In The News
Regulatory Onslaught Has Stopped New Power Generation - Science Played Little Role in Moratorium - Inhofe Motivated by Principles not Politics - Gore Reverses on Ethanol - Climategate is still the Issue
Monday November 22, 2010
Roll Call: Inhofe Is Happy to Stand Apart - "He's not seen as a rebel around here by any means ... but he's an independent thinker," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said of the Oklahoma Republican. Inhofe, 76, is comfortable being a contrarian. In an interview last week, he recalled a time when one of his grandchildren "came up to me and said, ‘Pop-I, Why do you always do things that nobody else does?' ... and I said, ‘because nobody else does.'" ..."This earmark debate is a great example" of Inhofe's indifference to public opinion or peer pressure, Graham added. ... Inhofe's colleagues said he is motivated by principles, not politics: "He's very passionate and he can be as partisan as the best of them. But deep down, he wants to help people," a second Republican Senator said ...While most Members look to avoid intraparty confrontation, Inhofe appears to welcome it, taking pride in often being the most hated man in the room.
WSJ Editorial: Science and the Drilling Ban
Monday November 22, 2010
President Obama famously declared in 2009 that under his Administration the "days of science taking a backseat to ideology are over." Except, apparently, when the Administration wanted to justify its Gulf of Mexico drilling ban this summer.
The White House dropped its deep water drilling ban last month, ending months of government-imposed pain on a Gulf region hit by the BP oil spill. But only last week did the Department of Interior's acting inspector general, Mary Kendall, issue her findings on the moratorium's controversial beginnings. Lackluster though her investigation was, the report confirms that the moratorium never had any basis in science or safety. It was pure politics.
The White House dropped its deep water drilling ban last month, ending months of government-imposed pain on a Gulf region hit by the BP oil spill. But only last week did the Department of Interior's acting inspector general, Mary Kendall, issue her findings on the moratorium's controversial beginnings. Lackluster though her investigation was, the report confirms that the moratorium never had any basis in science or safety. It was pure politics.
WSJ Editorial: The EPA Permitorium
Monday November 22, 2010
President Obama is now retrenching after his midterm rebuke, and one of the main ways he'll try to press his agenda is through the alphabet soup of the federal regulators. So a special oversight priority for the new Congress ought to be the Environmental Protection Agency, which has turned a regulatory firehose on U.S. business and the power industry in particular.
The scale of the EPA's current assault is unprecedented, yet it has received almost no public scrutiny. Since Mr. Obama took office, the agency has proposed or finalized 29 major regulations and 172 major policy rules. This surge already outpaces the Clinton Administration's entire first term-when the EPA had just been handed broad new powers under the 1990 revamp of air pollution laws.
The scale of the EPA's current assault is unprecedented, yet it has received almost no public scrutiny. Since Mr. Obama took office, the agency has proposed or finalized 29 major regulations and 172 major policy rules. This surge already outpaces the Clinton Administration's entire first term-when the EPA had just been handed broad new powers under the 1990 revamp of air pollution laws.
Roll Call: Inhofe Is Happy to Stand Apart
Monday November 22, 2010
In an era of change, Sen. James Inhofe is unapologetic about standing his ground.
"He's not seen as a rebel around here by any means ... but he's an independent thinker," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said of the Oklahoma Republican.
Inhofe, 76, is comfortable being a contrarian. In an interview last week, he recalled a time when one of his grandchildren "came up to me and said, ‘Pop-I, Why do you always do things that nobody else does?' ... and I said, ‘because nobody else does.'"
"He's not seen as a rebel around here by any means ... but he's an independent thinker," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said of the Oklahoma Republican.
Inhofe, 76, is comfortable being a contrarian. In an interview last week, he recalled a time when one of his grandchildren "came up to me and said, ‘Pop-I, Why do you always do things that nobody else does?' ... and I said, ‘because nobody else does.'"
