In The News
ICYMI: Washington Examiner "The hidden persuaders of the environmental elite"
Thursday August 7, 2014
Last week, U.S Environment and Public Works Committee Republicans released a report entitled, “The Chain of Environmental Command: How a Club of Billionaires and Their Foundations Control the Environmental Movement and Obama’s EPA,” which highlights the collusion between environmental activists, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and billionaires using large sums of money to influence environmental public policy.
Vitter Summary Statement for Baton Rouge Field Briefing on EPA Plan to Lower Ozone Standard
EPW Republican Field Briefing “Louisiana Jobs and Economic Growth in Jeopardy: How EPA’s Upcoming Ozone Standards Will Harm Our State”
Tuesday August 5, 2014
Baton Rouge, LA
Thank you everyone for being here today for a very important and critical topic to economic opportunity and the future of Louisiana. We’ve titled this Senate Environment and Public Works Committee minority briefing Louisiana Jobs and Economic Growth In Jeopardy: How EPA’s Upcoming Ozone Standards Will Harm Our State. I think that’s a suitable title given the serious nature of the impacts Louisiana could experience as a consequence of the recent proposal the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is now considering.Vitter Summary Statement on Subcommittee Hearing on Climate Change
U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety “Examining the Threats Posed by Climate Change”
Tuesday July 29, 2014
Washington, DC
Thank you, Chairman Whitehouse, for calling today’s hearing, and thank you to our witnesses for coming here today. Last June when President Obama announced his Climate Action Plan, we learned that he preferred his supporters not engage in straight economic arguments, overpromise on the impacts taking action will have, or debate the validity of the claim that the science is already settled. However, these are exactly the topics that need to be discussed, and the witnesses invited today will speak to the costs and benefits of the current strategies the Administration seeks to put in place to regulate carbon dioxide emissions and thereby in theory address climate change.ICYMI: Sen. Vitter Op-Ed "Our Ports and Waterways key to a vibrant economy"
"Our Ports and Waterways key to a vibrant economy" by Sen. David Vitter in the Washington Times
Thursday July 24, 2014
Excerpts: “As we work to grow jobs and the economy, we should always remember the importance of trade and maritime commerce as well as the infrastructure necessary to support it modern, properly dredged ports and waterways.
“One out of every six American jobs depends on trade and maritime commerce. $180 billion of goods per year travel on American waterways, to and from American ports. At the center of it all, the mighty Mississippi serves 31 states, in the heartland of America, which is the breadbasket of the world…
“Passing WRRDA is one of the most positive actions Congress has taken this year. It’s fully bipartisan legislation that serves as a real bright spot in an otherwise gridlocked Washington. Most importantly, it’s a substantive step forward in getting an otherwise sluggish economy moving down the river again.”
Op-Ed "Obama’s Executive Action On Cap-And-Trade Is All Pain, No Gain"
By Sen. David Vitter (R-La.)
Wednesday July 23, 2014
Sen. David Vitter's op-ed in the Daily Caller entitled, "Obama’s Executive Action On Cap-And-Trade Is All Pain, No Gain"
Vitter Summary Statement for Oversight Hearing of EPA's Proposed Carbon Rule
U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works “Oversight Hearing: EPA’s Proposed Carbon Pollution Standards for Existing Power Plants”
Wednesday July 23, 2014
Washington, DC
There are so many issues with this proposal that it’s impossible to say anything good about it. EPA’s blueprint, which is fundamentally similar to the Natural Resources Defense Council’s, drives States to implement renewable portfolio standards to replace fossil-fuel energy, whether they like it or not. But wind and solar aren’t necessarily the best choice for every State’s economy. Under this regulation, Louisiana is supposed to divert economically-valuable timber into fuel for electricity generation. That’s quite an expensive feedstock compared to coal or natural gas. And, in defense of attacks by the New York Times and others, the Administrator readily admits her Agency must revisit nuclear energy, since right now it encourages the closure of nuclear plants. Basically, EPA is insisting that States ration electricity and limit consumer choice, especially if that choice involves using more electricity.Vitter Summary Statement for Water & Wildlife Subcommittee Legislative Hearing
U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife Legislative Hearing
Wednesday July 16, 2014
Washington, DC
I want to thank Chairman Cardin and Ranking Member Boozman for holding today’s legislative hearing. Legislative hearings are an important part of the EPW Committee process and will help us better understand the implications of the eleven pieces of legislation that are on the agenda. This is the first legislative hearing we have had in the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee this Congress, and there are some bills that would be ripe for consideration but have been left off the schedule because they are ideas the Majority opposes. While that is the case, I want to share some thoughts on a few of the bills that we are considering today.In March 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) released their proposed “waters of the United States” rule, which would significantly expand the federal government’s authority over small streams, ditches, ponds, floodplains, and other areas where water may flow. EPA claims that their regulatory proposals do not affect various types of waterbodies. However, the text of the proposals demonstrates that EPA either doesn’t understand the language they drafted, or they are intentionally trying to mislead the American public. Below are six specific claims made by EPA, all of which are refuted by language in the rule.
ICYMI: Vitter Op-Ed "President Obama is giving America the John Beale style of government"
Washington Examiner "President Obama is giving America the John Beale style of government"
Thursday June 26, 2014
Washington, DC
If there's one takeaway from the John Beale saga, it's that our federal bureaucracy has grown far too powerful, and there's not nearly enough oversight and transparency to keep it in check.We should all question how Beale became a senior official at the Environmental Protection Agency and played a major role in policy decisions, while pulling off a scam I thought only Hollywood could make up.
The Beale I'm talking about is the guy now in jail for stealing nearly $1 million dollars. The same guy who for over a decade conned the EPA into believing he was a CIA agent.
