daily or continually infuse insulin through a pump just to survive. According to the Juvenile Diabetes research fund, as many as 3 million Americans have Type 1 diabetes. In the U.S. alone, more than 15,000 children are diagnosed with diabetes every year.

Whitfield has been a longtime advocate for diabetes patients in the U.S. Congress. He has been a Member of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, which aims to educate the public about diabetes and supports legislative activities that would improve diabetes research, education and treatment, for several years. Congressman Whitfield also supported legislation, which became law in 2002, which provided $1.5 billion for the Special Diabetes Program, a program that funds juvenile diabetes research. In addition, last Congress he sponsored legislation to reauthorize the Special Type 1 Diabetes Program under the Public Health Service Act.

WASHINGTON – On the heels of recent reports that some scientists have been suppressing important scientific information regarding climate change, U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) is calling on Congress to go back to the drawing board on climate change legislation which could have a devastating impact on the economy and increase electricity rates in Kentucky by as much as 65 percent.

“This so-called ‘trick and hide’ maneuver being used by some researchers to distort climate change science is also being used by Speaker Pelosi and leaders in the House to trick the American people and ram through Congress dangerous climate change legislation,” Whitfield said. “This ‘trick and hide’ bill will be a harpoon through our economy at a time when so many Kentuckians are struggling to find jobs and make ends meet. As the United States moves forward addressing climate change, it is essential we balance the need for cleaner fuel sources against the need for protecting jobs in the U.S. and keeping our country competitive in the global marketplace.”

Whitfield submitted a statement for the congressional record today highlighting his concerns over these recent reports and their impact on the climate change debate. Email messages and documents were discovered from climate change researchers at a British university last month which seem to many to indicate that some in the scientific community may have been overstating the human influence on climate change. The trick that scientists have been using to make the climate change data more favorable to blaming human impact has been reported as being called, “trick and hide.” Whitfield said in light of these most recent reports, it is essential Congress take a step back and ensure we understand the true impact of carbon emissions before moving forward with climate change legislation which could have a devastating impact on the U.S. economy and consumers.

The Congressman also expressed concerns over the Obama Administration’s so-called “endangerment finding” which declares that carbon emissions endanger the public’s health. This “finding” opens the door for the Obama Administration to try and regulate carbon emissions through the Clean Air Act, as opposed to congressional action.

“This is a disastrous move forward to regulate carbon under a law that was clearly not intended to regulate carbon emissions,” Whitfield said. “In many cases, it is not required under this law to take into consideration the impact on the economy, which poses enormous problems.”

Whitfield has long been concerned about the impact a cap and trade program would have on citizens across the country, and in Kentucky in particular. Such a proposal could force Kentuckians to pay sky high energy costs during an economic crunch while crippling the Commonwealth’s coal industry. While climate change legislation passed in the House this past summer, which Whitfield opposed, further action is awaiting in the Senate.

Dear Editor,

This week, leaders from across the globe are meeting in Copenhagen for the United Nations Climate Change Conference. This significant meeting aims to unite world leaders, including President Obama, to develop an international strategy to combat global warming. While we are all committed to protecting our planet for the well being of future generations, we must be mindful of the impact setting unreasonable carbon emission standards will have on our nation. 

President Barack Obama has announced plans to commit the United States to a 17% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020. While the President’s commitment is not legally binding, as only Congress has the ability to create new laws and the U.S. Senate must ratify any international treaty, this proposal is very similar to the standards called for in the climate change legislation passed in the House of Representatives this summer. I opposed this legislation and share the concerns of many of my fellow Kentuckians over the President’s proposal and the position his commitment in Copenhagen will put our nation. Agreeing to lower emissions at such a rapid rate before we have the technology in place to actually meet these standards poses grave consequences to our already faltering economy, particularly in Kentucky.