Oklahoman Editorial: Inhofe comfortable fighting lonely battles
Friday November 19, 2010
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe reportedly was the only member of the Senate's Republican caucus who voted this week against a moratorium on earmarks - the process by which members of Congress designate federal spending on specific projects in their states and districts. Sen. Lisa Murkowski missed the vote because she was in Alaska awaiting the conclusion of her re-election race, but says she would have voted against the ban if she had been around.
Seattle Times Editorial: End the NRC stalling on Yucca Mountain decision
Friday November 19, 2010
IT'S confirmed. Four Nuclear Regulatory Commission members cast their votes months ago on the question of whether the Obama administration can unilaterally cancel the nation's deep geological nuclear-waste repository. But the votes have been kept secret apparently for political reasons.
Attribute the holdup to NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko, who seems to have done everything he can to game the process and keep the question about Yucca Mountain from a more credible proceeding in federal court.
Congress designated the site 100 miles from Las Vegas as the destination for the nation's commercial nuclear waste and high-level defense waste, such as that now at Hanford in Southeastern Washington.
The NRC's own licensing board in June ruled that, no indeed, the Obama administration cannot flout the will of Congress. The question before the NRC is whether to affirm or overturn that ruling - a decision needed before the Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals will take up related litigation.
Attribute the holdup to NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko, who seems to have done everything he can to game the process and keep the question about Yucca Mountain from a more credible proceeding in federal court.
Congress designated the site 100 miles from Las Vegas as the destination for the nation's commercial nuclear waste and high-level defense waste, such as that now at Hanford in Southeastern Washington.
The NRC's own licensing board in June ruled that, no indeed, the Obama administration cannot flout the will of Congress. The question before the NRC is whether to affirm or overturn that ruling - a decision needed before the Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals will take up related litigation.
Daily Caller: News of cap and trades demise may have been exaggerated
Thursday November 18, 2010
Cap and trade may be dead in the Senate, according to newly installed Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, but Republicans warn the news of its demise have been exaggerated.
Manchin told a teleconference of West Virginia reporters Monday that he had received assurances from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that cap and trade would not see the light of day in the Senate - either in the lame duck session or in the 112th Congress.
"I got his commitment that cap and trade will definitely not be on the agenda and won't be on the agenda during the next Congress," Manchin told reporters following his swearing in. "I have a deep commitment and a personal commitment from him that cap and trade is dead."
Observers attribute Reid's reluctance to pursue cap and trade to a lack of votes in the Senate and to opposition from the incoming Republican House majority. Outgoing senators who supported cap and trade, such as Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter, are being replaced in the 112th Congress by Republicans who oppose it.
"They don't have the numbers, but the administration is working hard on imposing cap and trade through regulation," Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe told The Daily Caller.
The senator predicts Carol Browner, President Obama's climate change czar, will circumvent Congress and use executive branch regulatory power to implement cap and trade.
Manchin told a teleconference of West Virginia reporters Monday that he had received assurances from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that cap and trade would not see the light of day in the Senate - either in the lame duck session or in the 112th Congress.
"I got his commitment that cap and trade will definitely not be on the agenda and won't be on the agenda during the next Congress," Manchin told reporters following his swearing in. "I have a deep commitment and a personal commitment from him that cap and trade is dead."
Observers attribute Reid's reluctance to pursue cap and trade to a lack of votes in the Senate and to opposition from the incoming Republican House majority. Outgoing senators who supported cap and trade, such as Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter, are being replaced in the 112th Congress by Republicans who oppose it.
"They don't have the numbers, but the administration is working hard on imposing cap and trade through regulation," Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe told The Daily Caller.
The senator predicts Carol Browner, President Obama's climate change czar, will circumvent Congress and use executive branch regulatory power to implement cap and trade.
Oklahoman: Voice in the wilderness
Thursday November 18, 2010
This week U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe reportedly was the only member of the Senate's Republican caucus voting against a moratorium on earmarks - the process by which members of Congress designate federal spending on specific projects in their states and districts. Sen. Lisa Murkowski missed the vote because she's in Alaska awaiting the conclusion of her re-election race but says she would've voted against the ban if she had been around.
As he's explained many times, Inhofe believes the earmark moratorium is a lot of hot air over a relatively small amount of money (2 percent to 3 percent of total federal spending). And besides, he argues, the legislative branch is constitutionally empowered to appropriate funds. So, no, he's not concerned about being a lone wolf on earmarks.
Nor on other stuff, either. He was an early opponent to the Obama administration's cap-and-trade bill and his stalwart crusade against anti-global warming measures has earned plenty of bile from advocates. No matter. One of Inhofe's favorite stories is about how he jetted to last year's big climate change conference in Denmark, basically parachuting into Copenhagen for a couple of hours to be a one-man band in opposition - surrounded by a sea of people who didn't agree with him. You need a tough hide to play the role of a voice crying out in the wilderness. Inhofe's most certainly is
As he's explained many times, Inhofe believes the earmark moratorium is a lot of hot air over a relatively small amount of money (2 percent to 3 percent of total federal spending). And besides, he argues, the legislative branch is constitutionally empowered to appropriate funds. So, no, he's not concerned about being a lone wolf on earmarks.
Nor on other stuff, either. He was an early opponent to the Obama administration's cap-and-trade bill and his stalwart crusade against anti-global warming measures has earned plenty of bile from advocates. No matter. One of Inhofe's favorite stories is about how he jetted to last year's big climate change conference in Denmark, basically parachuting into Copenhagen for a couple of hours to be a one-man band in opposition - surrounded by a sea of people who didn't agree with him. You need a tough hide to play the role of a voice crying out in the wilderness. Inhofe's most certainly is
Politico: Dems move on from cap-and-trade
Wednesday November 17, 2010
Senate Democrats who championed climate change legislation before its collapse this year met behind closed doors Tuesday to pick up the pieces and map out their strategy for next year.
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who arranged the meeting, acknowledged that cap-and-trade legislation is dead. But he and others see room for passing smaller energy bills with bipartisan support.
There was a "clear understanding" around the table that, "whether we like it or not, cap-and-trade has no chance of passage in the next Congress," Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who co-authored the climate bill, told POLITICO.
"And so we've got to find separate ways to go at it," Lieberman added. Possibilities include energy provisions like support for electric cars, nuclear energy or a "clean energy standard," that includes cleaner forms of traditional energy like nuclear and coal.
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who arranged the meeting, acknowledged that cap-and-trade legislation is dead. But he and others see room for passing smaller energy bills with bipartisan support.
There was a "clear understanding" around the table that, "whether we like it or not, cap-and-trade has no chance of passage in the next Congress," Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who co-authored the climate bill, told POLITICO.
"And so we've got to find separate ways to go at it," Lieberman added. Possibilities include energy provisions like support for electric cars, nuclear energy or a "clean energy standard," that includes cleaner forms of traditional energy like nuclear and coal.
Tulsa World: Senate GOP backs earmark proposal - Inhofe vows to continue to look after the needs of Oklahoma
Wednesday November 17, 2010
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Republicans adopted by voice vote a nonbinding proposal against earmarks Tuesday, but Sen. Jim Inhofe, possibly the lone dissenting vote, expressed relief that others will join him in looking after their states' needs.
"Now they are all wanting exceptions, so let's just wait and see,'' Inhofe said following the vote on the proposal by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.
"I am going to go ahead and continue to represent the state.''
Inhofe also said he would vote against a binding proposal against earmarks by his fellow Oklahoma Republican, Sen. Tom Coburn.
In addition to addressing specific needs for Oklahoma, Inhofe also cited a number of national defense items that would not have come about without earmarks.
Those included an unmanned aerial vehicle system, improved armor and a mine resistance system.
"Now they are all wanting exceptions, so let's just wait and see,'' Inhofe said following the vote on the proposal by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.
"I am going to go ahead and continue to represent the state.''
Inhofe also said he would vote against a binding proposal against earmarks by his fellow Oklahoma Republican, Sen. Tom Coburn.
In addition to addressing specific needs for Oklahoma, Inhofe also cited a number of national defense items that would not have come about without earmarks.
Those included an unmanned aerial vehicle system, improved armor and a mine resistance system.