The President’s proposal for curbing carbon emissions could force Kentuckians to pay sky high energy costs during an economic crunch while crippling the Commonwealth’s coal industry. Coal continues to be the most economical way to produce electricity. A commitment to reduce carbon emissions as President Obama proposes would drive up the cost of using coal significantly and, hence, electricity prices would increase. Not only would this increase costs for consumers, but also for businesses, which would, in turn, drive up costs for all goods and services. Furthermore, the coal industry is a critical part of the Kentucky economy, employing thousands of people and generating millions of dollars for local economies. During tough economic times, we must do everything we can to protect jobs, not threaten them.

Furthermore, any commitment on the part of the U.S. to curb carbon emissions must be met by similar commitments from other nations. While countries such as China and India have announced their own plans to reduce emissions ahead of the conference in Copenhagen, concerns remain about their significance relative to proposals from other nations such as the United States. If the U.S. commits to reducing emissions without comparable commitments from other nations, not only will this make our emissions reduction nearly insignificant in terms of protecting our planet, but it will put American businesses at a significant disadvantage.

As the United States moves forward addressing climate change, it is essential we balance the need for cleaner fuel sources against the need for protecting jobs in the U.S. and keeping our country competitive in the global market place. In the coming year I will continue my efforts to ensure consumers are protected and that Kentucky coal continue to play a role in our nation’s energy portfolio.

Sincerely,

U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) sharply criticized new breast cancer recommendations issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) last month which could result in fewer women being screened and increase the number of deaths associated with the disease.

“Breast cancer continues to take the lives of thousands of women across the country every year,” Whitfield said. “In Kentucky alone nearly 3,000 new cases of breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed this year. As with most cancers, early detection is the key to successfully combating this killer disease. For the USPSTF to suggest early screenings are unnecessary is both irresponsible and dangerous.”

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing today entitled “Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations.” During the hearing, the recently updated breast cancer recommendations issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force were examined. Whitfield submitted a statement at the hearing criticizing the new recommendations and warning that under Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s healthcare bill, guidelines such as these could prevent many women from receiving the screenings they need. 

On November 16, 2009, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced it would no longer recommend routine mammograms for women between the ages of 40 and 49, a group that accounts for about 1 out of 6 instances of breast cancer. Whitfield noted that early detection of breast cancer through this screening process dramatically increases the odds of being able to successfully treat the disease. According to the National Cancer Institute, the 5 year survival rate for a woman who is diagnosed early and catches the breast cancer in Stage 0 or 1 is 100%. Contrast that with a woman who is diagnosed in Stage IV, where the survival rate is 20%. The Congressman said this statistic clearly shows the importance of early screenings.

Furthermore, Whitfield pointed out that the new Health Benefits Advisory Committee, which would be established under the healthcare reform legislation passed last month in the House, could decide not to reimburse patients seeking early screenings. The Congressman has repeatedly stated his opposition to rationing of healthcare and pointed to this situation as a prime example of how the healthcare bill passed in the House could significantly endanger patient care.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) issued the following statement today following President Barack Obama’s speech on U.S. efforts in Afghanistan last night.

“Having traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan within the last year, I had the opportunity to see firsthand the different strategic military challenges posed in each of these countries. The enemies we face in Afghanistan are much more transient and tougher to find than the ones we faced in Iraq, especially considering many of them come in and out of Pakistan to quickly fight and retreat. Furthermore, while Iraq only has three distinctive cultures, Afghanistan is broken up with dozens of different tribes; all fearful of one another, al Qaeda, and the United States. “Handing over” security to such a fractioned country with a lack of true centralized government will be extremely difficult.

“I expect to travel to Afghanistan again in the near future, to discuss our strategy with military leaders on the ground. I will also continue to consult with the brave men and women who serve at Fort Campbell to hear their firsthand accounts of our efforts in Afghanistan. For the past 15 years I have had the great privilege of representing these heroes and their families. These men and women have carried these wars on their backs and I will continue to do everything I can to ensure they have the resources they need to carry out their missions, and the care and benefits they have more than earned when they return home.

“I am concerned that President Obama would set a withdrawal date for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, which could seem to give our enemies a strategic advantage. While I will continue to review President Obama’s strategy, I join all Americans in hoping it can successfully thwart terrorism and bring stability to the Middle East while bringing our troops home safely as soon as possible.”